John Edmond Owens

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Owens, John E[dmond] (1823–86), character actor. One of the most popular of nineteenth century performers, he was born in Liverpool and at the age of five was brought to Philadelphia where he made his stage debut in 1841 under the aegis of William Burton. Although his rise was comparatively slow, Owens established himself in the public affection with his characterizations of Dr. Pangloss, Caleb Plummer, Paul Pry, Aminadab Sleek, and Timothy Toodle, many of which Burton had popularized earlier. However, his most famous role was the cracker‐barrel Yankee Solon Shingle in the play known both as Solon Shingle and The People's Lawyer. Others had played the part before him, but when Owens first performed it in 1856, theatregoers and critics generally agreed that his interpretation was the best. Joseph Jefferson considered him “the handsomest low comedian I had ever seen. He had a neat, dapper little figure, and a face full of lively expression. His audience was with him from first to last, his effective style and great flow of animal spirits capturing them.” Owens's wife noted his versatility when she wrote, “In Solon Shingle his voice ruralized into eccentricity, and in Caleb Plummer it sobered into pathos.” Biography: Memories of the Professional and Social Life of John E. Owens, Mrs. John E. Owens, 1892.