Ira Aldridge's Relatives in New York City‪.‬

Ira Aldridge was one of the world's greatest actors, and a good amount has been written about him, (2) but not much is known about his family in New York City. Using statements made by Aldridge himself on playbills, in a diary he kept on one of his Continental tours, and in his application for British citizenship, Marshall and Stock were able to establish that he was born in New York City on 24 July 1807. (3) James McCune Smith, who had attended African Free School No. 2 on Mulberry Street while Ira was a student there, stated that his schoolmate was born "in Chapel Street (now West Broadway)" in lower Manhattan, (4) and Longworth's Directory for 1812 (5) confirms that Aldridge's father Daniel was living at the rear of 93 Chapel Street five years later, so it is more than likely true that this was the place where Ira was born. Other documents suggest that he may not have been christened as Ira. For instance, in 1825 he signed his marriage certificate as Fredrick [sic] William K. Aldridge, (6) and on some of his earliest playbills and promotional materials in England the initials F.W. preceded his surname. Ira may have been only a nickname that he assumed several years later as his first name, for it was not until 1833 that he began appearing on playbills as Ira Aldridge. Toward the end of his life, both on his application for British citizenship in 1863 and on his last will and testament in 1867, (7) he identified himself as Ira Frederick Aldridge. William and K. had by this time disappeared from all his official signatures.