Charles Kemble

“ I have scarcely met with a more high-bred man, or a more agreeable companion, than Charles Kemble. Indeed, were I called on to name the professional men I have known most distinguished for good breeding and manners, I should name our four tragedians,—the two Kembles, Young, and Macready.
Sir Francis Burdett dined here yesterday en famille, and we passed two very pleasant hours. ”

“ KEMBLE, HENRY (1848–1907) , actor, born in London on 1 June 1848, was son of Henry Kemble, captain of the 37th foot. Charles Kemble [q. v.] was his grandfather. He was educated by his aunt, Fanny Kemble [q. v. Suppl. I] , at Bury St. Edmunds and King's College school, London. In 1865 he entered the privy council office, but devoted most of his time to amateur theatricals. Yielding to the hereditary bias, he made his professional debut on the stage at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, on 7 Oct. ”

“ Two daughters of Charles also won fame on the stage.
Kemble, Frances Anne, daughter of Charles, born in London; made her début in 1829, and proved a queen of tragedy; in 1832 went to America, where, in 1834, she married a planter, from whom she was divorced in 1848; resuming her maiden name, Fanny Kemble, she gave Shakespearian readings for 20 years (1809-1893) .
Kemble, John Mitchell, Anglo-Saxon scholar, born in London, son of Charles Kemble; edited writings belonging to the Anglo-Saxon period; his chief work “The Saxons in England” (1807-1857) . ”

“ At Covent Garden he played the Doge of Venice in 'Othello,' March 25, 1833, when Edmund Kean last appeared on the stage, and Sir Harry in 'The School for Scandal' on Charles Kemble's last appearance as Charles Surface. His final theatrical engagement was with Macready at Covent Garden in 1837–38. He wrote the words of many songs, his best being perhaps 'In thedays when we went gipsying.' In later years his entertainments, 'Gipsy Life,' 'Tales of the Sea,' and 'Songs of Dibdin,' etc., became deservedly popular. As a genial bon camarade he was universally liked. ”

“ To save her father, Charles Kemble, from bankruptcy, she went on the stage in 1829 and at once took her place on the top of the ladder, disdaining, however (as did an eminent American actress) , the steps which led to renown, and made friends, fame, and fortune. For nearly three years she filled Covent Garden and replenished its exhausted treasury with her wonderful impersonation of Juliet (her first part) , and in Lady Teazle, Portia, Beatrice, Bianca, as well as her aunt's (Mrs. Siddons) great characters, Isabella, Euphrasia, Calista and Belvidera. ”

“ Siddons, Charles Kemble, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Siddons, and Cooke, the well-known [184] actor. As soon as Kemble had completed his arrangements, he went abroad for some months, visiting Spain and France. On his return a dinner was given by the managers of Covent Garden to their Drury Lane rival, Sheridan, who made a sarcastic speech on the friendship of fellows who had hated each other all their lives. John Kemble then went abroad again, for a time, to recruit his strength after the anxiety and worry of his years of management. ”

“ On 15 March 1815, in her father's theatre at Lynn, Elizabeth Brunton made, as Desdemona to the Othello of Charles Kemble, her first appearance on the stage. Her father thought her talents more suited to comedy than tragedy, and she next played Letitia Hardy in the ‘Belle's Stratagem’ to the Doricourt of Robert William Elliston, who engaged her for his theatre at Birmingham. She played also in Worcester, Shrewsbury, and Leicester. Harris then engaged her for Covent Garden, where on 12 Sept. 1817, as Miss Brunton, she made her ‘first appearance in London’ in the part of Letitia Hardy. ”

“ In 1849 he wrote the libretto of 'Charles II.' for Mr. G. A. Macfarren. The subject was taken from a well-known comedy by Howard Payne, rendered popular at Covent Garden by Charles Kemble's acting some quarter of a century before. ”

“ Seeing how affected he was, the audience called out ‘No farewell.’ Kemble, however, spoke the customary address. A banquet was given him on Friday, 27 June, with Lord Holland in the chair. Very many people of distinction were present, and the well-known ode of Thomas Campbell was recited by Young. An asthmatic affection which had long disturbed him compelled him to retire to Toulouse, where he remained for some years. He was in London in 1820, after the death, 2 Oct., of Thomas Harris, and assigned his share of Covent Garden to his brother Charles. ”

“ Siddons was induced to appear for the benefit of her brother, Charles Kemble, at Covent Garden. She had done so before, at the command of the Princess Charlotte, who at the last moment had been unable to come. All the best critics were of opinion it was a mistake. The part chosen, too, Lady Randolph, was injudicious, with its lengthy speeches and continual [262] movement. ”

“ They pronounced the case hopeless, mortification supervened, and about nine on the morning of the 8th June she expired, after a week of acute suffering.
On the 15th June she was buried in the New Ground of Paddington Church, followed to the grave by her brother Charles Kemble, two sons of Henry Siddons, and many others. Alas! of her own immediate family few were left, and her eldest son was in India. In the procession were eleven mourning coaches, with [268] the performers of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Covent Garden. ”

“ Likewise in Chicago did he join Haverly’s Minstrels, March 11, 1878, and September 16, same year, he began a brief engagement with Sweatnam’s Minstrels in Philadelphia.
Mr. Kemble then went to England, and was with Moore and Burgess’ Minstrels for about twenty years.
He married Miss Ella Turner, an actress, about 1870.
J. R. Kemble was born in Kent, England, 1838; he died in London, England, June 11, 1908.
George W. Charles, the old-time wench dancer made his first appearance at the International Theatre in New York in 1852; subsequently he was with Dave. ”

“ The creditors of the old house took a quarter of what they claimed [Pg 331] in full payment, and the Duke of Bedford abandoned a claim of £12,000. The company consisted of Elliston, Dowton, Bannister, Rae, Wallack, Wewitzer, Miss Smith, Mrs. Davison, Mrs. Glover, Miss Kelly, and Miss Mellon. Mr. C. Kemble and Grimaldi were at the other house, that the next season boasted a strong company—John and Charles Kemble, Conway, Terry, and Matthews. At Drury Lane no new piece was brought out except Coleridge’s “Remorse.” At Covent Garden there was played “Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp.” ”

“ Charles Young adorned the English stage from 1807 to 1832. Because he acted with the Kembles he is sometimes described as being of the Kemble school. In a great theatre the leading player is often imitated throughout the house. There was a time when everybody employed at Drury Lane seemed a double of Mr. Macready. Charles Young, however, was an original actor. It took him but five years to show that he was equal in some characters to John Kemble himself. This was seen in 1812, in his Cassius to Kemble’s Brutus. ”

“ Peter Kemble was Gertrude Gouverneur, a sister of the two Gouverneur brothers. My intimacy with Margaret Tillotson Kemble, formed almost from the cradle, lasted without a break throughout life. She was a second cousin of my husband and married Charles J. Nourse, a member of the old Georgetown, D.C., family. The last years of her life were entirely devoted to good works. Her sister, Mary, married Dr. Frederick D. Lente, at one time physician to [119] the West Point foundry, at Cold Spring, N.Y., and subsequently a distinguished general practitioner in New York and Saratoga Springs. ”

“ Gainsborough, his painting of Mrs. Siddons, 162. Gall, his philosophy of phrenology, 151. "Gamester, The," 269, 427, 440; at Plymouth, 446; at Southampton, 454; Charles Kemble in, 524. Garcia, Marie (see Malibran) , as an artist, actress and singer, 203; the sisters Malibran and Pauline Viardot, their accomplishments, 206. Garrick, his costume in "Macbeth," 190; opinion of Clairon and Dumesnil, 446; rivalry with Mrs. Bellamy, 452. Genius, what is it? 477. Genlis, Madame de, 2. George IV., anecdote of his picture at Royal Academy, 393; at the Weymouth Theatre, 449. Gerard street, 33. ”

“ Edge Hill, Charles I.'s resting-place at, 278. Edinburgh Review, 142. Edinburgh, 144, 257, 259; coldness of its audiences, 261, 290, Fanny Kemble's last days in, 528; cholera in, 500. Edinburgh Castle, regalia of Scotland in, 261. "Education of the People, The," 388. Edward I., 277, 297. Egerton, Lord Francis, see Ellesmere. Egerton, Lady Blanche, 270. Egerton, Mr., declining the proposed accommodation at Covent Garden, 464. Eldon, Lord, Chancellor in Charles Kemble's suit, 88. Elizabeth, Queen, 255, 316. Elizabeth, Princess, at Bridgewater House, 422. ”

“ De Camp, Marie Theresa (see Kemble, Mrs. Charles) . De Camp, Victoire, 24; governess at Blackheath, 251. Delane, 88. "De Montfort," 349. Derby, Lord, incident with Miss Farren in "School for Scandal," 452. "Der Freyschütz," 94, 99. Descuillier, Madame, 51, 445. Desdemona, Mme. Pasta in, 428. Dessauer, 245. "Destiny," 389. Deterioration, Artistic, 570. Devonshire, Duke of, 22. Devonshire House, 361. Dévy, Madame, 491. "Diary of an Ennuyée," 123. "Dick," picture of Fanny Kemble, 113, 131. Dickens, 167. Didear, Mr., unkind reception in Edinburgh, 323. "Dionysius," 239. ”

“ If I was a despot, I would suppress hebdomadal writing of sermons, and people should be forbidden instead of bidden to talk nonsense upon sacred subjects.
Monday, 11th.—At night the theater was very full, and the audience pleasant. During supper my father, Charles Mason, and I had a long discussion about Kean. I cannot help thinking my father wrong about him. Kean is a man of decided genius, no matter how he neglects or abuses nature's good gift. He has it. He has the first element of all greatness—power. ”

“ Henry Siddons, 143; love for Edinburgh, 145; a touching incident, 147; a Scotch Venus, 149; raspberry tarts, 152; sitting to Lawrence Macdonald for bust, 152; "Grecian Daughters," 152; an old-fashioned house, 156; a partisan of Charles Edward, 156; an unlucky speech, 156; great esteem for Dr. Combe, 155; intimacy with Harry Siddons, 157; incident of Scottish regalia, 157; at Mr. Combe's house, 158; listens to Chambers Brothers' story of poverty, 161; [598] a jolly face for a tragic actress, 162; Mons Meg and Madame Catalani, 162; observance of Sunday, 163; a natural turn for religion, 164 ”

“ Kemble has spread like a plague—infected the growing race of actors, mixed itself with the very life-blood of the art, and extended its contagion through every new branch, even to the very last year’s bud. Thus Mr. Kemble is imitated by those who never saw him. Let us tell Master Payne that it is the very worst school he could go to, this of the statuary. It is as much inferior to the old one—to that of Garrick, Barry, Mossop, and nature, as the block of marble from which the Farnesian Hercules was hewed, is to the god himself. ”

“ So, though I do not affect to say I should be sorry to take an opportunity of peeping at the splendors of royalty, prudence and economy will keep me quietly at home till another day. My great amusement here this some time past has been going almost nightly to see John Kemble, who certainly is a great artist. It is a pity he shows too much of his machinery. ”

“ His experiences as a strolling player were naturally varied, and not seldom disagreeable. While with Beverley at Stroud he refused to play Laertes to the Hamlet of ‘Master’ Betty, saying, ‘Damme, I won't play second to any man living except to John Kemble.’ In July 1808, at Stroud, Kean married Mary Chambers, an actress nine years older than himself, with whom he had been playing. The next six years saw Kean in various country towns suffering unmitigated hardship. Stephen Kemble, struck with his Octavian in the ‘Mountaineers,’ offered him a London engagement ”

“ Between 1785 and 1787 Kemble appeared in a variety of rôles, his Mentevole in Jephson’s Julia producing an overwhelming impression. On the 8th of December 1787 he married Priscilla Hopkins Brereton (1756–1845) , the widow of an actor and herself an actress. Kemble’s appointment as manager of Drury Lane in 1788 gave him full opportunity to dress the characters less according to tradition than in harmony with his own conception of what was suitable. ”

“ A farce of his called ‘The Female Officer,’ supposed to be the same which, under the title of ‘Projects,’ was produced at Drury Lane 18 Feb. 1786, was played at York for the benefit of Mrs. Hunter. Like most of Kemble's dramatic efforts it was never printed, and on neither occasion of performance was it given more than once. In 1780 he published in York a 12mo volume of verse entitled ‘Fugitive Pieces,’ which, so far as he was able, he subsequently bought up and destroyed with the result that copies have realised from ten to fifteen pounds. ”

“ From 1828 until 1832 he was manager of the last-named theatre. In 1832 Kemble came to the United States in company with his daughter, Frances Anne. He opened at the Park theatre in New York city as Hamlet. For two years father and daughter continued playing in the large cities of the Union. After the actor's return to London, in 1834, he performed in public for limited periods, taking a farewell of the stage in 1836. He then became a dramatic reader in public, and was frequently invited to read condensations of Shakespeare's plays in the royal household. ”