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[Text: C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr., "Two Unrecorded Notices of Poe's Parents," from Poe Studies, vol. IV, no. 2, December 1971, p. 37.]

[page 37, column 1, continued:]

Two Unrecorded Notices of Poe's Parents 

C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr.

.
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
.

Two notices of Poe's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, and one of his father, David Poe, not found in Arthur Hobson Quinn's list of playbills [Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1941), pp. 712-717] appear in The Repertory (Boston) in 1806 and 1807, a newspaper Quinn searched. On page three, column four, of the 26 December 1806 issue, Mr. and Mrs. Poe are listed, the latter as introducing "the new Song of The Hawthorn was Blowing":
 
 

BOSTON THEATRE. 
 .
COMEDY NEVER PERFORMED HERE. 
 .
 .
THIS EVENING, Dec. 26, 
 .
Will be presented, for the first time in Boston, a 
new Comedy, in 3 acts, called. 
 .
FIVE MILES OFF: 
OR, THE FINGER POST. 
 .
Written by DI[B]DIN, author of the Jew & Doctor. 
Flail, Mr. Usher... Sordid, Mr. Dykes... Ed-
ward, Mr. Poe... Andrew, Mr. Downie. .. Flour-
ish, Mr. Dickenson . .. Dapper Mr. Morgan. .. 
Dick, Mr. Vigors . .. Kalender Mr. Bernard . . . 
Luckless, Mr. Fox... Spriggins, Mr. Powell... 
O Gimlet, Mr. Turnbull. .. Black Bob, Mr. Barnes
... Robert, Mr. Vining...Thomas, Mr. Parsons.
Mrs. Prue, Mrs. Shaw... Mary Flail, Mrs. 
Dykes . . . Jenny, Mrs. Usher. . . Laura Luckless, 
Mrs. Poe. 
 .
In the course of the Comedy, the original Song
called, 
 .
Ti tum ti,       by       Mr. Dickenson. 
 .
A new Comick Song, called, 
The Almanack Maker, by Mr. Barnard. 
 .
And the new Song of 
The Hawthorn was Blowing, by Mrs. Poe. 
 . 
To which will be added, for the 1st time this sea- 
    son, the Grand Operatick Drama, in three acts, 
    called, 
 . 
[column 2:] 
 .
LODOISKA: 
Or, THE CAPTIVE PRINCESS. 
 .
Translated from the French, and adapted to the 
Stage, by J. P. KEMBLE, Esq. 
 .
NEW SCENERY, DRESSES, AND DECO-
RATIONS. 
(Characters in Bills.) 
 .
 .
—>Doors to be opened at 5 and the curtain to 
rise at 6 o'clock precisely. 
 . 
    Boxes, 1 dollar — Green Boxes, 75 cents — Pits, 
50 cents, and Gallery 37 1/2 cents, Tickets and pla- 
ces for the Boxes, may be taken of Mr. Campbell 
at the Box Office of the Theatre. 
 
 
 On page three, column three, of the 10 November 1807 issue, Mrs. Poe is listed as Genevieve in Hunter of the Alps:
 
BOSTON THEATRE. 
 .
TOMORROW EVENING, Nov. 11, 
Will be presented, for the first and only time this 
season, a much admired Tragedy, in 5 acts, 
called, 
 .
GEORGE BARNWELL; 
OR, THE LONDON APPRENTICE, 
 .
George Barnwell, (his first appearance in Boston,) 
Mr. Taylor — from the Baltimore and Phila-
delphia Theatres. 
 .
 .
(For other Characters, see Bills.) 
 .
To which will be added, for the 4th time in Bos- 
ton, a much admired Musical Drama, in 2 
acts, called, the 
 .
HUNTER OF THE ALPS. 
 .
Performed at the Theatres Royal, London, with 
the greatest applause. 
Felix, Mr. Bernard — Rosalvi, Mr. Usher 
— Florio de Rosalvi, Miss Graupner — Julio 
de Rosalvi, Miss C. Graupner — Jeronymo, Mr. 
Barnes — Juan, Mr. Fox Baptiste, Mr. 
Dykes — Marco, Mr. Morgan — Pedro, Mr. 
Turnbull. 
 .
Helena de Rosalvi, Mrs. Powell — Genevieve, 
Mrs. Poe — Claudine, Mrs. Graupner — Ni-
nette, Mrs. Barnes. 
The whole to conclude with a favourite Panto-
mime Entertainment in I act, called, 
 .
HARLEQUIN's FROLLICKS; 
OR, THE VILLAGE IN AN UPROAR. 
 .
Harlequin, - - - - - - - Mr. Worrall. 
(Other Characters in Bills.) 
 .
The piece concludes with Harlequin's 
LEAP chrough a Blazing Star 7 feet high. 
 .
—> Doors to be opened at 5, and the Curtain to 
rise at 6 o'clock, precisely. 
 . 
—> Boxes 1 dollar — Green Boxes 7 5 cents — 
Pit 50 cents — Gallery 37 1/2 do. 
 
~~~ End of Text ~~~

[S:0 - PSDR, 1971]