History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

This is an unusual story about a Chinese acrobat and magician who in 1900, was living in Willesden with his English wife. Mac Fee Lung was born in Chinatown San Francisco about 1878. The first report we could find of him was in 1896 when he was working in New York. His stage name was Prince Fee Lung and in February he was part of a double act with Dave Morrisey – ‘the grotesque gymnast’. They placed an advert for their ‘Brand new sensational comedy act’ in the New York Clipper, a theatre trade paper. Prince Lee Fung worked in several music halls in New York, but mainly at the Chinese Theatre in Doyers Street, which was run by Chu Fong, a rich merchant in Chinatown who also operated several other theatres. But it was forced to close when Chu was arrested after running matinee shows on Sunday which had been made illegal. He had been losing money for several years because he paid the actors relatively high wages and provided food and lodging. In 1897 the 60 actors led by Dr Mac Quong Lung...