John Joseph Knight

“ Clarke was an excellent actor in old comedy, in which his principal successes were made. He was a ‘mugger’ of the Liston type, but had more intensity than his predecessor. His new creations were neither very successful nor very important. ”

“ The spring of 1891 thus saw him at the same time manager of Her Majesty's, Covent Garden, Drury Lane, and the Olympic. He was the first member of the London County Council for the Strand division, and a member of the committee on theatres and music halls; was sheriff of London in 1890-1, and was knighted on the occasion of the visit of the German emperor. These manifold occupations overtaxed his strength, and he died at the Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone, on 22 June 1896. Harris had a genius for stage management, in which in his time he had no English equal. ”

“ Nesbitt (Lady Gay Spanker) , and Madame Vestris (Grace Harkaway) , was a triumph, remains to this day one of the best of acting plays of its period, and is a remarkable work for so young a man. In February 1842 he gave to the same theatre, under his own name, 'The Irish Heiress,' and on 19 Sept. to the Haymarket 'Alma Mater, or a Cure for Coquettes.' 'Woman' followed at Covent Garden, 2 Oct. ”

“ CHIPPENDALE, WILLIAM HENRY (1801–1888) , actor, the son of an actor at the Haymarket and elsewhere, was born in Somers Town, London, on 14 Aug. 1801, and received some education at the high school, Edinburgh, in which city his father made his first appearance on 25 July 1814 as Polonius. Chippendale was placed with James Ballantyne to learn printing, and asserted, in error or oblivion, that he 'read' some of the Waverley manuscripts. He was subsequently apprenticed to John Ballantyne the auctioneer. ”

“ CLARKE, JOHN SLEEPER (1833–1899) , actor, of English extraction, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on 3 Sept. 1833, educated for the American law, and entered the office of a Baltimore solicitor. He made his début on the stage in 1851 at the Howard Athenaeum, Boston, as Frank Harvey in 'Paul Pry;' on 28 Aug. 1852, at the Chesnut Street theatre, Philadelphia, played Soto in 'She would and she would not,' and became principal comedian at the Front Street theatre, Baltimore, and joint lessee of the Arch Street theatre in Philadelphia. ”

“ His first appearance in London took place in 1878 at the Royalty as Colonel Hardy in 'Paul Pry.' He then played at the Folly, the Alhambra,the Standard, and the Avenue as Faust in 'Mefistofele II,' Don José de Mantilla in 'Les Manteaux Noirs,' Le Marquis de Pontsablé in 'Madame Favart,' the Duke in 'Olivette,' and other characters in light opera, and more than once visited the United States, playing at the Casino, New York. ”

“ His dramatic efforts included plays for the eastern or minor theatres, written often for 10s. an act. To west-end playgoers he is principally known as having for thirty-seven years supplied the Drury Lane pantomime. These works were not devoid of prettiness and fancy, in which respects they have not since been equalled. Alone or with various collaborators he also wrote pantomimes for other London and country theatres, amounting, it is said, to one hundred in all. His plays have never been collected, very few of them having been printed. ”

“ Miss Bufton's good looks and tall straight figure made her very acceptable in the heroes of burlesque, and in 'Jonathan Wild,' 'Paris,' 'Tell,' and such pieces, she enjoyed much popularity. In comedy she never rose above the second rank. ”

“ His dramas show little originality, being almost without exception built on some work, play, or romance previously existing. They are often models of construction, and the characterisation is not seldom effective. They have never been collected. Many of them are included in the acting national drama of Webster, and the collections of Lacy, French, and Dicks. Boucicault's brilliant literary and histrionic qualities were not supported by any very rigorous moral code. ”

“ In fact, as a representative of wifely devotion, virginal grace, and moral worth it is difficult to know whom to oppose against her.
The best evidence of her powers of interpretation is perhaps conveyed in her own book, ‘On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters’ (1885, 4to, with three portraits of the authoress, and 1890) , a work of penetrative insight, dedicated by permission to Queen Victoria. The studies, in the form of letters, are concerned with Ophelia, Portia, Desdemona, Juliet, Imogen, Rosalind, Beatrice, and Hermione the last two being addressed to Browning and Ruskin. ”

“ James's saw his 'Fox Chase,' and the Princess's 'The Streets of London.' 'Arrah-na-Pogue,' first seen in Dublin, perhaps his greatest success, was given at the Princess's 22 March 1865, and was translated into and acted in French and other languages. The author took the part of Shaun, the Post. 'The Parish Clerk,' written for Joseph Jefferson, was given in Manchester, 'The Long Strike' at the Lyceum, 'The Flying Scud' for the opening of the Holborn, 'Hunted Down' at the St. James's, 'After Dark' (1868) and 'Presumptive Evidence' at the Princess's, and 'Formosa' at Drury Lane. ”

“ Ollapod, the Governor of Tilbury Fort in the 'Critic,' Barlow in '100,000l.,' and Sir John Vesey in 'Money.' He had high gifts in light comedy, and his burlesque performances often had more than a touch of comedy. ”

“ On 4 June 1870 Albery obtained at the Vaudeville his most conspicuous success in a three-act comedy called ‘Two Roses,’ in which (Sir) Henry Irving made a great reputation in the role of Digby Grant. This was strengthened by the addition (27 Aug.) of ‘Chiselling,’ a farce by Albery and Joseph J. Dalley. On the 250th representation of ‘Two Roses’ (the performance being for (Sir) Henry Irving's benefit) , Albery delivered an original sketch, entitled ‘Our Secretary's Reply.’ ‘Two Roses’ was printed in Lacy's ‘Acting Plays,’ 1881. ”

“ In 1836 he went to America, where he remained at the Park theatre, New York, for seventeen years. His début in Lond was nominally made at the Haymarket on 28 March 1853 as Sir Anthony Absolute. He had, however, some twenty years earlier played at the Victoria the Lord Mayor in 'Richard III' as a substitute for his father. At the Haymarket he took the lead in courtly comedy. ”

“ Fanny Kemble had a sparkling, saucy, and rather boisterous individuality, and seems to have had a string of elderly admirers of distinction. Rogers, Macaulay, Sidney Smith, and other literary men of the epoch gave her incessant homage, and memoirs of the early part of the century are full of her. Eighty-five letters addressed to her by Edward Fitzgerald between 1871 and 1883 were printed in 'Temple Bar,' and with the addition of nineteen letters were issued separately in 1895. ”

“ LECLERCQ, CARLOTTA (1840?–1893) actress, elder daughter of Charles Leclercq, actor and pantomimist, was born in London about 1840. A brother Charles (d. 20 Sept. 1894) was a member of Daly's company, and well known both in London and New York. Other members of the family were connected with the stage. Her sister Rose is noticed below.
Carlotta acted at the Princess's as a child. She was in 1853 Maddalina in 'Marco Spada,' and in the following years played Marguerite in 'Faust and Marguerite,' Elvira in the 'Muleteer of Toledo,' with other parts ”

“ HERMAN, HENRY (1832–1894) , dramatist and novelist, was educated at a military college in Alsace, emigrated to America, and fought in the Confederate ranks during the civil war, in the course of which he lost an eye. On 15 May 1875 he produced at the Charing Cross theatre 'Jeanne Dubarry,' a drama in three acts, and on 31 Jan. 1876 at the same house, rechristened the 'Folly,' 'Slight Mistakes,' a farce. 'Caryswold,' in four acts, by him and J. Mackay, was played in Liverpool on 21 Sept. ”

“ Darlington in 'For Love or Money.' At the Globe she played the Marchesa San Pietro in 'Marco Spada;' at the Royalty Grace Elliot in Marston's 'Lamed for Life;' at the Gaiety Donna Diana in a revival of the piece so named; and at the Court Estelle in 'Broken Spells.' Her greatest success was Mercy Merrick in Wilkie Collins's 'New Magdalen,' at the Olympic, on 19 May 1873, when her acting made the fortune of an unpleasant piece. ”

“ Joining again Shepherd in 1866, he played, on 8 Sept., Martin Truegold in Slous's prize nautical drama, 'True to the Core.' In 1871 he went for the second time to America, made his first appearance as Joe in 'Nobody's Child,' a part in which he had been seen at the Surrey on 14 Sept. ”

“ On 16 Feb. 1847, at Manchester, she reappeared on the stage as Julia, which with Lady Teazle, Mariana, and Queen Katherine, she repeated at Liverpool. In May she reappeared in London, playing at the Princess's with William Creswick [q. v. Suppl.] After a short visit to America she began in April 1848 a series of Shakespearean readings at Willis's rooms. In October 1849 at Sansom Street hall, Philadelphia, she gave a reading from 'King John.' Resuming her maiden name she retired for twenty years to Lennox, Massachusetts, reappearing in 1868 as a reader at Steinway hall, New York. ”

“ Clayton married a daughter of Dion Boucicault [q. v. Suppl.] , who survives him. He was a good actor, both in drama and comedy, with a bluff, effective, breezy, and powerful, sometimes too powerful, style.
[Personal knowledge; Era, 3 March; Scotland Howard's Blanchard; Pascoe's Dramatic List; Robinson's Register of Merchant Taylors' School; Era Almanack, various years; The Theatre, various years; Athenæum, various years.] ”

“ ANDERSON, JAMES ROBERTSON (1811–1895) , actor, was born in Glasgow on 8 May 1811, and played first at Edinburgh under William Henry Murray [q. v.] , then on the Nottingham circuit, and at Newcastle-on-Tyne. From 1834 to 1836 he was manager of the Leicester, Gloucester, and Cheltenham theatres. ”

“ At the former house on 6 Jan. 1877 she was the first Anna in the 'Danischeffs;' at the latter, 30 Sept. 1879, the first Midge in Boucicault's 'Rescued,' and had, 21 Oct. 1880, an original part in Boucicault's 'O'Dowd.' On 5 Aug. 1881, at Drury Lane, she played an original part in 'Pluck' by Pettitt and Harris. She also took part at the Adelphi in many revivals. She died of cancer at Broadstairs 30 May 1892. Miss Foote was a good actress and possessed of remarkable pathos. Her Esther Eccles in 'Caste' and her Anna in the 'Danischeffs' could not easily have been surpassed. ”

“ He then in 1846–8 visited America. On 26 Dec. 1849 he opened, as manager, Drury Lane with the ‘Merchant of Venice.’ Among the pieces he produced were the ‘Elder Brother’ of Beaumont and Fletcher, Schiller’s ‘Fiesco,’ ‘Azael the Prodigal,’ Boucicault’s ‘Queen of Spades,’ and Mrs. Lovell’s ‘Ingomar,’ in which he played the title-role. In 1851 he was Captain Sidney Courtown in Sullivan’s ‘Old Love and the New,’ and the same year, with a loss of over 9,000l., he retired from management. In 1853, 1855, 1856, and 1858 America was revisited. He was seen in 1855 at Drury Lane as Rob Roy. ”

“ CECIL, ARTHUR, whose real name was Arthur Cecil Blunt (1843–1896) , actor, born near London in 1843, played as an amateur at the Richmond theatre and elsewhere, and made, as Arthur Cecil, on Easter Monday 1869, his first professional appearance at the Gallery of Illustration with the German Reeds as Mr. Churchmouse in Mr. Gilbert's 'No Cards,' and Box in the musical rendering of 'Box and Cox' by Mr. Burnand and Sir Arthur Sullivan. In 1874 he joined the company at the Globe, appearing on 24 Jan. as Jonathan Wagstaff in Mr. Gilbert's 'Committed for Trial,' and playing on 6 April Mr. ”

“ His comic sketches were fashionable, and were frequently given in private houses. He had a large frame with exceptionally large and expressive hands. His death on 16 March 1895, following as it did that, ten days earlier, of his associate, Alfred German Reed, broke up what had been for forty years a popular entertainment [see under Reed, Thomas German] . His last sketch was entitled 'Music à la Mode.' Grain was responsible for many songs. ”

“ LESLIE, FREDERICK, whose real name was Frederick Hobson (1855–1892) , actor, son of a military outfitter at Woolwich, was born on 1 April 1855, was educated at Woolwich, at Notting Hill, and in France, and under the name of Owen Hobbs acted as an amateur at Woolwich and elsewhere. ”

“ David Christie Murray he wrote, between 1887 and 1891, the following novels: 'A Dangerous Catspaw,' 'One Traveller returns,' 'The Bishop's Bible,' 'He fell among Thieves,' 'Only a Shadow,' 'Paul Jones's Alias,' and 'Wild Darrie.' His name alone appears to 'A Dead Man's Story, &c.,' 'Between the Whiffs,' 'Crime of a Christmas Toy,' 'Eagle Joe,' 'Great Beckleswaithe Mystery,' 'Hearts of Gold and Hearts of Steel,' 'His Angel,' 'A King in Bohemia,' 'Lady Turpin,' 'Leading Lady,' 'Postman's Daughter,' 'Scarlet Fortune,' and 'Woman the Mystery.' He wrote stories up to his death. ”

“ James's, where he was on 5 Nov. the first John Leigh in 'Hunted Down, or Two Lives of John Leigh.' In two Lyceum revivals of 'Romeo and Juliet' he was Mercutio. On 12 Aug. 1868 he was, at the Princess's, the original Bellingham in Boucicault's 'After Dark.' Other parts in which he was seen were Benedick, Comus, Faulconbridge, Malvolio, Touchstone, Prospero, Roderigo, Henry VIII, Young Marlow, Sir Brilliant Fashion, Goldfinch, Tony Lumpkin, Bob Acres, Dazzle, Flutter, Dudley Smooth, Megrim in 'Blue Devils,' Ghost in 'Hamlet,' My Lord Duke in 'High Life below Stairs,' Jeremy Diddler, and Puff. ”

“ Hamilton Aide's 'Philip.' At the Princess's he played the brothers in the 'Corsican Brothers,' and Nigel in the 'King o' Scots.' At the Court he was Jaggers in 'Great Expectations,' Jormell in Craven's 'Coals of Fire,' and George de Chavannes in 'Lady Flora.' As Hugh Trevor in ' All for her,' produced on 18 Oct. ”