Henry James Montague

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Henry James Montague, stage name of Henry John Mann (20 January 1843 – 11 August 1878), was an English-born American actor. Born in Staffordshire, England, he started as an amateur and soon appeared in notable London theatres under Dion Boucicault. Between 1863 and 1874 he took on many original roles at venues like the St James’s, Prince of Wales, and Olympic Theatres, and helped open the Vaudeville Theatre in 1870 with David James and Thomas Thorne. He later became the sole lessee of the Globe Theatre in 1871, where he starred in Partners for Life and other productions.

In 1874, Lester Wallack brought him to the United States. Montague was a founding member of The Lambs, an actors’ club he helped establish in London in 1869, serving as its Shepherd (president) in 1873, and became the first Shepherd of The Lambs in New York in 1874. In America he appeared in The Shaughraun (Captain Molineux) and later acted in plays such as Caste, Diplomacy, and The Overland Route.

In his personal life, Montague was sued for breach of promise to marry by actress Rose Massey in 1875; the case ended with his death. He died in San Francisco on 11 August 1878 at the Palace Hotel, from hemorrhage of the lungs caused by pneumonia following a severe cold. His reported last words were, “It’s no use; I am going, boys. God bless you all.” He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, despite his wish to be buried in England.