Edward Knight (1774–1826) was an English actor, commonly known as "Little Knight". Edward Knight Waldeck

Early life

He was born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. While working as a sign-painter or artist, he saw a performance of a provincial company. He appeared onstage at Newcastle, Staffordshire, as Hob in ''Hob in the Well'' (

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in a personal, anecdotal and even rambling ...

), but suffered stage-fright and ran off the stage. A year later at Raither in North Wales he got through the same part. Playing Frank Oatland in ''A Cure for the Heartache'' ( Thomas Morton) he was seen and engaged by Nunns, the manager of the Stafford Theatre; and he worked in Stafford for some years.

Tate Wilkinson Tate Wilkinson (27 October 173916 November 1803) was an English actor and manager. Life He was the son of a clergyman and was sent to Harrow. His first attempts at acting were badly received, and it was to his wonderful gift of mimicry that he ...

, to whom he introduced himself, engaged him for the York circuit around 1803. His reception was favourable. Knight was the author of a musical farce in two acts, entitled ''The Sailor and Soldier, or Fashionable Amusement''. It was produced for his benefit in

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...

in 1805.

In London

Engaged by

Richard Wroughton Richard Wroughton (1748–1822), was an actor, who worked mainly in Covent Garden (now the Royal Opera house) and Drury Lane (now the Theatre Royal), and occasional in the city of his birth, Bath. Acting at Covent Garden He was born in 1748, ...

, on a report from John Bannister, for

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

for three years, Knight arrived with wife and children in London, only to find the theatre burnt down. It was at the Lyceum, where the company moved, the Knight made his first appearance in London, 14 October 1809, as Timothy Quaint in the ''Soldier's Daughter'' (

Andrew Cherry Andrew Cherry (11 January 1762 – 12 February 1812) was an Irish dramatist, songwriter, actor and theatre manager. Life He was born in Limerick on 11 January 1762. His father, John Cherry, a printer and bookseller in Limerick, is said to hare ...

), and Robin Roughhead in ''Fortune's Frolic'' by

John Till Allingham John Till Allingham ( – 28 February 1812)John Till Allingham in the ''England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970'' was an English dramatist. Life Allingham was the son of a wine merchant in the City of London. He w ...

. He built on success with Label in ''The Prize'' ( Prince Hoare), and his creation of Jerry Blossom in

Isaac Pocock Isaac Pocock (2 March 1782 – 23 August 1835) was an English dramatist and painter of portraits and historical subjects. He wrote melodramas, farces and Light Opera, light operatic comedies, many being stage adaptations of existing novels. Of hi ...

's ''Hit or Miss'', 26 February 1810, in which he and

Charles Mathews Charles Mathews (28 June 1776, London – 28 June 1835, Devonport) was an English theatre manager and comic actor, well known during his time for his gift of impersonation and skill at table entertainment. His play ''At Home'', in which he pla ...

as Cypher saved the piece. With the company he went to the new theatre in Drury Lane, where he remained constant until his death. Simple in the ''

Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'', 23 October 1812, is the first part in which he can be traced there. The Clown in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' and Little John in ''Robin Hood'' were given during his first season. He played typically domestics, rustics, and farm-labourers.He played scores of characters in pieces by

Thomas John Dibdin Thomas John Dibdin (21 March 1771 – 16 September 1841) was an English dramatist and songwriter. Life Dibdin was the son of Charles Dibdin, a songwriter and theatre manager, and of "Mrs Davenet", an actress whose real name was Harriett Pitt ...

, Pocock, Kenney, and other writers. Francis in ''King Henry IV'', Sim in ''Wild Oats'' ( John O'Keeffe), Hawbuck in ''Town and Country'' (Thomas Morton), Quiz in ''

Love in a Camp ''Patrick in Prussia, or Love in a Camp'' is a 1786 comic opera with music by William Shield and a libretto by John O'Keeffe. An afterpiece, it was a sequel to the 1783 hit ''The Poor Soldier'' with the characters now serving in the Prussian army ...

'', Tom in ''The Intrigue'', Gripe in ''The Two Misers'' (

Kane O'Hara Kane O'Hara (1711 or 1712 – 17 June 1782) was an Irish composer and playwright. Biography O'Hara was born at Templehouse, Connaught, Ireland, the second son of Kean O'Hara, high-sheriff of County Sligo. He graduated from Trinity College, Dubli ...

), Stephen Harrowby in ''

The Poor Gentleman ''The Poor Gentleman'' is an 1801 comedy play by the British writer George Colman the Younger. It premiered at London's Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 11 February 1801.Nicoll p.282 The original cast included Charles Murray as Lieutenant Worthingt ...

'' (Colman the younger), Solomon Lob in ''Love laughs at Locksmiths'', David in ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'', Appletree in ''

The Recruiting Officer ''The Recruiting Officer'' is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, in the town of Shrewsbury (the town where Farquhar himse ...

'', Silky in '' The Road to Ruin'' (Holcroft), Tester in ''

The Suspicious Husband ''The Suspicious Husband'' is a 1747 comedy play by the British writer Benjamin Hoadly.Nicoll p.207 It premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre in February 1747. The original cast included David Garrick as Ranger, Roger Bridgewater as Strictland, L ...

'', Peter in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'', Isaac in ''

The Duenna ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', Nym in ''King Henry V'', and Crabtree, are representative. Among his original parts were Tom in ''The Intrigue'' and Farmer Enfield in ''The Falls of Clyde''.

Last years

During the season of 1825–6 Knight retired from the stage because of illness. He died 21 February 1826 at his house in

Great Queen Street Great Queen Street is a street in the West End of central London in England. It is a continuation of Long Acre from Drury Lane to Kingsway. It runs from 1 to 44 along the north side, east to west, and 45 to about 80 along the south side, w ...

, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and was buried on the 27th in a vault in St. Pancras New Church.

Family

At Stafford Knight married a Miss Clews, the daughter of a local wine merchant. At Leeds she died, and Knight, left with a young family, married in 1807 Susan Smith, who had succeeded her sister, Sarah Bartley, as leading lady in the company.

John Prescott Knight John Prescott Knight (1803–1881) was an English portrait painter. He was secretary of the Royal Academy from 1848 until 1873. Biography The son of the actor Edward Knight, he was born in Stafford in 1803. He began his working life in the off ...

was his son by his first wife.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Edward 1774 births 1826 deaths English male stage actors 19th-century English male actors Male actors from Birmingham, West Midlands