William A Lavelle, circa 1852-March 3, 1924

[oldohiohome]

manifest of the RMS Tahiti arriving May 15, 1913, at San Francisco
manifest says from Sydney
ancestry says it came from Victoria, British Columbia

William Lavelle, 66, theatrical, US Citizen, headed to Chicago
lots of people on the manifest with an occupation of theatrical, cowboy, showman, etc.

[Fletcher_1971]

Yes, this is his return from the failed Wild West tour in Australia.

[Fletcher_1971]

I believe I found him on a city directory in Chicago once with possibly his mother Hannah in the 1870s, he is listed as an actor, and I believe they are at the same address, this is the only time I find him on a directory, he traveled frequently with a few acting troupes, and then with Wild West shows and circuses as he got older. I never find him on a census in 1900, he is not living with his son and his son's mother at that time. I never find them living together, and I have not been able to find a marriage record for them. According to the 1900 census, they had been married in 1886 and she arrived in 1883 from Sweden.

[Lisa in California]

I wonder if Lavelle was a stage name? 

Added: of course someone could have given his details on the 1913 passenger list, but 1913 - 66 = 1847.

[amondg]

1910 he is 66 and 1920 he is 74  so born circa 1846/7 is more likely than 1852.

[Lisa in California]

According to newspaper reports, Col. Lavelle claimed that he and Buffalo Bill were the same age.  According to one source, William Cody was born February 26, 1846.  So, was Lavelle exaggerating that they were the same age, or was he truly born c1847?

[amondg]

Earliest I've found in the newspapers is 29 October 1880 - New York Herald a review of a theater
production.

1887 in New York
1889 In New Jersey and Boston
1894 Pennsylvania and Atlanta Georgia
1901- 10 July New York reported in the Minneapolis MN Journal he was 51 years old stabbed his manager, claimed it was an accident.
1903 Birmingham Alabama
1909 Richmond Virginia

[Fletcher_1971]

1n 1875 and 1876, he was working at the McVicker's Theater in Chicago
In 1877 he was in Louisiana, traveling with the Lingard Troupe
1n 1878 he was performing in Cleveland, OH
He was in Brooklyn, NY in 1880 at the Standard Theater

(all according to ads found on GenealogyBank)

[Fletcher_1971]

This morning I found an article on Newspapers.com, from the Sunday Times of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from January 1913, where it states that he was born March 27, 1847 in Butler, PA. In the article, it states that his parents were natives of Innoshone, Donegal County, Ireland. He goes on to say that he was on his father's farm when the Civil War began, and he left to join up when three-year men were called, but he wasn't of age and his father brought him back, but he later went on to serve with the 68th Pennsylvania, then the Army of the Potomac, finally serving with the Secret Service, and claimed to have a letter signed by President Lincoln. Again, I have searched the military records on Ancestry and Fold3 but cannot find him under that name, if he served under another name, I'm stuck. And, again, this may just be the story of a character he plays, and not based in reality.