Thomas Harris (died 1820) was an English theatre manager, who became proprietor of

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 ...

Life

His background was in business. In the autumn of 1767, with

George Colman the elder George Colman (April 1732 – 14 August 1794) was an English dramatist and essayist, usually called "the Elder", and sometimes "George the First", to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger. He also owned a theatre. Early life H ...

, John Rutherford, and

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

, he purchased from

John Beard John Beard may refer to: * John Beard (artist) (born 1943), Welsh artist and painter * John Beard (colonial administrator) (died 1685), Chief Agent and Governor of Bengal * John Beard (embryologist) (1858–1924), Scottish embryologist and anatomi ...

the patent of Covent Garden Theatre. The theatre opened 14 September 1767, with '' The Rehearsal'', in which Powell spoke a prologue by William Whitehead. Colman took on a management role, but a serious quarrel broke outbetween Harris and Colman arose during the first season, driven by the ambitions of

Jane Lessingham Jane Lessingham née Hemet (1738 or 1739 –- 13 March 1783) (married name Jane Stott) was a stage actress from 1756 to 1782. Lessingham predominately performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, where she was known for both her beauty and her s ...

, an actress with whom Harris lived. Colman, with whom Powell sided, barricaded the theatre, and Harris, supported by Rutherford, broke it forcibly open. Legal proceedings and a pamphlet war followed. On 23 July 1770 a legal decision of the commissioners of the Great Seal reinstated Colman as acting manager, subject to the advice and inspection, but not the control, of his fellows. Powell meanwhile had died 3 July 1769. On the resignation, 26 May 1774, by Colman of his post, Harris undertook the duties of stage-manager, which he held to until his death. He was accused of sacrificing to spectacle the artistic interests of the drama. He behaved generously to actors, however, and maintained a good reputation and some personal popularity. Harris died on 1 October 1820 at his cottage near

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

, and was buried in his family vault at

Hillingdon Hillingdon is an area of Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon, centred 14.2 miles (22.8 km) west of Charing Cross. It was an ancient parish in Middlesex that included the market town of Uxbridge. During the 1920s the civil pari ...

, near

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

Family

A daughter of Harris died in 1802, aged 15, and a son, George, lived to be a captain in the Royal Navy. A sister of Harris married into the family of

Longmans Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

, the publishers.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Thomas Year of birth missing 1820 deaths English theatre managers and producers