Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1910 & 19

Frederick Washington Graham (1872 - 1916)


Frederick Washington Graham was an Actor who excelled at playing a comedic roll in stage plays and pantomimes. Under the stage name of Fred W. Graham, he toured the theatres in England and was living in Pendleton when he died in 1916 aged 43.


He was born on 12th September 1872 in Liverpool and baptised on 15th September 1872 at St Patrick's RC Church, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His parents were Frederick Graham (born 1855 in Liverpool) who was a Master Mariner, and Mary Anne (nee Campbell) Graham (born 1855 in Liverpool).


In 1891 the family lived at Falkland Road, Poulton with Seacombe, Birkenhead, Cheshire. Frederick was aged 18, a Commercial Clerk, with four younger siblings. The 1901 census shows that 28-year-old Frederick was a boarder with a family named Howard at 59 Brierley Street Stalybridge, Cheshire. His occupation was Actor. Later in 1901 Frederic married Elizabeth Ann Jacobs in Gloucester. Elizabeth (born 1877 in Lambeth, Surrey), was an Actress and the daughter of Charles Jacobs (born 1851 in West Pennard, Somerset) who was an Army Pensioner, and Sarah (nee Gulliver) Jacobs (born 1850 in Pembury, Somerset). In 1911, Frederick and Elizabeth lived at 48 Heygate, Walworth, South London with their daughter Edith Elizabeth Mary aged 6.


Some of Fred W. Graham's venues, roles and reviews were: September 1893 at Leamington Spa Theatre Royal as Guido Fawkes in "Guy Fawkes the Fifth;"  February 1895 at Huddersfield Theatre Royal as Sindad's mother in "Sinbad the Sailor;" May 1895 at Nottingham Grand Theatre in "Carl the Clockmaker" (where he cleverly plays the part of Arthur Attwood); June 1896 at Bolton Theatre Royal, again in "Carl the Clockmaker;" January 1897 at The Royal Court, Wigan as Abanazar in "Aladdin" (His Abanazar cannot be too highly praised. He is a thorough burlesque artist); February 1898 at the Regent Theatre, Salford in "Aladdin" (his Abazanar is excruciatingly funny, delightfully witty and full of fun and frolic); February 1898 at the Theatre Royal, Stockport, again as Abanazar in "Aladdin;" July 1898 at the Theatre Royal in Jarrow in "Otto the Outcast," (as the timid greengrocer turned gendarme he excelled himself); November 1899 at the Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in "A Runaway Girl," (where he played Sir William Hake and danced with nimbleness and spirit).


In July 1900 at the Metropole Theatre, Devonport in "No Man's Land" where he (revelled in comedy) and in August 1900 at the Haymarket, Liverpool in "The Chain of Guilt;" He also played at Oldham Colosseum; the Grand Theatre, Brighouse; Sangsters Amphitheatre, Ramsgate; the Grand Theatre, Stalybridge; the Victoria Opera House, Burnley; the Theatre Royal, Jarrow; the Royal Theatre, Ashton-under-Lyne; the Royal Theatre, Barnsley; Prince's Theatre, Portsmouth; the Grand Theatre, Luton; the Grand Theatre, Brighton; Grand Theatre, Halifax; Theatre Royal, Sheffield: the Theatre Royal, Darlington; The Royal, Smethwick; and the Opera House, Wakefield.


The Stage newspaper of 9th March 1916 said "We regret to announce the death of Mr Fred W. Graham, the Comedian, who died at Salford on 2nd March aged 43, after a short illness."  He was buried in a RC common grave at Weaste Cemetery.