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Mike_E
29-10-2007, 8:33 PM
Hello Twigs

I'm trying to find out about my Great Grand Aunt Helen Woodhead -(nee Cornwall) born in June 1858 in Dubuque Iowa.

She married Charles Alfred Woodhead in 1877 In Hull Yorkshire, while the Cornwall's were back in the UK for about 10 years. She returned to the US some time around 1892 with Husband and 6 children in tow.

The family story is that they entered the U.S. in Baltimore, Maryland and after staying there a while moved to New York. The family story about why they came to the U.S. and why they chose New York is that Helen (Cornwall) Woodhead was an accomplished opera singer and her dream was to perform in New York and at the Metropolitan Opera House. The story also says that she did perform there and that in her performances around New York she went by the stage name "Madame Cornwall." I'm not so sure about the reason they came to the US, Helen was after all born there, and most of her family were now back in the US apart from a sister who stayed in Hull (my Great Grand Mother).

Her singing is what I'd like to focus my search on if possible, and if there is anything available about her as a performer. Idea's for places to look please. I know Helen lived with her son Christopher for a while after her husband committed suicide, and finally moved to Welton in Iowa to live with her parents.

Any help would be great

Jan1954
29-10-2007, 9:58 PM
Hi Mike,

Are you aware of this?

http://www.woodhead.org/eastcoast/project.htm

Jan

Mike_E
29-10-2007, 11:12 PM
Hi Mike,

Are you aware of this?

http://www.woodhead.org/eastcoast/project.htm

Jan

Yup, Parris and I have been in contact a few times. he has no more info on the Opera singing than I posted. On reflection, I should have posted that link in my post too, |banghead|

I've been searching newspaper archives (Washington Post only go back to 1977) on you know where "A"|scold| but not found anything so far. Was hoping the combined wisdom on this forum would turn something I've missed up.

bwarnerok
21-11-2007, 12:07 AM
Mike,
Have you tried the Archives of the New York Times?

http://www.nytimes.com/ ... and at the search bar (which is below the masthead).. go over to the right to the pull down and choose "archives 1851-1980". Most of the older stuff is free .. I've yet to quite figure out what's free and what isn't (there's a dollar sign that will tell you).. but I've pulled up stories in the 1950's that are free while others have a charge. But.. most of the pre-1930 is FREE.

In ancestry, don't overlook checking some of the other newspapers around the country. Most of the performers went "on tour" back then and towns that you and I have never heard of, had some nice "opera houses" back in the day. There are ghost towns in Colorado now that during the gold rush days, were quite the entertainment mecca.

Betsy