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♥ 1864 West Sunderland - † 1918 Glasgow ☼ Actor, ☺ Comedian, ♫ Musician www.marksheridan.org |
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What's In A Name? Many performers adopted stage names instead of their birth names. In some cases the influences for these new " identities" are documented, in others unknown because they were never recorded. Mark Sheridan, the famous music hall comedian and singer of seaside songs, is one performer who changed his name and left us with something of a mystery as to what influenced his choice. He was born Frederick Shaw in 1864,and according to his obituary in the Sunderland Daily Echo , January 16, 1918, he used his real name "...on commencing as an artiste, but there were so many Freds in the business- Fred Albert, Fred Coyne, and the rest-that he resolved to change." He adopted the name of Mark Sheridan and never looked back. But what influenced his choice of name? It is often recorded in the periodicals of the time: The Era, The Stage etc., and particularly in their obituaries, that he took his first name from the American humorist Mark Twain. This tends to be the accepted version today. However, there are competing claims. ‘Onlooker’, a Tyne-side journalist writing in 1955,claimed that Mark's first name was inspired by Mark Street, in Millfield, Sunderland, where he used to reside. He gives no basis for his opinion but it is an intriguing piece of information and perhaps worth consideration. As for the surname , much has been written about it being the maiden name of his mother. However, Fred Shaw's birth certificate shows his mother is named as Isabella Shaw, formerly Armour-not Sheridan . Further details such as Fred’s father's name (William ) and occupation ( sailmaker) match local census records for 1871 - so there can be little doubt that the birth certificate is the right one. A competing claim for the surname is that there was a Mrs. A. Sheridan living a few doors down from young Fred Shaw when he lived at number 3, Addison Street East. Ward’s, the local Sunderland directory of the time, confirms their proximity. Could she have inspired the change? She had children of a similar age and perhaps they were playmates. It is hard to imagine the children not knowing each other. Yet another clue to weigh and consider. A third possibility for the choice of name may be Restoration dramatist, Richard Brinsley Sheridan- the only universally known Sheridan of the theatre. Young Fred may have admired the wit and wisdom of this man's work.’ Onlooker ‘ puts forward this theory but again with no stated basis. To conclude, there are a number of possible influences for Mark Sheridan's stage name. Considering his fantastic comic persona and dedication to his craft it is hard to imagine that he would have been forgettable as Fred Shaw. However, he did change his name and Fred Shaw, as Mark Sheridan, became one of the " foremost comedians of his age.”
© Angelique Antal, 2002 |
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[Home] [Biography] [Book references] [Articles] [Making his Mark in Glasgow Pantomime] [Steps to Suicide] [Summer Seaside Song Became Pantomime Hit!] [What's In A Name?] [Reviews / Gossip] [Photo Gallery] [Recordings/Lyrics] |
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Comments, information and suggestions to Angelica Antal e-mail: info@marksheridan.org |
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