History of JK Green & the Toy Theatre - Introduction

John Kilby Green – Introduction

Introduction

I have been researching my family history for more than twenty-five years and the most ordinary lot my ancestors seemed to be. I had begun to think that most of my ancestors were “Ag Labs” (agricultural labourers) or just plain “Labs”.  I had found a few more grand occupations like bricklayer, hawker and one printer, but nothing of any particular note. There were no murderers, no political leaders and no inventors, just a family of ordinary folk or so I believed. But all this changed in the matter of minutes in early 2004.

Some years before, I found the birth certificate for my great grandfather Charles Frederick Green. He was born in 1881 in Newington, Southwark, and his parents were listed as George James Green (my printer ancestor) and Jessie Emma Green nee Reynolds. I had hunted long and hard for George’s marriage to Jessie Emma Reynolds.  I eventually found it in the September quarter of 1871 some eight years after the birth of their first child, not an unusual occurrence during this time (I have found several such incidents). They were married at St Mary’s Church, Lambeth. The certificate told me that George’s father was John Kilby Green, an Engraver - Deceased. Engraving had something to do with printing I believed, but beyond that my knowledge was limited.

The hunt for John Kilby Green began

From the Censuses for 1871 and 1881 George’s birthplace was given as Walworth, Surrey. I began to hunt through the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Censuses for both George James Green and his father in the Walworth area of south London. After many hours viewing (over a period of several years, long before the invention of the Internet) I eventually found one of the entries I was looking for in the 1851 Census thus:-

1851 Census Extract HO107-1567 Folio 619 Page 12

9 Thurlow Place, Walworth, Surrey

Names	RtoH	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth
John Kilbey Green	Head	61	Historical Engraver	Ayot-St-Peter, Hertfordshire
Susanna Green	Wife	40		Ipswich, Suffolk
Sarah Green	Daur	12	Scholar at home	Walworth
John Green	Son	10	Scholar at home	Walworth
George Green	Son	8	Scholar at home	Walworth
Clara Green	Daur	4		Walworth
Ellen Green	Daur	2		Walworth

 

John Kilby Green’s occupation was given as a “Historical Engraver”. Now that sounded far more impressive, but more of that later.

The search for Thurlow Place in 1841.

 In the meantime, I decided to look up Thurlow Place, the address given on the 1851 Census Return. I wanted to establish where Thurlow Place was located on the map and did it exist in 1841. For this, my first port of call was John Snow’s 1859 Map of London and there I found Thurlow Place, just off East Street in Walworth, Southwark. I then tried Greenwood’s 1829 Map of London and again found Thurlow Place. So Thurlow Place would have existed on the 1841 Census.

I had recently purchased the 1841 Census CDs for Surrey. Thurlow Place took a little time to find, but unfortunately there were no Green’s to be found in residence. A search of the rest of the Walworth area would take a lot more time, so I decided to go through one enumerators book per evening. In the meantime, I wanted to find out more about this area of Southwark, so, in early 2004, I tried the brand new “Google Search Engine” on the Internet. I typed in “Thurlow Place, East Street, Walworth”. These were the early days of the Internet and this returned just one result, titled “A verse for Guy Fawkes Day”. I was intrigued to find out what this web site contained that was connected with Thurlow Place, perhaps the conspirators had been at Thurlow Place, but the answer was far more mundane and yet far more interesting as far as I was concerned. It read as follows:-

Old Guy Fawkes

Kind folks, you see, our effigy,

Designed for Guy Fawkes;

Who with base mind, was once inclin'd

To give King James hard knocks.

 

'Twas his intent, the Parliament

To send them all on high;

To them no joke, amid the smoke,

To be hurled to the sky.

 

All hundreneat, this dire thief,

His powder well had plac'd;

But heav'n design'd is wicked mind

Should quickly be disgrac'd

 

For he was caught, before he thought

His plan it could be known;

A letter sent, show'd the intent,

That many shold be blown.

 

Now we are taught, that Guy was caught,

The Fifth day of November;

Therefore to night, with fire bright,

We wish it to remember.

 

Holloo boys, holloo boys, let the bells ring

Holloo boys, holloo boys,

God save the Queen.

Hussa! hussa! hussa!

 

Bodleian

Imprint: Printed and Sold by J.K. Green, 9, Thurlow Place, East Street, Walworth

It was the very last line that excited me most. This transcript came from a document printed by my 3x great-grandfather. Not totally unexpected as he was an engraver and printing was an occupation in the family, but quite a pleasant surprise all the same.

(The Original Item)

I decided to hunt through the rest of the Guy Fawkes site, and to my amazement I discovered a complete script for a play entitled: -

“Green's Harlequin Guy Fawkes - Tabletop Theatre Version”
Transcription by Conrad and Mary Bladey © 2003

The only Juvenile Edition Published correctly marked with the Stage Directions

London Printed and Published by J.K. Green the Original Inventor and Publisher of Juvenile Theatrical Prints Established 1808

Sold by J. Redington, 208 Hoxton Old Town

 

 (The Original Item)

The Original Inventor

 I was now astonished to discover that my 3x great-grandfather was the Original Inventor of “Juvenile Theatrical Prints”, but what were they? I went back to Google and this time I typed in ‘JK Green Juvenile Theatrical Prints’. I was most surprised to see a page full of results.

From these web-pages I was able to paint a reasonable picture of JK Green’s life and beyond. It would appear that I had discovered some-one of importance on my family tree. JK Green appears to have played a significant role in the invention of the Toy Theatre and was also one of the most prolific publishers for the art form in the first half of the 19^th Century. The trail of his works led right up to the present day and to Pollock’s Toy Museum in Scala Street, London.

I found a web-site dedicated to “Pollock’s Toy Museum”. The web site was large with many pages to explore. I was more amazed to see actual images of toy theatre kits and accessories. Several had “Green’s Characters and Scenes” written across the top. All such images had JK Green’s imprint clearly printed on each of the items. Included in the imprint was the date and importantly for me, his address.

There was one for 10^th April 1849 with the address of 9 Thurlow Place. Another was for 26^th April 1854 again at 9 Thurlow Place. This confirmed my find in the 1851 Census. After much searching I found one with a date for December 1841 at 34 Lambeth Square, New Cut. An immediate search was made for this address in the 1841 London Census CDs. This time I was able to use the CDs street index and this suggested the reference HO107-1061-6 folios 40-55. These were quickly located and on the very last entry on folio 55, I found John Green and his family thus:

 

1841 Census Extract HO107-1061-6 Folio 55

Lambeth Square, St Mary, Lambeth, Surrey

Names	Age	Occupation	Born in Surrey
John Green	50	Engraver	No
John Green	4		Yes
George Green	2		Yes
Susannah Green	25		No
Susannah Green	11		No
Sarah Green	7		Yes

 

That saved many evenings of trawling through the 1841 Census, especially as the family weren’t to be found in the Walworth area. This address was in Lambeth, just outside the Walworth boundaries, to the northwest.

A trip to London and a visit to “Pollock’s Toy Museum” was arranged, but prior to my visit I sent an E-mail to the museum. David Powell, a trustee of the museum, replied to inform me that in fact there was a lot more information about JK Green than I had possibly imagined. He gave me a short outline, which I paraphrase thus:

In about 1804, a 14 year old, JK Green came to London from his rural origins in Ayot St Peter in Hertfordshire. He became apprenticed to Mr Simkins of Denmark Court, near the Strand. Sometime between 1808 and 1811 he was believed to have been commissioned to produce a few theatrical prints for William West, who became the foremost publisher of theatrical prints in the first part of the 19^th Century. JK Green produced a few significant works himself in this time, but he disappeared from the scene in 1814. It is believed he joined the army, but as yet no record has been found to confirm this. (I have found a possible marriage, to a Sarah Halliday in Oakham, Rutland on 25^th August 1815. There was a child, John Green, baptised in the same church in 1818 with parents John & Sarah Green. John Green’s occupation was given as “soldier”, adding some credence to the story that he joined the army.) From then until 1832 no more records have been found of JK Green. In 1832 he turned up again in London and engraving theatrical prints, toy theatres and plays. He would have been about 42 years of age at the time. Between 1832 and his death in 1860 he became prolific in the production of the Juvenile Drama, with many different theatres to make and over 50 different plays to perform. George Speaight wrote at length in his book “The History of the English Toy Theatre (1969)" on the work produced by JK Green and that most of this work later became the backbone of the Pollock production line in the latter parts of the 19^th Century and early parts of the 20^th Century. George Speaight also went on to mention that George J Green, JK Green’s son (and my 2x great grandfather), continued in the business for a few years after John Kilby Green’s death in 1860. This was confirmed by the 1861 Census, which showed George J Green aged 22 living at 6 Chatham Place, Walworth, as a “Copperplate Printer”, the same address as given in George Speaight’s book.

1861 Census Extract RG9-337 Folio 124 Page 42

6 Chatham Place, Newington, Surrey

Names	RtoH	Age	Occupation	Place of Birth
George James Green	Head	22	Printer Copperplate	Surrey, Southwark

 

William West, who was often thought of as the founder of the Juvenile Drama, admitted in an interview to a journalist by the name of Henry Mayhew in 1850 (which had been lost until 1972) that he felt considerable guilt in taking the idea from Green, but at the same time stated that Green’s speciality was copying and engraving rather than creating the art work for himself. So there would appear to be some doubt as to whom was really the inventor of the Toy Theatre. I suspect both played their parts, but what is clear is that JK Green was a prolific producer of toy theatres and juvenile dramas in the mid 19^th Century and many of his works are still available today in the form of Pollock’s theatres and dramas, with some of the works still bearing his name. Upon many of his works he clearly stated that he was the Original Inventor of “Juvenile Theatrical Prints”, a claim that no one disputed.

My visit to Pollock’s Toy Museum in March 2004 was truly astonishing. I saw so much of my ancestor’s work and the staff welcomed me so warmly, that it will be a day I will remember fondly for the rest of my life. There was even a display depicting JK Green at work in his small workshop. I was presented with a collection of original and reproduction work created by JK Green, including “Green's Harlequin Guy Fawkes”, the play which led me to my most illustrious ancestor.

The Title Page for Green’s Harlequin & Guy Fawkes

 

As a keen model builder, I decided to have a go at building a toy theatre for myself. I downloaded a complete kit to make a miniature theatre from www.peopleplayuk.org.uk. This included a reduced version of a Webb theatre and Pollock’s play, Cinderella. It didn’t take long to construct, and it didn’t take long for me to become hooked on a pastime that must have kept children and adults alike amused for hours, days, weeks and in a few cases a lifetime. I think I will soon have to count myself in the latter category. It has been doubling pleasing to me, as although I had not previously owned a toy theatre, I had always been fascinated by them. Whenever I watched “The Railway Children” I always looked forward to the part where Jim (the “hound” who broke his leg) was entertained by the three children using a SCHREIBERS Toy Theatre. I think deep down I always wanted one. Now I have several, plus so much more.

 

I have become good friends with a few collectors of Toy Theatre ephemera and they have contributed greatly to rest of this book, both in terms of allowing me to use parts of their collections and also contributing text for what has become a series of articles on the history of the Toy Theatre.

My interest grows with each passing day and I am constantly revising my notes. Please forgive any mistakes and the odd paragraph, which doesn’t quite make sense. I don’t count myself as any great or even good as a writer, but I am prepared to give it a go.

I hope you enjoy reading the history of both my ancestors and the toy theatre as much as I have enjoyed collating the information and presenting in book form.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I dedicate this book to my grandmother Ivy Amy Berwick (formerly Brown and originally Green). She was the last of the Green’s on my line of the family. As a hobbyist painter she would have loved the idea that she was descended from the “Original Inventor” of the toy theatre. She told me that she performed at Drury Lane in the late 1920s in the Mikado. Unfortunately, she died in 1997 long before I made any of my discoveries, never knowing what her illustrious ancestor had created.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------