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Sir William Henry Don, 7th Baronet (1825–1862) was a British baronet and actor.
Biography
Don was born on 4 May 1825. His father, Sir Alexander Don, 6th
baronet of Newtondon, Kelso, Scottish Borders, "the model of a cavalier in all courteous and elegant accomplishments", was an intimate friend of Sir
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 ...
, and one of the most constant attendants at his social dinner parties. He sat for Roxburghshire 1814–18, 1818–20, and from 1820 until his decease, 11 April 1826, aged 47. His mother,
Grace Wallace, eldest daughter of
John Stein of Edinburgh, married as her second husband Sir
James Maxwell Wallace
General Sir James Maxwell Wallace, KH (21 February 1783 – 3 February 1867), of Ainderby Hall, near Northallerton, was a British Army officer.
Biography
James Maxwell was born the fifth son of John Wallace of Kelly, a local landowner and ...
of Ainderby Hall, near
Northallerton
Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It had a population of 16,832 in the 2011 census, an increase ...
.
William Henry Don, the only son, when less than a year old, succeeded his father as 7th baronet, and received his education at
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
between 1838 and 1841. On 28–30 Aug. 1839 he took part in the
Eglinton Tournament Eglinton can refer to:
People
* Earl of Eglinton, a title in the Peerage of Scotland
* Geoffrey Eglinton (1927–2016), British chemist
*Timothy Eglinton, a British biogeoscientist
* William Eglinton (1857–1933), a British spiritualist medium a ...
in the character of a page to Lady Montgomerie.
Sir William entered the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
as a cornet in the
5th Dragoon Guards
The 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a British army cavalry regiment, officially formed in January 1686 as Shrewsbury's Regiment of Horse. Following a number of name changes, it became the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) ...
3 June 1842, was an extra aide-de-camp to the lord-lieutenant of Ireland, 1844, lieutenant in the 5th dragoon guards, 1845, and retired from the army 28 November 1845 deep in debt. The fine estate called Newtondon, left him by his father, had to be sold, and produced £85,000, which went to his creditors.
Sir William was then compelled to turn to account the experience which he had acquired as an amateur actor, and after a short starring engagement in the north of England, he went to America, where he made his first public appearance as "John Duck" in the ''Jacobite'' at the
ldBroadway Theatre, New York, on 27 October 1850.
Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis (January 20, 1806 – January 20, 1867), also known as N. P. Willis,Baker, 3 was an American author, poet and editor who worked with several notable American writers including Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfello ...
, who shortly afterwards saw him in the character of Sir Charles Coldstream in the comedy of ''Used Up'', gives a very favourable opinion of his acting in the character of a gentleman.
Sir William remained in America for nearly five years, playing with success in New York, Philadelphia, and other large towns, and on his return to England found that after all his affairs had been wound up he was still in debt about £7,000. To endeavour to pay off this sum he continued the profession of a comedian. He commenced in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, and after a provincial tour came to 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 ...
, London, where in 1857 he acted in a piece called ''Whitebait at Greenwich''.
In 1861 he went to Australia. At this period he had taken to playing female characters in burlesques, and he appeared at the
Theatre Royal, Melbourne
The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...
, in ''
Valentine and Orson
''Valentine and Orson'' is a romance which has been attached to the Carolingian cycle.
Synopsis
It is the story of twin brothers, abandoned in the woods in infancy. Valentine is brought up as a knight at the court of Pepin, while Orson grows up ...
'' and in a travestie in ''
The Colleen Bawn
''The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen'' is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicau ...
'' called "Eily O'Connor". In February 1862 he visited
Hobart Town
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smalle ...
, Tasmania, with a company of his own, where he fell ill. On 15 March 1862, he played Queen Elizabeth in the burlesque of ''
Kenilworth
Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...
'', and four days later he died from
aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus (s ...
of the
aorta
The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes ...
at Webb's Hotel, Hobart Town. He possessed a fine sense of humour, a quick perception of the ludicrous side of life and character, a remarkable talent for mimicry, a strong nerve, a ready wit, and great self-possession.
There is a pub on Elizabeth Street in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
named after him. It is now the headquarters for iOS software company,
Procreate.
Family
His first marriage was in June 1847 to Antonia, daughter of M. Lebrun of Hamburg; and his second marriage was on 17 October 1857, at Marylebone, to Emily Eliza, eldest daughter of John Saunders of the
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
, London. Miss Saunders had been well known as a lively actress in comedy and farce at the Adelphi, the Haymarket, the
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, and other theatres, for some years before her marriage to Don.
Returning to England after her husband's death, she resumed her professional career, but with no very profitable result, though she had been very popular in the Australian colonies and in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
In 1867 she went to the United States, where she made her appearance on 18 February at the New York Theatre in Peggy Green and the burlesque of ''Kenilworth'', and on the close of the season returned to her native country. She was for a short period lessee of the
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
The Theatre Royal in Nottingham, England, is a theatre venue in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council as part of a complex that also includes the city's Royal Concert Hall. The Theatre Royal attracts major ...
, and assisted at the opening of the Gaiety Theatre, Edinburgh.
[ cites ''Era'', 26 September 1875, p. 11.] Latterly she was in reduced circumstances and was obliged to appear as a vocalist in music halls. She died at Edinburgh 20 September 1875.
See also
*
Lady Don Lady Don, born Emilia Eliza "Emily" Saunders ( – 29 September 1875) was an English singer and actor who enjoyed great popularity in Australia. She married an actor, Sir William Henry Don, Bart., who died in Hobart, Tasmania on 18 March 1862.
His ...
, by which name his second wife was known, particularly in Australia.
Notes
References
;Attribution
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Don, William
1825 births
1862 deaths
Nobility from the Scottish Borders
Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia
People educated at Eton College
British male stage actors
5th Dragoon Guards officers
19th-century British male actors