A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Seguin, Arthur
SEGUIN, Arthur Edward Shelden, commonly known as Edward, was born in London, April 7, 1809. He received his musical education at the Royal Academy of Music, and first appeared in public in 1828 at concerts and performances of Italian operas given by its pupils. His voice was a deep bass, of very extensive compass, and he met with a very favourable reception. In 1829 he sang at Exeter Festival. In 1831 he appeared at the theatre in Tottenham Street as Polyphemus in Handel's 'Acis and Galatea.' In 1832 he sang at the Concert of Ancient Music. In 1833 and 1834 he was engaged at Covent Garden, and in the latter year appeared at the King's Theatre as Il Conte Robinson in Cimarosa's 'Matrimonio Segreto,' and also sang at the Festival in Westminster Abbey. From 1835 to 1837 he was engaged at Drury Lane. In August 1838 he appeared at the English Opera House in Macfarren's 'Devil's Opera,' and soon afterwards quitted England for America, made his first appearance at the National Theatre, New York, as the Count in Rooke's 'Amilie' on Oct. 15, 1838, and was extremely well received. He afterwards formed an opera company named 'The Seguin Troupe,' who performed at various places in the United States and Canada. Amongst other distinctions he was elected a chief by one of the Indian tribes, and received an Indian name, signifying 'The man with the deep mellow voice'; an honour which had never before been conferred on any Englishman, except Edmund Kean, the tragedian. He died at New York, Dec. 9, 1852.
His wife, Ann Childe, was also a pupil of the Royal Academy of Music, and appeared in public as a soprano singer in 1828 in the same performances as her future husband, and with equal success. In 1832 she sang at the Concert of Ancient Music, and in 1834 at the Westminster Abbey Festival. After performing for two or three seasons at the King's Theatre as 'seconda donna,' she appeared on the English stage at Drury Lane, Nov. 3, 1837, as Donna Anna in the English version of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni.' She accompanied her husband to America and performed in opera until his death, when she retired from the stage and taught music in New York, where she was residing in 1880. [App. p.792 "Add that Mrs. Seguin died in New York, in August 1888."]
His younger brother, William henry Seguin, born 1814, also a pupil of the Royal Academy of Music, possessed a light bass voice and was a concert singer and member of the choir of the Temple Church. He died Dec. 28, 1850. He married Miss Gooch, soprano singer, a fellow pupil at the Academy, who survived him a few years only.[ W. H. H. ]