Many ancestors of Joseph Jefferson followed the profession of acting.
Both his father and mother were players. He was born at Philadelphia,
February 20, 1829, was educated at home and first appeared on the
stage as a child in the old-time favorite play of Pizarro. In 1843 his
father died, and he joined a party of strolling players, who traveled
through Texas and followed the United States army to Mexico. His first
prominent rôle was that of Asa Trenchard, in Our American Cousin, which
was first presented October 18, 1858, and continued for one hundred and
fifty consecutive nights at Laura Keene’s theater in New York city.
His other notable parts have been Newman Noggs, in Nicholas Nickelby;
Caleb Plummer, in The Cricket on the Hearth; Dr. Pangloss, in The
Heir-at-Law; and Dr. Ollapod, in The Poor Gentleman. But the public
chiefly identify him with the title rôle of Rip Van Winkle, which he
has played in every city in the United States, and also in England and
Australia. He enjoys the distinction of having presented the character
more times than any other actor has ever played a single character in
the history of dramatics. Besides being one of the most popular actors
of his times, Mr. Jefferson is a painter of considerable ability and
is an author of some note. His “autobiography” is his most important
work, but he has also contributed many articles to the magazines. He
married, in 1848, Margaret Lockyer, and after her death took to wife
Sarah Warren, in 1867.