Jacob (Rosenwick) Havel (1864 - 1942)

Born Jul 1864 in New York City, New York, United States

Husband of Clara (Binns) Havel — married 23 Nov 1891 in New York City, New York, United States

Died 13 Jul 1942 at about age 78 in New York City, New York, United States

Biography

He was born in July 1864, in New York City, to Kewin and Hanna Rosenwieg, immigrants from Poland. In 1870, he was a seven-year-old boy residing with his parents and three siblings in New York City's 6th Ward, where his father was a shopkeeper.^[1]

He was a theatrical actor and vaudeville comedian who originally performed under the stage name, Thomas O'Brien.

On 23 Nov 1891, Jacob married an young stage actress named Clara Chambers. Clara soon changed her name to Clara Havel, and together the couple formed the comedic due of O'Brien & Havel. Billed as "America's Most Versatile Artists," their long-running act, known as The Newsboy's Courtship, was a slapstick comedy known about a clumsy office boy who falls in love with a Cockney maid.

In 1900, the couple was residing at 2154 84th Street in Brooklyn, New York, along with their two children, Anton (age 4) and Lillian (age 2). A third child, Morton Benson, would be born later that year. Also residing with the family was a young servant girl from Hungary named Julian Kurtz (age 17), who had just arrived in America the previous year. In 1905, the family was residing at 169 E. 69th Street in Manhattan, along with Jacob's parents.^[2]

Clara became ill around 1904, but continued performing with her husband as late as December 1905. She died at a New York City sanitarium, in February 1906, leaving Jacob a widower with three young children.

On 12 Mar 1910, the Supreme Court of New York granted Jacob's brother, Joseph, permission to lawfully change his name from Joseph Rosenwick to Joseph Havel, to take effect 28 Apr 1910. Apparently, the entire Rosenwick family changed their names as well. From that time on, Jacob Rosenwick appears in the public records as Thomas Havel. On stage, he appeared as O'Brien Havel - perhaps in homage to his wife. ^[3]

In 1910 and 1915, Jacob (now Thomas) was residing at 616 52nd Street in Brooklyn, along with his three children (ages 9-13), his now-widowed mother, and an unmarried sister, Ray.^[4][5]

In 1930, Thomas was residing in the Tudor Arms Apartments in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, along with his sister Ray, his daughter Lillian, his son Arthur, and Arthur's wife Helen. His son Morton also lived in the same apartment building, along with his wife, Denise, and 3- year-old daughter, Barbara. Like Thomas, his two sons and their wives were all identified as professional actors.^[6]

In 1940, Thomas, his daughter Lillian and sister Ray, were back in their former home at 616 52nd Street in Brooklyn. He was now 76 years old, and still identified as a vaudeville actor, although he did not work in 1939.^[7]

Thomas Havel died 13 Jul 1942, in New York City.

Sources

1. ↑ 1870 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New York, New York County, New York City, Ward 6, ED 10, page 6, family 39, household of Keven Rosenwick [image 6].
2. ↑ 1900 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images), New York, Kings County, Brooklyn Ward, ED 560, sheet 27A, dwelling 423, family 486, household of Jacob R. Rosenwick [image 53].
3. ↑ Special Notices, The Brooklyn daily eagle, 14 Mar 1910, p. 15.
4. ↑ 1910 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images), New York, Kings County, Brooklyn Ward 8, ED 155, sheet 15A, dwelling 132, family 340, household of Thomas J. Havel [image 29].
5. ↑ 1915 New York Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images), Kings County, New York City, AD 9, ED 14, sheet 38, lines 5-10, household of Thos J. Havel [image 20].
6. ↑ 1930 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images), New York, Queens County, Queens, ED 1534, sheet 12B, dwelling 100, family 188, household of Thomas J. Havel [image 19].
7. ↑ 1940 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images), New York, Kings County, New York City (Brooklyn), ED 24-974, sheet 1B, family 14, household of Thomas Havel [image 2].

Clara Chester Married. The Sun (New York, NY), 24 Nov 1891, p. 7.