Troupe(s): Soloist; appeared with the Virginian Harmonists, Johnson and Templeton.



Role: dancer, vocalist



Info: New York native William Ceda, known simply as ‘Ceda’, first appears in our database in 1848 alongside the Virginian Harmonists at which time Era refers to him as “the double of Juba” (Aug. 13, 1848). His name appears on bills alone and also along with Templeton and/or Johnson in 1851, collectively referred to as “American minstrels” (Era, May 4, 1851), but, contrary to T. Allston Brown’s assertion, we have found no record of him being a member of the Sable Harmonists, although presumably he might have been prior to his arrival in the UK. The Weekly Chronicle advertised him as “the renowned Juba dancer, challenging the world to competition” (July 23, 1848 p.8). It appears that Ceda may also have been performing under his birth name, for a review of an 1852 production of “Uncle Tom’s Crib”, by Dumboltan’s African Troupe, a company “composed entirely by ladies and gentlemen of colour” featured a Mr. Price who danced “a la Juba” (Theatrical Journal, October 27). Given this reference it might be that Price/Ceda really was a man of colour, although blackface seems to have been confounded for genuine skin colour rather frequently at this time.



British marriage and census records show that Ceda married an English woman, a musician named Maryon Wood, in 1852 and remained in the UK until his death from (what appears to be) chronic alcoholism on March 9, 1873 at the age of 47. Price left several children including two sons who appear to have pursued careers in music in the United States. He is buried in Anfield cemetery.



Please see the 'Bibliographic Sources' link at right for a complete listing of materials (both primary and secondary) from which the above information was compiled.

Alexis Butler.