SOTHERN, Edward Askew, actor, born in Liverpool, England, 1 April, 1830 ; d, in London, 20 January, 1881. He was intended by his parents for the ministry, but became an actor, making his first appearance as an amateur in Jersey ; and, coming to the United States soon afterward, he made his debut in this country at the Boston national theatre in September, 1852, as Dr. Pangloss in " The Heir at Law." At this time he was known as Douglas Stewart, and he did not assume his own name till 1858. His early career was marked by seeming incapacity, and he played only minor parts till on 18 October, 1858, he was cast for the character of Lord Dundreary in Tom Taylor's comedy "Our American Cousin," at Laura Keene's theatre, New York, where lie had been playing for some time. The part consisted of only a few lines, and Sothern assumed it under protest, but made such a hit in it that, it was enlarged, and became the great attraction of the play, which ran for one hundred and forty consecutive nights. It is said that the laughable skip which was one of the most amusing of Sothern's absurdities of manner in this part was at first accidental, and was caused by the actor's stumbling over some " properties" as he made his first entrance on the stage. This skip, with a peculiar lisp and drawl, never riffled to win the applause of his audiences. Dundreary's part became virtually a series of monologues, which were interspersed in various parts of the original play. On 11 November, 186l, he appeared in the part at the Havmarket theatre, London, where the play ran four hundred and ninety-six consecutive nights, lie afterward acted in it continually till his death, always with , success, except in Paris in 1867, where he was not well received. Besides playing this part, the details of which he constantly changed, Sothern was successful as David Garrick in Robertson's comedy of that name, and in many pieces that were written for him by English playwrights. Though he was very popular in England, where he remained till 1871, he preferred the American stage, He also played in his native country in 1874-'6. His last appearance in the United States was in New York on 27 December, 1879. Sothern's acting was marked by perfect refinement, even in the most farcical touches of his" Dundreary." He wrote well, though slowly, and but little. The part of Dundreary was almost entirely his own, and he composed the best part of the love scenes in Robertson's comedy of " Home." He was also part author of " Trade," a comedy, which has not yet been acted. The illustration represents him in the character of Dundreary.