A birthday party was held in North Windham nearly 100 years ago in honor of the 80th birthday of one of the town’s most popular citizens. When Royal B. Manchester went for a walk to Mann’s Hall (near the intersection of today’s routes 302 and 115), he was pleasantly surprised to find a gathering of more than 75 friends and relatives, many who traveled from out of state for the special occasion.
That he had reached this milestone was a surprise to anyone who knew his background. Born in North Windham in 1841, he was described as a sickly child who suffered from recurring bouts of tuberculosis. His great-great niece wrote in 1976 that she had been told that Royal’s mother nursed him back to health by giving him doses of straight whiskey two or three times daily.
Apparently this unusual home-doctoring worked because Royal grew to be over 6 feet tall, and was an impressive figure with his dark hair and large, well-trimmed moustache.
In the village of North Windham, Royal was unique. He became a violinist, well-known throughout the state, a composer who taught the violin as well as dance. Known as a dance-master, he had homes in Portland and Windham and during the summer, he’d sit on his porch in the Windham house enjoying the summer breezes and warm weather. It’s said that he was disturbed greatly at the sound of modern dance tunes of the ’20s drifting across from the open windows of the upstairs dance hall at Boody’s store and would complain to anyone who listened about the “new music,” claiming to be music that only made noise.
Royal apparently enjoyed his 80th birthday celebration back in 1921, where he entertained the guests on the violin and joined in the old-fashioned dances and a buffet lunch. Three years later at the age of 83, the dance-master of North Windham died. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery, in the shadows of his former home, the gravestone is etched: Erected by Brother Masons. The Masonic Hall of the day was directly across the street from the cemetery.
The gravestone of Royal Manchester, known as the dance master of North Windham, can be found in Arlington Cemetery.Send questions/comments to the editors.
