Drew family

The Drew family's theatrical legacy began with actor John Drew and actress Louisa Lane, both of whom were prominent figures in American stage performance during the mid-19th century.^[5] While Drew was the first actor in his family, Lane came from a stage family.

Lane was the daughter of Frederick Lane, an actor and theatre manager, and Eliza Trentner (1796-1887), a singer and actress. After her fathers death, her mother would remarry to British actor John Kinlock.^[6] Lane's paternal grandparents, Thomas Haycraft Lane and Louisa Rouse, were also actors. Her half-sister was a then-popular actress, Georgiana Kinlock.^[7][8]

Lane and Drew would move to the United States, where they would establish their careers and eventual acting dynasty. The Drews owned the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they staged performances, and she managed the business. The Arch Street was a competitor theatre of the still standing Walnut Street Theatre, also in Philadelphia.^[9] Lane was known as a theatre manager and played a significant role in sustaining repertory theatre during a formative period in American dramatic history.^[10][11]

Quick facts Louisa Lane Drew, Born ...

Louisa Lane Drew
Lane as Ophelia circa 1840–48
Born	Louisa Lane (1820-01-10)January 10, 1820 London, England (United Kingdom)
Died	August 31, 1897(1897-08-31) (aged 77) Larchmont, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Mount Vernon Cemetery, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Other names	Mrs. John Drew
Occupations	Stage actress Theater manager
Years active	1820-1897
Spouses	Henry B. Hunt ​ (m. 1836)​ George Mossop ​ ​ (m. 1848; died 1849)​ John Drew ​ ​ (m. 1850; died 1862)​
Children	Louisa Drew John Drew Jr. Georgiana Drew Sidney Drew (adopted)
Relatives	Georgiana Kinlock (sister)
Family	Drew family
Signature

Close

The Drew family represents the maternal branch of the Barrymore family. Through the marriage of their daughter Georgiana Drew to Maurice Barrymore, the Drew family became directly linked to the Barrymore acting dynasty. This would unite the two established theatrical families and contribute to a lineage that would dominate American stage acting for decades.^[12][13] This union is frequently cited by theatre historians as foundational to the emergence of the Barrymore acting dynasty in American cultural history.^[14]

Their descendants continued in the performing arts across multiple generations.

• The Barbarian and Other Stories Bedlum Mendum. By Bedloe Mendum. New York: F Tennyson Neely, 1899
  • Authored by Edmund Mendum. Published under pseudonym.^[21]

Spanning more than five generations, the family has acclaimed a number of accolades, nominations, and honors.