Thomas Barrasford

Thomas Barrasford (1859–1910) was an eightenth century British entertainment entrepreneur, who owned and built a number of theatres across the United Kingdom under the Barrasford Halls brand.

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(notes taken from the book (Northern Music Hall by Frank Graham/G.J. Mellor)

One Northern entrepreneur who challenged the supremacy of the Moss and Stoll Empires was Tom Barrasford, who hailed from Tyneside, champion of rock-bottom prices, and early advocate of the cinema, to him goes the distinction of creating a 'tour' of 14 halls in four years - truly an astonishing feat of enterprise. Although he was sometimes credited with creating the two house system, a London Times (Jan 30, 1931) obituary gave that accolade to Henry de Frece (b 1837, d 1931 London) another Liverpool theatrical entrepreneur, whose sons included Sir Walter, an early partner in Warner Brothers and the director of De Frece Circuit, and the comedian Lauri de Frece.

The son of a Newcastle publican, Barrasford was quick to note the success of the Moss and Thornton venture at the Royal Scotch Arms in Newcastle. Those gentlemen transformed the singing room of the old coaching inn into the Empire Music Hall during the winter of 1890. Five years later, Barrasford, in partnership with a man named Varah, took over a wooden circus on the Ormond Street pit-heap in Jarrow, and turned it into a music hall, known as the Jarrow Palace of Varieties. Dick Thornton, the bluff Tynesider, who also began as a publican, is credited with coining the phrase 'From Pot-House to Palace' in describing his own rise to fame, but Tom Barrasford could have said ' From Pit-Heap to Palace' and been nearer the truth, except that most of his music halls were known as 'Hippodromes' and not 'Empire Palaces'.

Expansion of Barrasford's interests began early in 1899 when he acquired the Leeds Tivoli. The Tivoli had grown from a small beginning as Billy Thorne's Portable Theatre, but in 1898 something of a crisis had arisen in Leeds' theatrical affairs. The Moss and Stoll combine had erected and opened the Empire in Briggate , what was described as 'The latest and most up-to-date Empire Palace in the country' and this hall was attracting all the business. Both the Varieties and the former Princess' Palace were in the market, and even the Theatre Royal was feeling the pinch somewhat, for a new dramatic house (the Queens' Theatre in Holbeck) had opened and Messrs. Dotteridge and Longden, the lessees, were having great success there with what was described as 'popular melodrama of the Surrey Theatre type'. The Princess Palace, after standing empty for a time, was taken over in November 1898, by the Leeds and Hanley Theatres Company (proprietors of the Gaiety , Hanley) and the name changed to the Tivoli. The infamous Promenade was done away with, and gold leaf applied to the interior of the hall with lavish hand, but still the place did not pay. The Company then went into voluntary liquidation. It was to this hall, losing money in spite of every effort, that Barrasford came, in March 1899.

A very similar state of affairs had arisen in nearby Bradford, only a few weeks previously. The Moss and Stoll combine had erected the Bradford Empire in January, 1899 and Frank MacNaughten, the new lessee of the Peoples' Palace Music Hall in Bradford, had countered the inevitable nose-dive in attendance figures at his house by staging his performances twice-nightly (as had been established by him at his Sheffield hall in 1896) with considerable success.

Barrasford decided that such measures were called for in Leeds. The twice-nightly system was almost unknown then, although Harry de Frece claimed to be the originator in Liverpool at his Alhambra in the 1860's and it had been tried at the Wear Music Hall in Sunderland in 1870's. MacNaughten obligingly lent Barrasford his manager and right-hand man in Fred Baugh (who had been with him since his arrival in this country in 1895) to initiate the 'Two Houses a Night' system in Leeds. But Baugh did not stay with Barrasford very long. He left after only a few months and went back to MacNaughten, who immediately put him in charge of the Oddfellows' Hall in Halifax. Charlie Weldon, the former manager for the Leeds and Hanley Company, and the brother of George Weldon who ran the Dewsbury Hippodrome, was re-instated to manage the Leeds Tivoli.

The Tivoli Music Hall, Leeds, under Barrasford's control, reopened on the 20th March, 1899. The performers did not like the two houses nightly and there was a great outcry. Barrasford's attitude was 'Like it, or lump it, it pays and it continues'. In later years he was to admit that the Leeds Tivoli proved 'a little gold-mine' and he had no hesitation in making his home in Leeds. The Jarrow Palace was kept going, however, and this house also went over to the twice-nightly system.

Nothing succeeds like success, and it was not long before further expansion took place. By the end of 1900 Barrasford had a Tivoli Music Hall in Edinburgh under his control, formerly known as the Grand. In 1901 there was added the Tivoli, Birmingham formerly the Tower Theatre, so called because it had a large tower which dominated adjacent properties in Hurst Street-including the Moss' Empire! Also in this year was added the Alhambra, Hull (which remained the Alhambra, at least for a time, until it became the Hippodrome.) The Alhambra was the former dissenting chapel in Porter Street which many lessees had given up in disgust, but with Barrasford's shrewd bookings and 'Two Houses a Night' it blossomed anew. At Whitsuntide, 1902, the Glasgow Hippodrome was added, a huge place attached to Bostock's Zoo in the New City Road, which did well for a time.

But the real 'Barrasford Tour' got under way after the 'showdown' with the great figures of music hall - Oswald Stoll -later Sir Oswald Stoll. Stoll, who had given up his education to help his newly widowed mother manage a Liverpool theatre, was said to havehad no sense of humour, and was often terse uncompromising. Stoll was a thinker and a moralist, who despised humour that depended on crudity. He published several books describing his skills in financial mangement. Barrasford decided to build his own music halls instead of (as hitherto) taking them over, or converting them piecemeal.

Let Councillor Tom Barrasford of Llandudno, grandson of the founder of the Tour, tell the story:

'My grandfather, Tom Barrasford, was involved in a personal vendetta with Sir Oswald Stoll, then Chairman of the vast syndicate of music halls knows as Moss Empires. In addition, Sir Oswald ran a Tour of his own.

"Stoll, with his usual cautious nature, would bring over foreign acts and engage them on a weekly basis only. Then, if they showed promise, he would engage them for the Tour at the end of the week. Noting this, my grandfather made it his business to be present on a Monday evening when these trial turns were held, and would rush round to the dressing room with a contract, if he through they were any good. This aroused Stoll's ire, and he had Barrasford or his representatives barred from attending his halls

"The direct result of this was that my grandfather resolved to build a bigger and better music hall in very town and city in direct opposition to the existing Moss and Stoll Empires.

"At the time of his death in 1910 he had gone a long way towards achieving this aim. In addition, he had built two large music halls on the Continent - the Alhambras at Brussels and Paris - with the object of engaging there the cream of foreign talent, and so booking them for his Tour, which by that time had reached sizeable proportions."

The first music hall build by Barrasford was in Liverpool, a city which has long been noted for its partiality towards good music hall entertainment. The site chosen was the populous West Derby Road, where Hengler's Circus had been established for many years.

For his architect he chose Bertie Crewe, a man of wide experience in designing music halls. Crew favoured the flowing lines of Louis Quinze.

The Liverpool Royal Hippodrome held well over 1,000. The ceiling was a work of art, being painted by the famous artist Secard, depicting flying cupids upon beds of clouds. The frontage into West Derby Road contained a line of shops, while the entrance itself was surmounted by a huge clock.

The Liverpool Royal Hippodrome opened at Bank Holiday 1902 with prices at rock bottom.

This, the first of the Barrasford halls was a success. So successful that the Moss-Stoll combine decided to open up in opposition, in the West Derby Road district even though they had a thriving Empire in Liverpool already. In 1905 they built and opened the Olympia, another enormous house, on an island site in Boaler Street, a few hundred yards from the Barrasford Hippodrome. The Olympia opened with the famous hunting extravaganza 'Tally Ho!', direct from the London Hippodrome, but apart from this one real attraction, the place never really paid its way.

1903 saw another two halls in the Merseyside area added to the Barrasford Tour. The first was the Lyric Theatre, in Everton Valley, then a well-known dramatic house, . The Lyric, which had opened at Christmas 1897 with the pantomime 'Bluebeard', was opened by Barrasford as a music hall on Easter Monday 1903 and even Barrasford was surprised at the results, which exceeded all expectations.

The other was the St. Helens Empire taken into the circuit in 1903, which changed to the name, the re-constituted St Helens Hippodrome re-opened on 12th October 1903 with Fred Karno's comedy company in 'Jail Birds' and variety support. Success was immediate.

Two Manchester music halls were added to the Tour in 1903. The Grand Theatre in Peter Street and the Regent Theatre in Salford, neither of which proved very valuable to the circuit, and did not last very long.

Two further halls added in the South of England were the Bristol Empire and the Brighton Hippodrome, and for a few months the old Britannia Theatre at Hoxton ran variety under the Barrasford Banner, not very successfully, until the lease was handed over to Frank MacNaughten after nine months.

The St Helens Hippodrome was the fourteenth music hall added to the Tour in four year, an astounding achievement, and expansion was still going ahead. The halls controlled at the end of 1903 comprised the following:

Palace, Jarrow; Tivoli, Leeds; Tivoli, Edinburgh and Tivoli, Birmingham; Alhambra, Hull; Empire, Bristol; Lyric, Everton; Grand, Manchester, and Regent, Salford. The Britannia Theatre, Hoxton, together with the Hippodromes at Liverpool, Glasgow and Brighton and St. Helens.

In December 1903 the Newcastle Pavilion, in Westgate Road was added. The opening of the Pavillion coincided with the registration of the Barrasford Circuit as a limited company in London. The registered office address of the company was in Leicester Place, off Leicester Square, London, W.C.2. Tom Barrasford as Managing Director, and , Hugh Astley of the London Pavilion as Chairman.

Tom Barrasford made London his Mecca. Although Barrasford was unlucky with both his venture in the capital city. The first at Hoxton lasted only nine months, and the West End enterprise only a little longer, but the Circuit flourished in spite of these setbacks.

When Barrasford heard about his old antagonist, Sir Oswald Stoll and his plans for a huge music hall in the heart of London, Barrasford had led the way with the 'two houses nightly system' now here was Stoll coming up with 'Four Houses a Day'!

Stoll's music hall was to be the Coliseum and built to a grand style indeed.

Barrasford hearing all about this, was not to be outdone. Immediately he entered into negotiations for the old Lyceum Theatre, just off the Strand, which was then coming on to the market. After purchase the architect Bertie Crew was told to do his best with the building, to turn in into a music hall, but quickly. He demolished the interior and erected a comfortable, roomy theatre, resplendent in gilt and plush.

It was a race between Barrasford and Stoll but Stoll won by a short head. The coliseum opened on Christmas Eve 24th December 1904 and Barrasford's new Lyceum on Boxing Day the 26th.

Unfortunately, a liquor licence was not allowed and this caused problems for the Lyceum. In June 1905 Barrasford's Lyceum Company was in financial difficulties.

And so, through no fault of his own, Barrasford had to reluctantly bring the Lyceum variety season to a close. During that Season famous Continental artistes made their appearance, they were brought over from his famous Paris Alhambra. ( The Brussels Alhambra met an untimely end by fire. )

But the Lyceum venture was not entirely in vain. The triumph came in September 1905, when Tom Barrasford was honoured by a Royal Visit to his theatre. The first production of the spectacular ballet ' Excelsior' was seen by Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales, afterwards King George V and Queen Mary.

At the end of the year the London County Council were still adamant in their refusal to grant a drink licence for variety performance. Barrasford abandoned the Lyceum for good. It was purchased by the Melville family for £240,000

After this, Barrasford made his centre of operations in Brighton. The ice rink of 1897 in Middle Street, in which he had acquired an interest in 1902 and turned into the Hippodrome music hall, was reconstructed. Barrasford himself occupied premises adjoining, known as 'Hippodrome House', and about the same time took over the old music hall in New Road, next door to Brighton's historic Theatre Royal, and turned this into the Coliseum. Prior to this, it had been know as 'Wright's Oxford Music Hall', the New Oxford, The Empire, and other names. In 1909 Barrasford turned it into a cinema.

In 1906 some re-organisation was carried out of the Tour. The Tivoli in Leeds was enlarged and improved and re-named the New Hippodrome which opened at Bank Holiday 1906. The reason for the transformation of the Tivoli to the New Hippodrome was because word had got round that Frank MacNaughten, disgruntled at losing a court case about the finances of the Theatre Royal (next door to the Tivoli) had decided to turn it in to a music hall. Also, that Walter de Frece, another music hall magnate, was interested in the Coliseum, and was making a bid for possession. As it happened, neither of these proposals came to anything MacNaughten turned the Theatre Royal over to Francis Laidler, of Bradford, who was happy to continue with dramatic fare, while Sydney Carter, with his New Century Pictures, obtained the lease of the Coliseum, and turned it into a full time cinema.

In regard to the Hull Alhambra, a converted chapel, Barrasford had this place renovated as a 'New Hippodrome' but upon completion handed control over to his manager there, Alfred Graham, who ran it in conjunction with the Middlesborough Oxford Palace, which he had re-opened.

31st December 1906 the Hippodrome in Coventry opened, a very valuable addition to the Barrasford circuit. On the other hand several halls had become liabilities were disposed on , they were all in the Manchester district. It was obvious that saturation point had been reached in Manchester.

On 23rd December, 1907 to oppose the mighty Moss Empires, another massive hall was built by Bertie Crewe and opened by Barrasford. This was the Sheffield Hippodrome, situated in Cambridge Street. It took time to become established, due to the great competition in Sheffield, for the Grand, the Alhambra and the Empire were all playing Variety, in addition to the new Hippodrome.

In 1908 saw the last Hippodrome to be erected by Tom Barrasford. This was the Nottingham Hippodrome, designed by Bertie Crewe and sited not a stones throw from the Moss Empires' hall. The Hippodrome opened on 28th September, 1908.

Not long after came the melancholy news that, owing to persistent ill-health, Tom Barrasford was to make arrangements with Walter de Frece to assume control of the Tour. De Frece was a well-known entrepreneur, being at the time the managing director of a syndicate known as 'The South of England Hippodromes, Ltd.) and the husband of Vesta Tilley. He was also a song-writer of some merit, having written 'Following Father's Footsteps' for his wife, who featured the number in her repertoire with great success. The De Frece Circuit at this time included such halls as the Hippodromes at Boscombe, Margate, Colchester, Southampton and elsewhere.

Barrasford was knows as 'The Born Hustler' and without doubt he had impaired his health in trying to do too much. He personally supervised his large circuit of music halls, and would think nothing of dashing over to the Continent and back to catch a new act. He also owned several race horses and was a well known figure in the racing world. He was told that he was suffering from Bright's Disease and ordered to rest at his Brighton home.

On one occasion before his retirement he was so sure of a victory when one of his horses was racing at Pontefract; he placed a five-shilling bet on behalf of every member of his staff at the Leed's Tivoli. It won, and there were great rejoicing in Leeds that night.

Barrasford invented the 'Barrasford Gate' a starting gate device manufactured by the Leeds firm of Borland and Wareham, which was later taken up by the Jockey Club. He also had a hand in patenting the 'Barrascope'. This was an early form of the cinematograph, and an idea of a Leeds photographer named Owen Brooks, who, with assistance from engineer Borland, put the machine on the market. The first one was installed in the Leeds Tivoli as early as 1902 and topical events were screened there as part of the programme. It proved very popular and all the music halls were eventually equipped with Barrascopes. As early as 1909 Variety was superseded by film shows at the Brighton Coliseum, so convinced was he of the future of 'pictures'.

On 1st February, 1910 Tom Barrasford passed away quietly at Hippodrome House, Brighton, aged 50 years. He left a widow (his second wife, Maud D'Almayne, a former music hall singer) and three sons, Tom, the eldest, was manager at the time at the Keighley Hippodrome, while George was a well-known agent. The youngest son was touring America, partner in a music hall act know as Lake and Barrasford (songs at the piano).

The funeral was one of the largest ever held in Brighton, and very well attended by all ranks of the Profession. They came to pay tribute to a man who did much for the British music hall and was very well respected. A colleague of his said in tribute:

'Tom Barrasford was a man of remarkable generosity. He did many charitable deeds in secret.'

And so, the last curtain fell on one of Music Hall's most remarkable personalities.

Walter de Frece, took over most of the Barrasford halls, merged them with his own circuit. Walter de Frece was born in 1870, the son of Henry (Harry) de Frece, of the Gaiety Music Hall in Camden Street, Liverpool and a prosperous agent in the Roscoe Arcade.

Walter's early life was affected by the music hall world, for the de Frece clan were well established in Liverpool. Jack, of that ilk, had the wooden theatre in Manchester Street called the Alhambra, while Isaac had the old Theatre Royal in Clayton Square.

Walter was educated at the Liverpool Institute and in Brussels. His father (Harry) was determined that his son should not follow him into music hall management. Walter, with his education completed, was sent to a prominent Merseyside architect, but in 1889 something happened to change all that.

In that year the De Frece Agency engaged an attractive 25-year old to play Principal Boy in Pantomime at the Gaiety Theatre, in Liverpool. She was Tilly Ball, professionally known as Vesta Tilley (the 'Matchless' little Tilly), and the daughter of Harry Ball, a former music hall Chairman. Vesta had been on the stage since the age of four, performing then on the boards of her father's hall, the St. George's Hall in Nottingham. In 1889 she was well-known on the 'halls' as a Male Impersonator.

19 year old Walter was immediately 'smitten' by the charms of the attractive Vesta and sat in the front stalls every night of the pantomime and sent flowers round to her dressing room. There were many suitors for the hand of Vesta at that time - including Oswald Stoll, proprietor of the rival Parthenon Music Hall. Vesta did not take Walter serious at first. Later on in the run of pantomime, she allowed the handsome young Jew to take her to a dance, and rewarded him with a kiss.

That kiss inspired Walter. Against his father's wishes, he broke his terms of office with the architect, made his way to London and found himself a job in the office of Warner's Theatrical Agency.

In 1890 Vesta and Walter de Frece were married.

Later, Walter de Frece broke away from Warner's Agency and founded one of his own. Then, noting the decline in melodrama, and the consequent rise in popularity of the music hall, he seized his opportunity by taking control of several legitimate theatres which had fallen on bad times and converted them into music halls with success.

First, the Metropole Theatre at Camberwell, which he turned into an Empire; then he bought up a number of halls scattered about the South Coast which he turned into 'Hippodromes'. By 1905 Walter de Frece was managing director of an impressive 'Tour' aptly named 'The South of England Hippodromes, Ltd.' Among others, these comprised the former Grand Theatre at Margate; the Grand Theatre at Colchester; the Prince of Wales' at Southampton and a theatre at Boscombe managed by his brother-in-law, Harry Ball, junior. Al these halls were renamed 'Hippodromes' in addition there was the Empire Palace at Wolverhampton (later also known as the Hippodrome) and other Hippodromes were later built at Portsmouth and Southend.

In 1906, Walter de Frece moved his attentions to the North of England. First he joined the Board of Directors at the Manchester Palace, then in December of that year he opened his first hall in the North, in his native Liverpool. This was the New Tivoli Theatre of Varieties in Lime Street, built on the site of the St. James's Hall, the former home of Sam Hague's Minstrels. His wife, Vesta Tilley, topped the bill at the opening of the New Tivoli, but as a result of the hall being so near to the Empire Palace of Moss and Stoll, the result was that the New Tivoli never prospered.

In 1908, Walter crossed the Mersey and revived the fortunes of the old Metropole at Birkenhead, as 'The New Birkenhead Hippodrome'. Vesta also gave this hall a good send off.

The old Blackburn Theatre Royal was revived as a music hall; followed by the Bolton Empire (re-named Hippodrome) and the Oldham Palace, which Walter de Frece built himself. Walter dearly wanted to call this hall 'The Hippodrome' but there already was one - opposite! Many famous acts played the Oldham Palace; Gracie Fields made her one and only appearance in pantomime there in 1915 and the ill-fated Lafayette fulfilled his last full week's booking on its boards. Vesta Tilley made many appearances at the Palace (the last being in 1914) and a full-length picture of her in the uniform of a 'Middy' hung in the foyer for many years.

In 1914 the Variety Theatres Controlling Company was at its height in numbers, for since its formation by de Frece in 1910 other halls had been incorporated, including Edinburgh Theatre Royal, the Glasgow Alhambra and the Newcastle Hippodrome, which was converted out of Ginnett's circus. These, together with the larger Barrasford hall; the South of England Hippodromes and the old de Frece Tour comprised the Controlling Company, totalling 18 properties.

During the First World War the public taste moved away from the music hall, many were closed down or sold as cinemas as a result .

In 1919 Walter de Frece was knighted for services to British entertainment, joining other theatrical knights such as Sir Oswald Stoll, Sir Alfred Butt, Sir Edward Moss.

Upon his knighthood, Walter resigned his position as managing director of the Variety Theatres Controlling Company to take up politics. His place was taken by Charles Gulliver who had succeeded Sir Walter Gibbons as the head of the London Theatres of Variety.

Many said that the knighthood went to Sir Walter's head, due to his change in manner. He avoided his former music hall associates which earned him the nick-name of 'Sir Altered de Frece'. His wife, Vesta Tilley, retired from the halls upon his entry into politics.

In a gesture that Mellor interpreted as a tribute to Stoll and the early days at the Liverpool Parthenon and the wonderful songs Stoll had written for her, Vesta made her final performance there. At the Alhambra Ellen Terry presented Vesta with a large floral bouquet amid scenes of great emotion.

In 1924 Sir Walter de Frece was elected Conservative MP for Ashton under Lyne in Lancashire and a few years later he stood and was again elected, this time as MP for Blackpool. When wife's health caused concern, they made their home on the French Riviera. Sir Walter would join her whenever his Parliamentary duties permitted.

Sir Walter had been knighted in 1919, but stories abou his changed character circulated for many years. One of these involved a doorman at the Casino in Monte Carlo. Due to Sir Walter's off-handed attitude and lofty manner, on this one occasion he decided to refuse de Frece entry to the Casino without first seeing his membership card. Sir Walter raged and fumed because he had forgotten his card, but the man was adamant, no card - no admittance ! To save any further embarrassment, St Walter paid the 400 francs admission 'under protest'. Immediately, he went to the Chemin-de-Fer table and after several hours duration, he won 136,000 francs (then worth £1,500. Sir Walter resigned from parliament to nurse his wife through a long illness, however, he died first in Monaco in 1935.

External links

• http://pages.britishlibrary.net/mikepymm/barrasfo.htm