William Nidds was
born in
England in about 1800. His first wife, Susan, daughter of B. Ellison of Jamaica, Long
Island, died in her twentieth year on August 14, 1830. She was the mother of Russell
C. Nidds, born ca. 1829 and died in New York City, December 2, 1864 “in his 25th
year”. It's probable that Susan was also the mother of Nidds’ second child,
a daughter, and that Susan died in that childbirth. This daughter only appears in the
1840 census, and was possibly Eliza C. Nidds who died February 11, 1849. On August 7, 1831
almost exactly a year after the death of his first wife, Susan, Nidds married Mary A. McIllrae, born
in Ireland in about 1803. She was the mother of his
third child, Margaret A. Nidds, who was born about 1833, and who probably became the
wife of J.B. Mooyer who is mentioned as son-in-law in Mary’s obituary.
William Nidds died August 14, 1851; his
widow, Mary, died November 8, 1874 in her 71st year.
[Sources: U.S Census
records,
1830, 1840, 1850; New York Genealogical Records, 1675-1920; New York
Times Obituaries, New York City
directories; New York Commercial Advertiser.
Census records are consistent with each other but not with ages given
in other
sources.]
Nidds
was
an
eccentric
character. He served two terms of enlistment with the Life
Guards in
England, and being enlisted for a third term without his "knowledge or
consent,"
concluded he was not a "third term man", so he took French leave and
came to America. His term of service included the Waterloo period
[1815],
though the band did not accompany the regiment in that eventful
campaign. He
was well acquainted with different members of the organization with
which he
was so long associated, and had listened to many a tale of the great
battle
from those who returned.
[Goodwin
&
Mason,
(1887),
p. 265, quoting the NY Times, December 31, 1871]
From
the
time
of
his arrival in New York, William Nidds was very active in the
various theatres
and opera, including the Park, Niblo’s Garden and Richmond Hill. The
anecdote
told below about the great stage actor James H. Hackett, during the a
performance at the Park Theatre probably explains why Nidds moved on to
other
venues. Later Nidds was
an
original
member of the New York
Philharmonic horn section from 1842 to until his death in 1851. Other
members
during his tenure included Charles F. Woehning (principal,1842-1848),
Henry
Schmitz (principal, 1848-1882), Reuben Munson (1842-1846), Gaetano
Trojsi
(1842-1860), Simon Knaebel (1845-1862), and John Leis (1845-1846),
Denis G.
Etienne (1845-1846), John H. Major(1845-46), alternates or extras.
[NY Philharmonic
Archives, 1842-1928. Krehbiel(1892,
p.41) and Huneker (1917, p. 6), list the “original roster” order in
1842 as Munson,
Nidds, Trosji, Woehning]
"Mr.
Tom
Goodwin,
a
well-posted veteran in musical and dramatic affairs, tells a
good anecdote referring to the late Mr. Hackett. He was playing at the
old Park
Theatre, where he had so often produced his Rip Van Winkle, Col.
Wildfire, and
other similar characters, and had taken the town by storm with his
wonderful impersonation
of Falstaff, a character with which his name has always been
associated.
At length he was tempted to try his fortunes in tragedy and essayed no
less a
character than Hamlet. On one occasion he was playing this
part to a
full house on the evening of St. Patrick's Day. In the 'play scene' in
the
third act, the wind instruments go behind the scenes and play a march
to bring
on the king, queen, and courtiers. Paul Christian, the clarionet
player, an
enthusiastic Irishman, knew very little of the stage business of a
theatre, and
was at a loss what to play for the royal party (the march from 'Judas
Maccabeus
' was usually introduced for this purpose); accordingly he applied to
Nidds,
the horn player, an old hand at the business, who for a bit of mischief
suggested 'St. Patrick's Day in the Morning.' Paul was delighted at the
idea,
and the cue being given, he lost no time in briskly striking up that
patriotic
air in which 'the gods' (there was an upper galley then) most heartily
joined.
The royal party was convulsed; Hackett was in a fearful rage, and his
'too
solid flesh' did nearly dissolve, for he was a stout Hamlet. Mr.
Simpson
and
Barry,
his stage manager, were horrified, though sub rosa they
quietly
enjoyed the fun. Nidds and Paul Christian, the delinquents, were each
fined a week's salary, which John Blake, the treasurer, returned to
them the
following week, accompanied by a severe reprimand. It was a standing
joke for a
time."
[Goodwin
&
Mason,
(1887),
p. 263-5, quoting the NY Times, December 31, 1871]
On
Saturday last the company of Italians commenced their performances at
the
Richmond Hill theatre, with Rossini's La Cenerentola (anglice, Cinderella.)
This
opera
was
announced as one of the finest productions of Rossini, and
about
to be brought out in its original splendor and purity. …
The
directors,
it
would
appear, think that a " rose by any other name may
smell as sweet;" for we recognized in Signor Nidus, the person of one
Mr.
Nidds, lately first horn at the Park theatre, and a very good one.
Pentland,
Munson, and Nelson, we have converted into Italians, for the sake of
euphony.
[New
York Mirror, vol. X, No. 15, p. 119 October 13, 1832]
This
opera [Elisa and Claudio] is generally allowed to be one of the best of
Mercadante's compositions; and Mercadante is supposed to be about the
best
follower, some call him, and perhaps justly, imitator of Rossini. The
overture
is a light, pretty, bustling affair, commencing with a well-imagined
movement
for the first horn obligato. This was executed by Mr. Nids
[sic.], with
his usual purity of tone ; but he appeared to be afraid to trust his
lip too
far, and subdued the instrument quite to the medium of a private
apartment.
[New
York
Mirror,
Vol.
X, No. 18, p. 142, Nov. 3 1832]
Horn players Aupick
and Nidds
mentioned in connection with nightly performances at William Niblo’s
Garden.
The orchestra members
[at
Niblo’s] totaling more than fourteen were listed in the Evening
Post
(July 8, 1836). W. Nidds and Reuben Munson (horn).
[Lawrence, Strong
on
Music, vol. I, 20 n, 34 n3]