Description
Mac Coonse was an Ojibwe leader and British ally who was apparently duped into coming to England in 1835 with the promise of meeting the King. However, upon landing in Liverpool, it became clear that the promoter, a man called Whitely, wanted only to exhibit the group of Ojibwe and he then abandoned them when they reached Birmingham. Mac Coonse and his group ended up in London, performing at the Victoria Theatre, and while there his wife, nephew, and another performer became sick and died. It appears they were also unpaid for their performances and so they were impoverished during their time in Britain. In April 1835, Mac Coonse was also accused of assaulting the daughter of his landlord but he was subsequently acquitted at the Old Bailey in April 1835. The group seem to have left the country in May, sailing for Philadelphia.
Bibliographic sources
“The Chief of the Chippewa Nation,” Mayo Constitution, 13 April 1835, 4; “The Indian Chief,” West Kent Guardian, 28 March 1835, 6; “The Chippewa Indians,” Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser, 6 May 1835, 4.