Tom Major-Ball
Encyclopedia
Tom Major-Ball was a music hall
performer and circus artiste. He was the father of Sir John Major
, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
.
, Staffordshire
, in 1879. He was a son of Abraham Ball, a bricklayer, and his wife Sarah Ann Marrah or O'Marrah who was of Irish and possibly Welsh descent. When the younger Abraham was about five years old, his parents emigrated to Pittsburgh, USA, where he spent his formative years. He worked in the United States as a vaudeville
performer and a trapeze artist in travelling circuses. He is also reported to have worked as a professional baseball player.
and Marie Lloyd
.
In July 1903 he and Kitty embarked on a performing tour of South America. He spent time at a cattle ranch in Argentina before getting caught up in civil war in Uruguay, where he was forced to enlist in a local militia.
On return to the UK in 1904 his performing career flourished as he resumed touring music halls. On 18 February 1906, he and Kitty became founder members at the creation of the Variety Artistes Federation (a forerunner of the Equity performers' trade union) at the Vaudeville Club in London.
By 1914 Tom and Kitty were running a successful touring company, but a heart condition prevented Tom from enlisting for active service. He continued to perform throughout the war. Kitty died in 1918. Music Halls suffered a decline as cinemas became popular, and Tom gave up his performing career by the late 1920s.
He fathered at least five children with four different mothers over a 42-year period, including former British prime minister John Major, author and journalist Terry Major-Ball
, dancer's son Tom Moss and daughters Kathleen Lemon and Patricia Dessoy (née Ball).
It has been suggested that rock singer David Bowie
got the idea of the character Major Tom's name in his song "Space Oddity" from seeing an old circus poster featuring fellow Brixton resident Tom Major.
Tom Major-Ball died in March 1962. His son John became prime minister in November 1990.
It is claimed by John that when Major-Ball was dying "Every act in the country trooped through to perform at the bed of their dying fellow artiste."
Gwen outlived him by more than eight years, dying in September 1970 at the age of 65, shortly before John's marriage to Norma Wagstaff
.
After John Major became prime minister there was considerable media interest in his father’s colourful background. Journalist Bruce Anderson described Tom Major-Ball as “one of the most fascinating characters of the century".
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
performer and circus artiste. He was the father of Sir John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
.
Early life
He was born Abraham Thomas Ball in BloxwichBloxwich
Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.-Early history:Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, in 1879. He was a son of Abraham Ball, a bricklayer, and his wife Sarah Ann Marrah or O'Marrah who was of Irish and possibly Welsh descent. When the younger Abraham was about five years old, his parents emigrated to Pittsburgh, USA, where he spent his formative years. He worked in the United States as a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer and a trapeze artist in travelling circuses. He is also reported to have worked as a professional baseball player.
Early adult life and stage career
By 1896, at the age of 17, he was back in the UK where he developed a successful music hall career in the United Kingdom. He claimed to have performed at "every theatre in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland". His music hall act was as a comedian and song-and-dance man, chiefly with his first wife, Kitty Grant. Kitty called herself Drum for the stage effect of "Drum and Ball". Tom later added "Major" to the name when the double act was renamed "Drum and Major". He sometimes performed under the name Tom Major. He would later regale his family with tales of Harry HoudiniHarry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
and Marie Lloyd
Marie Lloyd
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood was an English music hall singer, best known as Marie Lloyd. Her ability to add lewdness to the most innocent of lyrics led to frequent clashes with the guardians of morality...
.
In July 1903 he and Kitty embarked on a performing tour of South America. He spent time at a cattle ranch in Argentina before getting caught up in civil war in Uruguay, where he was forced to enlist in a local militia.
On return to the UK in 1904 his performing career flourished as he resumed touring music halls. On 18 February 1906, he and Kitty became founder members at the creation of the Variety Artistes Federation (a forerunner of the Equity performers' trade union) at the Vaudeville Club in London.
By 1914 Tom and Kitty were running a successful touring company, but a heart condition prevented Tom from enlisting for active service. He continued to perform throughout the war. Kitty died in 1918. Music Halls suffered a decline as cinemas became popular, and Tom gave up his performing career by the late 1920s.
Later career and life
His second marriage was to dancer Gwendolyn Minny Coates (Gwen) in 1929. Once his stage career ended, he founded a business, Major's Garden Ornaments, manufacturing garden gnomes and other garden ornaments, moving to Brixton in South London in 1955 when the family fell on hard times.He fathered at least five children with four different mothers over a 42-year period, including former British prime minister John Major, author and journalist Terry Major-Ball
Terry Major-Ball
Terry Major-Ball was the elder brother of the former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, who during his brother's seven-year premiership had a brief career as a television and radio personality and newspaper columnist...
, dancer's son Tom Moss and daughters Kathleen Lemon and Patricia Dessoy (née Ball).
It has been suggested that rock singer David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
got the idea of the character Major Tom's name in his song "Space Oddity" from seeing an old circus poster featuring fellow Brixton resident Tom Major.
Tom Major-Ball died in March 1962. His son John became prime minister in November 1990.
It is claimed by John that when Major-Ball was dying "Every act in the country trooped through to perform at the bed of their dying fellow artiste."
Gwen outlived him by more than eight years, dying in September 1970 at the age of 65, shortly before John's marriage to Norma Wagstaff
Norma Major
Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth Major, DBE , is the wife of Sir John Major, the former British Prime Minister.-Biography:...
.
After John Major became prime minister there was considerable media interest in his father’s colourful background. Journalist Bruce Anderson described Tom Major-Ball as “one of the most fascinating characters of the century".