Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

WILLIAM HENRY WEST BETTY (1791-1874)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 833 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

WILLIAM See also:HENRY See also:WEST See also:BETTY (1791-1874)  , See also:English actor, known as " the See also:young Roscius," was See also:born on the 13th of See also:September 1791 at See also:Shrewsbury . He first appeared on the See also:stage at See also:Belfast before he was twelve years old, as See also:Osman in See also:Aaron See also:Hill's See also:Zara, an English version of See also:Voltaire's See also:Zaire . His success was immediate, and he shortly afterwards appeared in See also:Dublin, where it is said that in three See also:hours of study he committed the Other places named " Yspytty " are Y . Cynfyn and Y . Ystwyth . For the name Yspytty, cf . See also:Bale's' See also:King See also:John, 2125: " So many masendeens (maisons Dieu), hospytals and spyttle hawses." See also:part of See also:Hamlet to memory . His precocious talents aroused See also:great See also:enthusiasm in See also:Glasgow and See also:Edinburgh, and he was favourably compared with some of the greatest tragedians . In 1804 he first appeared at Covent See also:Garden, when the troops had to be called out to preserve See also:order, so great was the crush to obtain admittance . At See also:Drury See also:Lane the See also:house was similarly packed, and he played for the then unprecedented See also:salary of over 75 guineas a See also:night . He was a great success socially, See also:George III. himself presenting him to the See also:queen, and See also:Pitt upon one occasion adjourning the House of See also:Commons that members might be in See also:time for his performance . But this enthusiasm gradually subsided, and in 18o8 he made his final See also:appearance as a boy actor, and entered See also:Christ's See also:College, See also:Cambridge .

He re-appeared four years later, but the public would have none of him, and he retired to the enjoyment of the large See also:

fortune which he had amassed as a See also:prodigy . He died on the 24th of See also:August 1874 . His son See also:Henry See also:Betty (1819—1897) was also an actor .

End of Article: WILLIAM HENRY WEST BETTY (1791-1874)
[back]
BETTWS Y COED
[next]
BETUL

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click and select "copy." Paste it into a website, email, or other HTML document.