Theatre Manager; said to be the last person to speak to John Wilkes Booth before the actor assassinated Abraham Lincoln.
A member of the Ford theatrical dynasty, "Harry" Clay Ford was born during the presidential election of 1844 to Elias and Anna Greanor Ford, who named him after the great American statesman Henry Clay, then a candidate for the White House. Raised in Baltimore, he had known the celebrated Booth Family since childhood, and his friendship with its youngest member, "Wilkes", would give rise to suspicion that as stage manager at Ford's Theatre he had conspired in the President's murder. During the Civil War, however, his personal relations with the actor were strained by their heated arguments over politics, as he had taken a favorable view of Lincoln, the man Booth regarded as evil incarnate. Then on April 14, 1865, when Booth was passing Ford's Theatre, Harry had greeted him with the news that President Lincoln and General Grant would be at the performance of "Our American Cousin" that evening, but the actor continued on without a word. Although the Grants had actually declined to see the comedy, Harry's suspected complicity in the real tragedy led to his arrest. Imprisoned for over a month with his older brothers James and John T. Ford, the theatre owner, he was released when the charges against them were dropped for want of proof. Although he went on to a successful career managing theatres and opera houses in Washington and Baltimore, he never escaped the notoriety of the assassination. In 1873 he married actress Blanche Chapman, a cousin of the Booths and a noted beauty. The couple's four children all enjoyed distinguished careers: sons Frank A., George D., and Harry Chapman Ford in the theatre, and daughter Julia Ella Ford as an artist. In 1912 he moved to Rutherford, NJ, where he resided with his extended family at 126 Woodland Avenue. He died three years later in nearby St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, following an operation. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Ford's widow and three of their children are also buried here in East Ridgelawn Cemetery.
A member of the Ford theatrical dynasty, "Harry" Clay Ford was born during the presidential election of 1844 to Elias and Anna Greanor Ford, who named him after the great American statesman Henry Clay, then a candidate for the White House. Raised in Baltimore, he had known the celebrated Booth Family since childhood, and his friendship with its youngest member, "Wilkes", would give rise to suspicion that as stage manager at Ford's Theatre he had conspired in the President's murder. During the Civil War, however, his personal relations with the actor were strained by their heated arguments over politics, as he had taken a favorable view of Lincoln, the man Booth regarded as evil incarnate. Then on April 14, 1865, when Booth was passing Ford's Theatre, Harry had greeted him with the news that President Lincoln and General Grant would be at the performance of "Our American Cousin" that evening, but the actor continued on without a word. Although the Grants had actually declined to see the comedy, Harry's suspected complicity in the real tragedy led to his arrest. Imprisoned for over a month with his older brothers James and John T. Ford, the theatre owner, he was released when the charges against them were dropped for want of proof. Although he went on to a successful career managing theatres and opera houses in Washington and Baltimore, he never escaped the notoriety of the assassination. In 1873 he married actress Blanche Chapman, a cousin of the Booths and a noted beauty. The couple's four children all enjoyed distinguished careers: sons Frank A., George D., and Harry Chapman Ford in the theatre, and daughter Julia Ella Ford as an artist. In 1912 he moved to Rutherford, NJ, where he resided with his extended family at 126 Woodland Avenue. He died three years later in nearby St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, following an operation. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Ford's widow and three of their children are also buried here in East Ridgelawn Cemetery.
Theatre Manager; said to be the last person to speak to John Wilkes Booth before the actor assassinated Abraham Lincoln.
A member of the Ford theatrical dynasty, "Harry" Clay Ford was born during the presidential election of 1844 to Elias and Anna Greanor Ford, who named him after the great American statesman Henry Clay, then a candidate for the White House. Raised in Baltimore, he had known the celebrated Booth Family since childhood, and his friendship with its youngest member, "Wilkes", would give rise to suspicion that as stage manager at Ford's Theatre he had conspired in the President's murder. During the Civil War, however, his personal relations with the actor were strained by their heated arguments over politics, as he had taken a favorable view of Lincoln, the man Booth regarded as evil incarnate. Then on April 14, 1865, when Booth was passing Ford's Theatre, Harry had greeted him with the news that President Lincoln and General Grant would be at the performance of "Our American Cousin" that evening, but the actor continued on without a word. Although the Grants had actually declined to see the comedy, Harry's suspected complicity in the real tragedy led to his arrest. Imprisoned for over a month with his older brothers James and John T. Ford, the theatre owner, he was released when the charges against them were dropped for want of proof. Although he went on to a successful career managing theatres and opera houses in Washington and Baltimore, he never escaped the notoriety of the assassination. In 1873 he married actress Blanche Chapman, a cousin of the Booths and a noted beauty. The couple's four children all enjoyed distinguished careers: sons Frank A., George D., and Harry Chapman Ford in the theatre, and daughter Julia Ella Ford as an artist. In 1912 he moved to Rutherford, NJ, where he resided with his extended family at 126 Woodland Avenue. He died three years later in nearby St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, following an operation. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Ford's widow and three of their children are also buried here in East Ridgelawn Cemetery.
A member of the Ford theatrical dynasty, "Harry" Clay Ford was born during the presidential election of 1844 to Elias and Anna Greanor Ford, who named him after the great American statesman Henry Clay, then a candidate for the White House. Raised in Baltimore, he had known the celebrated Booth Family since childhood, and his friendship with its youngest member, "Wilkes", would give rise to suspicion that as stage manager at Ford's Theatre he had conspired in the President's murder. During the Civil War, however, his personal relations with the actor were strained by their heated arguments over politics, as he had taken a favorable view of Lincoln, the man Booth regarded as evil incarnate. Then on April 14, 1865, when Booth was passing Ford's Theatre, Harry had greeted him with the news that President Lincoln and General Grant would be at the performance of "Our American Cousin" that evening, but the actor continued on without a word. Although the Grants had actually declined to see the comedy, Harry's suspected complicity in the real tragedy led to his arrest. Imprisoned for over a month with his older brothers James and John T. Ford, the theatre owner, he was released when the charges against them were dropped for want of proof. Although he went on to a successful career managing theatres and opera houses in Washington and Baltimore, he never escaped the notoriety of the assassination. In 1873 he married actress Blanche Chapman, a cousin of the Booths and a noted beauty. The couple's four children all enjoyed distinguished careers: sons Frank A., George D., and Harry Chapman Ford in the theatre, and daughter Julia Ella Ford as an artist. In 1912 he moved to Rutherford, NJ, where he resided with his extended family at 126 Woodland Avenue. He died three years later in nearby St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, following an operation. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Ford's widow and three of their children are also buried here in East Ridgelawn Cemetery.
