Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-12-20
4. c. BARNABEE, OLD
COMEDIAN, IS DEAD
Was the Original 'Sheriff of
Nottingham in Robin Hood
Was "a Years Old.

Boston, Dec. 15.-Henry Clay Barna-
bee, familiar to thousands Of playgo-
ers as the SHERIFF Of Nottingham" in
De Koven's comic opera robin Hood"
died at his home In the Jamaica Plain
district to-day after a long illness. He
was 81 years of age.
A number of years ago Henry Clay
Barnabce was one of the most popular
operate comedians on the American
stage. His career as an entertainer
spanned practically all of his long life
time, but his chief work was in the '7o's
as leading member of the Boston
Ideals, a company which became FAM
Gus all over the country In the produce
ton of light opera, and its successor,
the Bostonians, which he helped to or
ganize. Barnabee appeared in innu-
merable roles, serious as we'll as comic,
and for two decades after the Civil
War period his name was always one
of the "headliners." Past 10 years of
age he continued to exercise his fun
making talents in vaudeville
II have played the Sheriff Of Noting
ham, nearly nineteen hundred times" he
said recently In recalling the phenomenal
run which the Bostonians made Of De
Koven's opera, Robin Hood This role
was one of the most notable In his career,
and perhaps next to 1t his earlier appear
ance as Sir Joseph Porter In "Pinafore"
The Boston Ideals took this up at a time
when forty odd companies were touring
the country to present It, outdistancing
all their rivals in 1t, as we'll as the other
Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Barnabee Ap-
peared In them all.
He was known to thousands through his
singing Of 1.-The Cork Leg" the ballad
Of ho NJ uyhn
patent cork leg was equipped with such
perfect mechanism that 1t walked on and
on after the old man died. carrying his
skeleton. According to his own estimate.
Barnabee sang this song some 5000 times.
and often as a corollary encore gave 1.-THE
Patent Arm" These two songs. together
with a number Of others which ne gave
in his patchwork of Song and Story"
are the best remembered Of many in
dividual successes.
Barnabee was born at Portsmouth,
N. H., November IA. 1893, 1.-The day fol-
lowing the birth Of Edwin Booth" which
he regarded as another exemplfcation
| of the fact that Mirth follows close on
the heels of Tragedy" Barnabee's father
was then driving some housekeeping
steeds which pulled the stage coach from
Boston to Portland, via Portsmouth, and
later wds an inn-keeper at Portsmouth.
Instead of seriously contemplating a
stage career, young Barnabee set out
in life as dry goods clerk. He found
position in this line first in Ports
mouth. then in big house in Boston.
On the side, he INDUCED from the first in
an amateurish display Of his talents. He
could tell story. sing a song. speak a
piece, and run the whole gamut of
| grimaces. In Boston in 1854 he became a
member Of the Mercantile Library asso-
| citation, which gave many semi-public en-
tertainments at which several men who
| later became actors received their first
| stage training. For a number Of years
| he was a choir singer in Boston churches.
In 1865 he gave up mercantile life and
| made his formal debut on the concert
stage in Boston. and during the next II
years he appeared In lyceum and enter
| tainment courses in many parts of the
| country. In book Of "reminiscences
which he published in 1918, he recalled
his training.
"1f to-day" he said, you were to place
before me the score Of Robin Hood or
Pinafore. I couldn't for the life of me
tell whether a given note was A or G.
or what key 1t was In. At the same time
l believe / could sing it correctly" He
sang only by ear, so-called, which Is the
more remarkable when it is recalled that
ne appeared not only In light roles but
in many Of the more classical operas.
He also told Of his incurable case OF
stage fright OF all the thousands OF
times he appeared on the stage, he said
there was never time when he was moi
in state Of tremor and trepidation per.
fectly indescribable"
AT n, his voice was still strong and
sonorous. aand he credited this largely t.
his lifelong abstinence from tobacco.