John Drew (September 3, 1827 – May 21, 1862) was an Irish-American stage actor and theatre manager. Drew is a part of the multi-generational Drew acting family and the great-great-grandfather of actress Drew Barrymore.
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Early life
Born Jonathan Henry Drewland in Dublin, Ireland, (1801–1922)
to father Thomas L. Drewland and Louise Kanten. He was the fifth of their six children. In 1832, he journeyed and crossed the Atlantic Ocean, emigrated to the United States with his family to Boston, Massachusetts in New England. As a child, he spent most of his life living in Boston. This is where he began acting. A younger brother, Frank Drew (1831–1903), also came from Ireland to America, becoming an actor also.
His brother, Edward, would become a captain in Hiram Berdan's sharpshooters during the United States Civil War. He was killed-in-action. Another brother, George, also served in the Union and died in Buffalo while recovering from wounds.