▁contacts ▁and ▁networks ▁important ▁to ▁further ing ▁his ▁career . ▁ ▁Theatre ▁pione er ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁the atr ical ▁performances ▁in ▁By town ▁were ▁by ▁the ▁G arrison ▁Club ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁Regiment ▁st aged ▁in ▁the ▁bar ra cks ▁on ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Parliament ▁Hill . ▁However , ▁this ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁ 1 3 ▁years ▁of ▁th esp ian ▁silence ▁until , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁L ett ▁organ ised ▁and ▁pres ided ▁over ▁By town ' s ▁first ▁drama ▁club ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁hall . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁he ▁promoted ▁his ▁anti - s la very ▁ag enda ▁with ▁a ▁st aging ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁by ▁a ▁professional ▁tr oupe ▁from ▁New ▁York . ▁The ▁ 1 2 ▁performance ▁reception ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁building ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁of ▁Her ▁Majesty ' s ▁Theatre ▁on ▁Ott awa ' s ▁Well ington ▁Street ▁with ▁a ▁se ating ▁capacity ▁of ▁one ▁thousand ▁people ; ▁one ▁sevent h ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population . ▁Ott awa ' s ▁bo om ▁in ▁theatre ▁construction ▁and ▁play ▁production ▁followed ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁Mar riage , ▁home ▁and ▁church ▁Th irty - year - old ▁L ett ▁married ▁twenty - one - year - old ▁Maria ▁H inton ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁October ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁October ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁the