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 The grave of Catherine Hayes Bushnell at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (26 Jun 2009) |
Hayes-Bushnell, Catherine |
| OPERA SINGER (IRELAND) |
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BORN 25 Oct 1818, Limerick: 4 St. Patrick Street - DIED 11 Aug 1861, Upper Sydenham, Kent: Roccles BIRTH NAME Hayes, Catherine CAUSE OF DEATH stroke GRAVE LOCATION London: Kensal Green Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green (101/PS (16723) facing the Anglican chapel) |
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Catherine Hayes came from a poor family. She was baptised on 8 November in St Mary's Cathedral in Limerick. Her father, the musician Athur Willaimson Hayes, left his family in 1823. She worked as a charwoman and she sang during her work. This was noticed by Dr. Edmond Knox (1772-1849), the Bishop of Limerick. With his help she was able to study under Antonio Sapio in Dublin from 1839 to 1842. In Dublin she debuted in 1839. She became so successful that she was able to continue her studies in Paris under Manuel Garcia and in Milan under Felici Ronconi. On 10 May 1845 she first appeared at the Scala in Milan and she received an immediate ovation. She toured Italy and afterwards she was engaged at Covent Garden, where she debuted on 10 April 1849. In 1849 she sang for queen Victoria and 500 guests and in 1851 she toured the USA. In New York she met William Avery Bushnell, the former manager of Jenny Lind, who became her manager on 23 September. The USA tour was very successful and she subsequently toured Australia. After she returned to England in 1856, she married Bushnell on 8 October 1857 in London. But his health was poor and he died on 2 July 1858 in Biarritz, aged 35. After his death she restricted her performances to London, where her ballads were very much wanted. Her own health had suffered from her tours and from a riding accident in the USA and in 1861 she died aged only 42 at the house of a friend, Henry Lee. She left an estate of over £16,000 and was survived by a sister and by her mother, who had travelled with her during all her tours. Events |
| 3/5/1839 | Catherine Hayes debuts at the theatre of the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. She appeared as a fund-raising event. |
| 10/5/1846 | Catherine Hayes first appears at the Italian Opera House in Marseille. She performed the part of Elvira in Bellini's "I puritani" with great success. |
| 0/9/1854 | Catherine Hayes arrives in Sydney. She was greeted with excitement and her appearances in Sidney and Melbourne were a great success. |
| 0/1/1855 | Catherine Hayes arrives in Calcutta. She had toured the US and Australia with great success. In Calcutta she performed for the Bitish military forces. She travelled to Batavia and Singapore before she returned to Sydney. |
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The grave of Catherine Hayes Bushnell at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (26 Jun 2009) |
Sources • Paths of Glory, The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, London, 1997 • Biography - Catherine Hayes - Australian Dictionary of Biography • Catherine Hayes (soprano) - Wikipedia (EN) • Dictionary of National Biography - Wikisource, the free online library |
