James Prescott Warde (1792–1840) was an English actor. He came up as a provincial tragic actor, in the Garrick mould. The ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' says he was "full of promise at the time of his first appearance in London", in 1818, but did not reach the top ranks of the profession.

Early life

Born James Prescott in the west of England in 1792, he was the son of J. Prescott. A cadet at the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

in 1807, he became second lieutenant in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in 1809. He served for three years in the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

, then left the army in poor health in 1813, returning to England. He was later superseded for "absence without leave" on 1 April 1815. Prescott went onto the stage, adopting the further name of Warde. He was first seen in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, in the role of Lord Towneley in

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 ...

's ''The Provoked Husband''. He spent time in touring companies in the north of England.

Bath stage from 1813

Warde's first recorded appearance at

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, where he settled, was on 28 December 1813 as Achmet in

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

's tragedy ''Barbarossa'', a part created by

Henry Mossop Henry Mossop (1729 – 18 November 1773) was an Irish actor. Life He was born in Dunmore, County Galway, where his father was a clergyman. He made his first stage appearance as Zanga in Young's tragedy ''The Revenge'' at the Smock Alley Theatr ...

. During 1814 he played at Bath Faulkland 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 ...

'' (5 March) and Harry Dornton in

Thomas Holcroft Thomas Holcroft (10 December 174523 March 1809) was an English dramatist, miscellanist, poet and translator. He was sympathetic to the early ideas of the French Revolution and helped Thomas Paine to publish the first part of ''The Rights of Man ...

's '' The Road to Ruin'' (17 April); and on 10 December had the title role 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 ''John of Paris''.’ In 1815 Warde was on 3 January Laertes to the Hamlet of

William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the ...

. Ten days later he took his benefit as Fitzharding in

John Tobin John Tobin may refer to: People * Sir John Tobin (1763–1851), Liverpool merchant * John Tobin (dramatist) (1770–1804), author of ''The Honey Moon'' * John F. Tobin (1880–1954), American football player and coach * Jack Tobin (1892–1969 ...

's ''The Curfew''. On 1 April he was the original Fitz-James in the dramatic version of

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

's poem ''

The Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

''. Generally popular, as Dorilas in Aaron Hill's ''Merope'' (1 January 1816) Warde was considered to have overdressed the part. The next year, 1817, Warde was seen as Doricourt in the ''

Belle's Stratagem ''The Belle's Stratagem'' is a romantic comedy of manners, the most successful work of its playwright, Hannah Cowley. It received its premiere on 22 February 1780,Winter, William. Preface to "Two Old Comedies: The Belle's Stratagem and The Wond ...

'' (1 November), and was considered very good as Biron in

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

's ''

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

'', adapted from

Thomas Southerne Thomas Southerne (12 February 166026 May 1746) was an Irish dramatist. Biography Thomas Southerne, born on 12 February 1660, in Oxmantown, near Dublin, was an Irish dramatist. He was the son of Francis Southerne (a Dublin brewer) and Margaret ...

's ''

The Fatal Marriage ''The Fatal Marriage; Or, The Innocent Adultery'' is a 1694 tragicomedy by the Anglo-Irish writer Thomas Southerne. It was part of the tradition of She-tragedy which flourished at the time. Incidental music for the work was composed by Henry P ...

''. On 15 April 1818 he was seen as Rob Roy, in a Bath premiere, one of his best parts and a box office success. This was the

adaptation ''Rob Roy Macgregor, or Auld Lang Syne'', an operatic drama in three acts, of the Walter Scott novel. John William Cole says in his ''Life of Charles Kean'' (1859) that Warde and William Augustus Conway each had a dowager as patron in Bath. These ladies sat in opposite stage-boxes, and led the applause for their respective protégés. Conway was certainly backed by

Hester Piozzi Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi (née Salusbury; later Piozzi; 27 January 1741 or 16 January 1740 – 2 May 1821),Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded her birth as 16 January ...

: the other patron has been identified as Mrs. Vereker, though Piozzi also had time for Warde. There was a rivalry between groups of fans in 1818–9. Another supporter of Warde was Harriet Willoughby, illegitimate daughter of

Charles James Fox Charles James Fox (24 January 1749 – 13 September 1806), styled ''The Honourable'' from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned 38 years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was the arch-riv ...

and the courtesan Elizabeth Bridget Cane. She fell out with Hester Piozzi over the rivalry: they made up in 1820.

The London stage

Warde made his first appearance in London at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

on 17 July 1818 as Leon in John Fletcher's ''

Rule a Wife and have a Wife ''Rule a Wife and Have a Wife'' is a late Jacobean stage comedy written by John Fletcher. It was first performed in 1624 and first published in 1640. It is a comedy with intrigue that tells the story of two couples that get married with false p ...

'': he was well received. It was a choice of part in a mainstream tradition reaching back to Garrick's revival of the play. Next season Warde opened as Leon (26 July), and was seen as Faulkland, Don Felix in

Susanna Centlivre Susanna Centlivre (c. 1669 (baptised) – 1 December 1723), born Susanna Freeman and also known professionally as Susanna Carroll, was an English poet, actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century". Centlivre's " ...

's comedy ''The Wonder'', Valmont in

William Dimond William Fisher Peach Dimond (11 December 1781 – c1837) was a playwright of the early 19th-century who wrote about thirty works for the theatre, including plays, operas, musical entertainments and melodramas. Life He was born in Bath in Som ...

's '' The Foundling of the Forest'' as his benefit on 28 August, and other parts.

Hiatus

At the end of 1820 Warde moved to Dublin, where he shared the tragic leading roles with

Thomas Cobham Thomas Cobham (died 1327) was an English churchman, who was Archbishop-elect of Canterbury in 1313 and later Bishop of Worcester from 1317 to 1327. Cobham earned a Doctor of Theology and a Doctor of Canon Law He fell ill, recuperated under the care of his wife, and taught elocution for a time. He moved to Birmingham and managed a theatre there, but ran up debts. He did not act in London, was seen again at Bath in 1823, but then not often.

1825–1830

Warde reappeared on the London stage in the autumn of 1825, when he was engaged at the

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

as second lead to

Charles Kemble Charles Kemble (25 November 1775 – 12 November 1854) was a Welsh-born English actor of a prominent theatre family. Life Charles Kemble was one of 13 siblings and the youngest son of English Roman Catholic theatre manager/actor Roger Kemble ...

. He created the part of Kruitzner in Harriet Lee's ''

The Three Strangers "The Three Strangers" is a short story by Thomas Hardy from 1883. Background The story is a pastoral history told by an omniscient narrator more than 50 years after the event. The sheep-stealer is a kind of folk hero who stole to survive and escap ...

'' (10 December). He was no longer a rising star: the ''

London Magazine ''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and miscellaneous topics. 1732–1785 ''The London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly I ...

'' that year was of the opinion that "Mr. Warde, we think is not fitted to fill the first parts"; though he was adequate to substitute for

William Abbot William Abbot or Abbott (12 June 1790 – 1 June 1843) was an English actor, and a theatrical manager, both in England and the United States. Life Abbot was born in Chelsea, London, and made his first appearance on the stage at Bath in 1806, ...

. In 1826 Warde was Honeywood in a revival of ''

The Good-Natur'd Man ''The Good-Natur'd Man'' is a play written by Oliver Goldsmith in 1768. The play was written in the form of a comedy and premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre in 1768, with Mary Bulkley as Miss Richland. It was a middling success for Goldsmith ...

'' by

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...

, to the Croaker of

William Farren William Farren (13 May 1786 – 24 September 1861) was an English actor, who was the son of an actor (born 1725) of the same name, who played leading roles from 1784 to 1795 at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Life Raised on Gower Street in Lo ...

. On 3 April he played Macbeth for the first time at Covent Garden. In 1827 he was seen as Cassius in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

'', one of his noted roles. He played the title-part in ''Henri Quatre'' for his own benefit on 4 June 1830.

Later life

The plays produced at Covent Garden moved downmarket, and its finances were in confusion. Unable to obtain his salary in 1833, Warde left for the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout m ...

, and then went to the Royal Victoria Theatre under the management of

and

Daniel Egerton Daniel Egerton (1772–1835) was an English actor. Life Egerton was born in the city of London on 14 April 1772. According to various accounts, presumably supplied by himself, he was 'bred to the law in a public office.' Another source says, h ...

. But the decline of the older style of "legitimate drama" reduced his opportunities. Engaged at Covent Garden during Macready's brief lesseeship of 1837–8, Warde was only given parts well down the cast list. Warde's last years were overshadowed by debt: he was often escorted to and from the theatre by bailiffs. He died friendless and in penury, in a lodging in Manchester Street, London on 9 July 1840, at the age of 48.

Selected roles

* Kruitzner in ''

'' by Harriet Lee (1825) *Dubois in '' The French Libertine'' by

John Howard Payne John Howard Payne (June 9, 1791 – April 10, 1852) was an American actor, poet, playwright, and author who had nearly two decades of a theatrical career and success in London. He is today most remembered as the creator of "Home! Sweet Home ...

(1826) *Count Erizzo in ''

Foscari The House of Foscari () was an ancient Venetian patrician family, which reached its peak in the 14th–15th centuries, culminating in the dogeship of Francesco Foscari (1423–1457). History According to family tradition, they originated from ...

'' by

Mary Russell Mitford Mary Russell Mitford (16 December 1787 – 10 January 1855) was an English author and dramatist. She was born at New Alresford, Alresford in Hampshire. She is best known for ''Our Village'', a series of sketches of village scenes and vividly dr ...

(1826) * Gonzales in '' Francis the First'' by

Fanny Kemble Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (27 November 180915 January 1893) was a British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer and abolitionist, whose published works included plays, poetry ...

(1832) * Ferrardo in '' The Wife'' by

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mov ...

(1833) * Tancmar in ''

The Provost of Bruges ''The Provost of Bruges'' is a historical tragedy by the British writer George William Lovell. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 10 February 1836.Nicoll p.337 The original cast featured William Macready as Bertulphe, ...

'' by

George William Lovell George William Lovell (1804 – 13 May 1878) was an English dramatist and novelist. His most successful play was '' The Wife's Secret'', staged at the Haymarket Theatre with Charles Kean and his wife Ellen in the principal roles, and revived sever ...

(1836) * Norris in '' The Daughter'' by

(1836) * Creon in '' The Athenian Captive'' by

Thomas Talfourd Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd SL (26 May 179513 March 1854) was an English judge, Radical politician and author. Life The son of a well-to-do brewer, Talfourd was born in Reading, Berkshire. He received his education at Hendon and Reading School. ...

(1838) * Baradas in ''

Richelieu Richelieu (, ; ) may refer to: People * Cardinal Richelieu (Armand-Jean du Plessis, 1585–1642), Louis XIII's chief minister * Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieu (1582–1653), French Carthusian bishop and Cardinal * Louis François Armand ...

'' by

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secret ...

(1839)

Notes

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Warde, James Prescott 1792 births 1840 deaths 19th-century English male actors English actors Royal Artillery officers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich