William Thomas Powell

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William Thomas Powell (1880-?) was an occasional stage hand for the Leonard Rayne company.


Came to South Africa in 1902 with William Russel (better known as Bill Russel). They arrived in Cape Town on September and then reached Johannesburg by train on 15 October. While in Johannesburg he worked for three carriage builders (at different times) and at night he and Bill would work as flymen for the Leonard Rayne company in the Gaiety Theatre.

He returned to England at the end of 1903, and in about 1920 he went to the USA and settled in California.

His reminiscences of the period (published as "Excerpts from the Memoirs of William T. Powell"[]) contain interesting information on Johannesburg at the time and of the Leonard Rayne company and its performers in 1902-3.