# Jones Hewson

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{{Short description|Welsh singer and actor}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
thumb|Jones Hewson
'''John Jones Hewson''' (2 September 1874 – 27 November 1902), credited as '''Jones Hewson''', was a Welsh singer and actor known for his creation and portrayal of [baritone](/source/baritone) roles with the [D'Oyly Carte Opera Company](/source/D'Oyly_Carte_Opera_Company) from 1894 to 1901.

Hewson began in the chorus of the company, but soon moved up from smaller roles to larger ones on tour and then again from smaller roles to larger ones at the [Savoy Theatre](/source/Savoy_Theatre) in London, earning critical praise. During his tenure with the company, he played more than two dozen of the baritone and [bass-baritone](/source/bass-baritone) roles in its repertory, and he created several roles in new [Savoy Opera](/source/Savoy_Opera)s, including the Herald in ''[The Grand Duke](/source/The_Grand_Duke)'', Baron Vincentius in ''[His Majesty](/source/His_Majesty_(comic_opera))'', Nicholas Dircks in ''[The Beauty Stone](/source/The_Beauty_Stone)'' and the Earl of Newtown in ''[The Emerald Isle](/source/The_Emerald_Isle)''. In 1901, his health deteriorated from [tuberculosis](/source/tuberculosis); he and his family travelled to Australia, hoping that the climate would help him to recover, but he died at the age of 28.

==Biography==
Hewson was born in [Swansea](/source/Swansea), Wales.  He was the son of John Jones Hewson (born 1829) and his wife Elizabeth (born 1833), proprietors of the Union Workhouse, Mount Pleasant, Swansea.  His older sister was Jane (born 1868), and his younger brother was Howell (born 1878).<ref>1891 census</ref>

[[File:Jones-Hewson-Grand-Duke.jpg|As the Herald in ''[The Grand Duke](/source/The_Grand_Duke)'', 1896|thumb|left|alt=Tall, clean shaven white man in herald's tabard, blowing long trumpet]]

===Early roles===
Hewson grew up in Swansea. He joined the [D'Oyly Carte Opera Company](/source/D'Oyly_Carte_Opera_Company) 1894 as a member of the chorus of the original production of ''[Mirette](/source/Mirette_(opera))'' at the [Savoy Theatre](/source/Savoy_Theatre) in London. He soon went on tour with the company, doubling in the small roles of Captain Corcoran and Calynx in ''[Utopia Limited](/source/Utopia_Limited)'' and playing Francal in ''Mirette''. In early 1895, he took the larger roles of Mr. Goldbury in ''Utopia'', Gerard de Montigny in ''Mirette'', Tommy Merton in ''[The Vicar of Bray](/source/The_Vicar_of_Bray_(opera))'', and Ferdinand de Roxas in ''[The Chieftain](/source/The_Chieftain)''.  He reverted to smaller roles later that year but took on the new [bass-baritone](/source/bass-baritone) roles of Sergeant Bouncer in ''[Cox and Box](/source/Cox_and_Box)'' that summer and Arac in ''[Princess Ida](/source/Princess_Ida)'' in the autumn.<ref name=WhoWasWho>Stone, David. [https://www.gsarchive.net/whowaswho/H/HewsonJones.htm Jones Hewson] at ''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', 12 February 2007</ref>

Back at the Savoy Theatre in November 1895, he played Pish-Tush in a revival of ''[The Mikado](/source/The_Mikado)''.<ref>Rollins and Witts, p. 15</ref> He soon added the role of Selworthy in the curtain raiser ''[After All!](/source/After_All!)'', a role that he would play whenever this piece was revived at the Savoy thereafter. In March 1896, he created the role of the Herald in the original production of ''[The Grand Duke](/source/The_Grand_Duke)'' at the Savoy Theatre, earning an encore from the Savoy audience and praise from the critics.<ref>[http://www.savoyoperas.org.uk/duke/gd1.html Collected early reviews of ''The Grand Duke'']</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/grand_duke/html/times_review.html |title=''The Times'' review of ''The Grand Duke'' |access-date=20 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901101313/http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/grand_duke/html/times_review.html |archive-date=1 September 2006 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Occasionally, he substituted for [Rutland Barrington](/source/Rutland_Barrington) in the lead role of Ludwig in ''The Grand Duke''.  He again played Pish-Tush in the Savoy's revival of ''The Mikado'' in 1896–97 and sometimes played the title role or Pooh-Bah during the run.<ref>Rollins and Witts, pp. 15–16</ref>

===Later roles===
[[File:Jones-Hewson-Emerald-Isle.jpg|Hewson in his last role, Lord Newtown, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in ''[The Emerald Isle](/source/The_Emerald_Isle)'' (1901)|thumb|upright|alt=tall, clean-shaven white man in court dress and robes of the Order of St Patrick]]
He next created the role of Baron Vincentius in ''[His Majesty](/source/His_Majesty_(comic_opera))'' (1897), also substituting at times in the larger role of King Mopolio. Later the same year he played [Sir Richard Cholmondeley](/source/Sir_Richard_Cholmondeley) in the first Savoy Theatre revival of ''[The Yeomen of the Guard](/source/The_Yeomen_of_the_Guard)'' to good notices<ref>"Savoy Theatre", ''[The Times](/source/The_Times)'', 6 May 1897, p. 10, col. E</ref> and added the role of the Rt. Hon. Claude Newcastle in the curtain raiser ''[Old Sarah](/source/Old_Sarah)'', another role that he repeated in revivals. In ''[The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein](/source/The_Grand_Duchess_of_Gerolstein)'' (1897–98), he played Captain Hochheimer (and sometimes Baron Grog).<ref name=WhoWasWho/> He appeared at the benefit performance of ''[Trial by Jury](/source/Trial_by_Jury)'' held for [Nellie Farren](/source/Nellie_Farren) in March 1898. Later that year at the Savoy, he played Luiz in the first Savoy revival of ''[The Gondoliers](/source/The_Gondoliers)'', created the role of Nicholas Dircks in ''[The Beauty Stone](/source/The_Beauty_Stone)'' and played Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre in a revival of ''[The Sorcerer](/source/The_Sorcerer)''.<ref>Rollins and Witts, p. 17; and "The New Savoy Opera", ''[The Era](/source/The_Era_(newspaper))'', 4 June 1898, p. 13</ref> He also played the Counsel to the Plaintiff in ''Trial by Jury'' and Sir Marmaduke in ''The Sorcerer'' when they were revived together in the autumn of 1898.<ref name=WhoWasWho/> In the same year he married the actress Brenda Gibson;<ref>"A Vanished Savoyard", ''The Tatler'', 17 December 1902, p. 28</ref> they had one son.<ref name=courier/>

Hewson went back on tour at the beginning of 1899, reprising his role of Tommy Merton in ''The Vicar of Bray'', and then toured in seven leading baritone roles in repertory: Captain Corcoran in ''[H.M.S. Pinafore](/source/H.M.S._Pinafore)'', the Pirate King in ''Pirates'', Lord Mountararat in ''[Iolanthe](/source/Iolanthe)'', the title role in ''The Mikado'', Sergeant Meryll in ''Yeomen'', Giuseppe in ''The Gondoliers'' and Mr. Goldbury in ''Utopia Limited'', until August 1899, when he left the company for ten months.<ref name=WhoWasWho/>

He returned to the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company at the Savoy as a replacement for the role of Abdallah during the original production of ''[The Rose of Persia](/source/The_Rose_of_Persia)'' in the summer of 1900. After this, he played the Pirate King in ''Pirates'' (1900)<ref>"Savoy Theatre", ''The Times'', 2 July 1900, p. 4, col. G</ref> and Colonel Calverley in the first Savoy revival of ''[Patience](/source/Patience_(opera))'' (1900–01), in each case earning approval from ''[The Times](/source/The_Times)''.<ref>"Savoy Theatre", ''The Times'', 8 November 1900, p. 8, col. G</ref> At a lecture by [Sir Alexander Mackenzie](/source/Alexander_Mackenzie_(composer)) on Sir Arthur Sullivan, given in May 1901, at which musical illustrations were given by members of the Savoy company, ''The Times'' singled out Hewson: "a special word of praise is due to Mr. Jones Hewson's delightful singing of "This Helmet, I Suppose" from ''Princess Ida''".<ref>"The Royal Institution – Sir A. C. Mackenzie", ''The Times'', 17 May 1901, p. 12, col. C</ref>  Hewson's last part for the D'Oyly Carte company was the Earl of Newtown, which he created in the original production of ''[The Emerald Isle](/source/The_Emerald_Isle)'' beginning in April 1901.<ref>Rollins and Witts, p. 19; and "Mr Jones Hewson", ''The Sketch'', 23 October 1901, p. 32</ref>

===Early death===
Hewson's health deteriorated from [tuberculosis](/source/tuberculosis) during the run of ''The Emerald Isle'', and eventually he had to withdraw from the role. In October 1901 a benefit matinée was given for him at the Savoy by well-known performers including Rutland Barrington, [Arthur Bourchier](/source/Arthur_Bourchier), [Ada Reeve](/source/Ada_Reeve), [Marie Tempest](/source/Marie_Tempest), [Richard Temple](/source/Richard_Temple_(bass-baritone)), [Violet Vanbrugh](/source/Violet_Vanbrugh), and, in the second act of ''The Emerald Isle'', the Savoy company of the time, led by [Rosina Brandram](/source/Rosina_Brandram).<ref>"Savoy", ''The Morning Post'', 29 October 1901, p. 6</ref> Hewson and his wife and young son sailed to Australia hoping "that the voyage and a dry climate [would] give him renewed strength".<ref>"Court Circular", ''The Times'', 7 October 1901, p. 7, col. E</ref> He made a brief recovery but relapsed. He returned to Britain, and he died on 27 November 1902 at the age of 28.<ref name=courier>"Miss Brenda Gibson", ''Brisbane Courier'', 16 February 1903, p. 9</ref><ref>"Personal Gossip", ''Gloucester Citizen'', 28 November 1902, p. 3</ref> He was buried in the [Mumbles](/source/Mumbles) cemetery in South Wales.<ref>"The Late Mr Jones-Hewson", ''South Wales Daily News'', 2 December 1902, p. 3</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Rollins|first=Cyril|year=1962|author2=R. John Witts|title=The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, 1875&ndash;1961| location=London|publisher=Michael Joseph|oclc=504581419}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081217074102/http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas///grand_duke/html/duke_review.html Photo of Hewson as the Herald]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081217082824/http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas///patience/webop/pat05.html Photo of Hewson as Colonel Calverley in ''Patience'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081217075613/http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas///yeomen/web_opera/yeomen_07d.html Photo of Hewson as Sir Richard Cholmondeley in ''Yeomen'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081217064104/http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas///pirates/html/doc.html Photo of Hewson as the Pirate King]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hewson, Jones}}
Category:1874 births
Category:1902 deaths
Category:Musicians from Swansea
Category:19th-century Welsh male opera singers
Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis
Category:Welsh operatic baritones
Category:Tuberculosis deaths in the United Kingdom

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jones Hewson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_Hewson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_Hewson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.