182G.3 



Iiiogra]^lncal Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 



This gallant officer and accomplisliod 

 gentleman was no less distinguished by his 

 private virtues than by his long iiiul eminent 

 services to his country. Endowed with 

 every estimable quality of the human heart, 

 his memory \\ill ever be held dear l)y those 

 who had the honour and happinass of his 

 acquaintance. 



JIR. KNIOHT. 



Februari/.—Mr. Edward Knight, come- 

 dian, late of Drui-y-Lane Theatre, was 

 born at Birmingham in the year 1774. He 

 was intended, by his friends, as an artist ; 

 but at a very early period of life he had 

 evinced a fondness for theatrical pursuits ; 

 and, indulging that propensity, he, on the 

 death of the person to whom he had been 

 articled, made a public attempt upon the 

 stage, in the character of Hob, at the town 

 of Newcastle-under-Linc, in Statfordshire. 

 Such, however, was his timidity, that he 

 fled from the st.ige in terror. He resumed 

 the pencil for another year ; but the ruling 

 passion w-as sti'ong — his love of the theatre 

 prevailed — he again played Hob— and was 

 successful. Afterwards he performed in 

 Wales, and at Stafford. In that town he 

 married the daughter of I\Ir. Clewes, a 

 wine-merchant. Obtaining an engagement 

 from Tate Wilkinson, the manager of tlie 

 York theatre, he continued to play at York, 

 Leeds, &c. 



Mr. Knight's first wife having died, he 

 married, in the year 1807, Miss Susan Smith, 

 sister of Mrs. Bartley. When he liad been 

 with Tate Wilkinson about seven years, 

 Wroughton, at that time manager of Drury- 

 Lane theatre, saw him, and invited him to 

 London Accordingly, on the 14th of Octo- 

 ber 1809, he made his first appearance on 

 the Drury-Lane boards as the successor of 

 Collins, in the character of Timothy Quaint, 

 in The Soldier's Daughter. He was equally 

 successful in the parts of Robin lloiigh- 

 head, in Fortune's Frolic ; Jen-y Blossom, 

 Sim, Spado, Trip, &c. Tate Wilkinson, 

 when he first entered into an engagement 

 with him, augured most favourably of his 

 success, in the event of his appearing on 

 the London boards. The veteran's antici- 

 pations were more-than realized. There 

 was a freshness — a raciness — an originality 

 about his acting which never failed to de- 

 light, and which soon rendered him, in 

 country boys, and other parts in low co- 

 medy, a first-rate favourite. Latterly, he is 

 said to ha^e paid great attention to the parts 

 of old men. In private life, Mr. Knight's 

 manners were somewhat methodical. He 

 disliked convivial parties ; his habits were 

 decidedly domestic ; and, with a kindness 

 and benevolence of heart, which reflect ho- 

 nour upon human nature, he was univer- 

 sally respected. 



In the exercise of his professional duties, 

 Mr. Knight once had a very narror/ escape 

 with his life. On the evening of February 

 17th, 1816, when performing with Miss 



429 



Kelly in the farce of Modem Antiques, a 

 maniiic, named Barnett, fired a pistol at tlie 

 lady, which liad nearly given the gentleman 

 his quietus. 



After an illness of several months, Mr. 

 Knight died at his house in Great Queen 

 Street, Lincoln's-Inn Fields ; whence, on 

 the 27th of February, his remains were 

 removed to a vault in Pancras New Church. 

 Amongst the mourners who attended upon 

 that occasion, were Mr. Elliston, Dr. Pear- 

 son, ]Mr. Carpue, Mr. George Soane, Mr. 

 Grimaldi, sen., &c. 



CHARI.es INCI.KnON'. 



Fchruanj 4 — Mr. Incledon, who pos- 

 sessed at once the most powerful and most 

 melodious voice of mo<lern times, and who 

 stood unrivalled in his style of singing such 

 songs as The Slvnn,lituch-Eiied Susan, cjc, 

 was the son of a respectable physjician in 

 Cornwall. His voice, at a very early 

 jicriod, excited admiration ; wlien only 

 eight years old he was articled to the cele- 

 brated Jackson, of Exeter ; and, under liis 

 tuition, he became a little idol in all the 

 concerts and mu?ical ]>arties about the 

 neighbouriiood. At the expiration of six or 

 seven years ( 1 779), a tniant disjiosition in- 

 duced him to enter as midshipman on 

 board the Formidable. He went to the 

 West-Indies, and, in the course of the two 

 years that he continued in tlie navy, he w'as 

 in several engagements. Under the patro- 

 nage of Lord Mulgrave, Admiral Pigot, 

 and other naval officers, who gave liim lt>t- 

 ters of introduction to Mr. Colman, he, 

 after his return to England, in 1792, en- 

 deavoured, but without success, to obtain 

 an engagement for the Haymarket Theatre. 

 Disappointed there, he joined CoUins's 

 Company at Southampton ; came out as 

 Ali)honso, in tlie Castle of Andalusia, and 

 was received with the most flattering ad- 

 miration. About a year afterwards, the 

 fame of his abilities having reached Batli, he 

 was engaged by the managers of tliat city. 

 There, however, he was for some time re- 

 garded as little better than a chorus singer ; 

 but, fortunately, the penetration of the mu- 

 sical amateurs soon discovered his value. 

 Rauzzini, the conductor of the concerts, 

 took him under his care, and gave him tliei 

 best instructions a pupil could receive. He 

 sang at the conceits at Bath and Bristol 

 with great applause ; was engaged at ^^aux- 

 hall in the summer, where his success w-as 

 still more flattering ; and Rauzzini's pa- 

 tronage speedily raised him from obscurity 

 into imiversal estimation. He was a great 

 favoiu^te at the noblemen's Catch Club in 

 Bath, which he assisted in establishing; 

 and Dr. Harrington, the most eminent 

 physician there, was his particular friend. 

 Remaining mider Rauzzini si.x or seven 

 years, he received a complete musical edu- 

 cation, and became the fii'st English singer 

 on the stage. 



As a tenor, Mr. Incledon's voice was not 



