James Buckley was born in
Manchester, England, in 1803, and emigrated with his family to the U.S. in the 1830s. By 1843, he organized a troupe of minstrels, the
Congo Melodists, in
Boston, Massachusetts. They performed in
New Orleans, and in 1845 in
New York City, when they were known as the
New Orleans Serenaders. From 1846 to 1848, James Buckley and his three sons, Bishop, Swayne, and Fred, toured in England. Though they were an influential troupe in the United States, their absence allowed
Edwin Christy's troupe to gain popularity and influence the development of the minstrel genre. James Buckley - who was known as "Master Ole Bull" - and his sons returned to the U.S. at the end of 1848. They appeared regularly in New York and Boston, and in 1852 became the first recognized company to play in
California. Some of these were
Cinderella,
La Sonnambula, and
Don(e) Juan; or, A Ghost on a High horse (Don Giovanni). Another popular act involved Bishop Buckley's trained horse, Mazeppa. In 1853, they leased a
New York City theatre at 539
Broadway, a hall they called
Buckley's Opera House, the
Ethiopian Opera House, and the
American Opera House. The troupe roster stayed relatively consistent until 1855, with only non-members of the Buckley family coming or going. In 1856, they moved to 585 Broadway. By 1857, they were spending as much as six months there between tours. They also gave regular Sunday-evening
concerts in whiteface at this location. However, like other minstrel companies, the Buckleys toured extensively. Upon their return to New York after a late 1857 tour, they published this advertisement: :Although we look ragged and black are our faces. ::As free and as fair as the best we are found; :And our hearts are as white as those in fine places, ::Although we're poor niggers dat travel around. , 1875 They toured England again in 1860. The Buckleys closed the Opera House when the
Concert Saloon Bill of 1862 forbade the combination of stage entertainment, female waitresses and sale of
alcohol in New York theaters and saloons. After the death of his son Fred in 1864, James Buckley retired in 1866, and his son Bishop, a
tenor singer and performer on the "
Chinese fiddle", died the following year. George Swayne Buckley, described as the most versatile of the family as a singer and multi-instrumentalist, kept the company going until about 1876. He was noted for performing on a wide range of different instruments, sometimes playing several at the same time.
Family members • James Buckley (1803,
Manchester, England – April 27, 1882,
Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.) His sons: • R. Bishop Buckley (1826, England – June 6, 1867, Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.) • George Swayne Buckley (August 1829,
Bolton,
Lancashire, England – June 25, 1879, Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.) • Frederick Buckley (October 12, 1833, Bolton, Lancashire, England – September 12, 1864,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.) == References ==