JONATHAN (Jonty) Dewhurst (1837-1913) was a leading figure on the Victorian stage and specialised in dramatic roles, particularly the major Shakespearean characters.

He was born in Lowton and lived in Wigan and Leigh before taking to the stage with the Calverts in Manchester. Jonathan performed at all the main theatres in the UK and toured Australia and India. For many years he ran his own Powerful legitimate Company and appeared in Leigh on many occasions, latterly with his wife, the actress Fanny Rivers.

In 1888 he settled in Leigh and became lessee and manager of the Theatre Royal which he ran until 1906. Three of Jonathan's children were also involved in the theatre - William was a stage actor and appeared in several films in the 1930s. Harold was a member of various repertory companies mainly in the north of England and Percy Jonathan (also known as 'Jonty') was an actor and also a playwright.

And now we come to the mystery! In the late 1890s admirers presented Jonathan with a full-size oil painting of himself (presumably in suitable Shakespearean costume) and the Leigh Journal reported on May 21, 1954, that the portrait then hung in the Circle Bar of the Theatre.

Alas! The Theatre in 1954 ceased to be a theatre and became a dance hall. It is now 'Ruebens nite spot'. But what happened to the portrait? For the past two years we have been researching the life and career of Jonathan Dewhurst and his family with the intention of publishing a book about this important Victorian actor and man of Leigh.

We have been trying to trace the portrait and have contacted a great many art galleries and museums, so far without success. There must be a strong possibility that it was 'housed' by a local person who was possibly interested in the theatre and in the Dewhursts.

We would be delighted to hear from anyone who can throw light on the whereabouts (or fate) of the portrait and any other information concerning it or any of the other photographs of actors which adorned the foyer of the theatre before its closure.

Sue and Phil Taylor

Bray Cottage,

Punch Bowl Corner,

Battisford,

Suffolk IP14 2LH.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.