Daniel Terry
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Daniel Terry (1780?–1829) was an English actor and playwright, known also as a close associate 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 ...
.


Life

He was born in Bath about 1780, and was educated at the Bath grammar school and subsequently at a private school at Wingfield (?Winkfield),
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
, under the Rev. Edward Spencer. During five years he was then a pupil of
Samuel Wyatt Samuel Wyatt (8 September 1737, Weeford, Staffs. – London, 8 February 1807) was an England, English architect and engineer. A member of the Wyatt family, which included several notable 18th- and 19th-century English architects, his work was prima ...
, the architect.


Actor in the provinces

Having first played at Bath Heartwell in the ''Prize'', Terry left Wyatt to join (in 1803 to 1805) the company at Sheffield under the management of William Macready the Elder. His first appearance was as Tressel in '' Richard III'' and was followed by other parts, Thomas Cromwell in '' Henry VIII'' and Edmund in ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...
''. Towards the close of 1805 he joined
Stephen Kemble George Stephen Kemble (21 April 1758 – 5 June 1822) was a successful English theatre manager, actor, and writer, and a member of the famous Kemble family. He was described as "the best Sir John Falstaff which the British stage ever saw" thoug ...
in the north of England. On the breaking up in 1806 of Kemble's company, he went to
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 populat ...
and made a success which recommended him to Henry Siddons, who brought him out in Edinburgh, 29 November 1809, as Bertrand 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 S ...
's ''Foundling of the Forest''. On 12 December he was Antigonus in ''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some crit ...
'', on 8 January 1810 Prospero, and on the 29th Argyle in
Joanna Baillie Joanna Baillie (11 September 1762 – 23 February 1851) was a Scottish poet and dramatist, known for such works as ''Plays on the Passions'' (three volumes, 1798–1812) and ''Fugitive Verses'' (1840). Her work shows an interest in moral philoso ...
's ''Family Legend''. Walter Scott, à propos of this role, wrote: ‘A Mr. Terry, who promises to be a fine performer, went through the part of the old earl with great taste and effect.’ Scott also contributed a prologue which Terry spoke.


In London

He was Lord Ogleby in the ''
Clandestine Marriage Clandestinity is a diriment impediment in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It invalidates a marriage performed without the presence of three witnesses, one of whom must be a priest or a deacon. History It was promulgated in the 16th ...
'', 18 November 1810 in Edinburgh. In this part Terry made his first appearance in London at the Haymarket, 20 May 1812. He created some original characters in lesser plays, including Count Salerno in Eyre's ''Look at Home'', 15 August 1812, based on John Moore's ''
Zeluco ''Zeluco'' is a 1789 novel in Scotland, novel by Scottish author John Moore (Scottish physician), John Moore that centers on the vicious deeds of the eponymous anti-hero, the evil Italian nobleman Zeluco. The novel's full title is ''Zeluco: Various ...
''. He was announced to reopen, 14 November, the Edinburgh theatre as Lord Ogleby, but was ill and did not appear until the 23rd, and on the 24th he played Shylock. He was on 23 December the first Lord Archibald in '' Caledonia, or the Thistle and the Rose.''


At Covent Garden

On 8 September 1813, as Leon in ''
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 ...
'' by John Fletcher, Terry made his first appearance at Covent Garden, where, with frequent migrations to Edinburgh and summer seasons at the Haymarket, he remained until 1822. Among the parts he played in his first season were Sir Robert Bramble in the ''Poor Gentleman'', Dornton in the ''Road to Ruin'', Ford, Sir Adam Contest in the ''Wedding Day'', Ventidius in ''Antony and Cleopatra'', Shylock, Churlton, an original part in James Kenney's ''Debtor and Creditor'', 26 April 1814, and Sir Oliver in ‘School for Scandal.’ On 12 March 1816 ''Guy Mannering'', a musical adaptation by Terry of Scott's novel, was seen for the first time. This appears to have been the first of Terry's adaptations from Scott. At the Haymarket he was seen as Periwinkle in ''
A Bold Stroke for a Wife ''A Bold Stroke for a Wife'' is Susanna Centlivre's 18th-century satirical English play first performed in 1718. The plot expresses the author's unabashed support of the British Whig Party: she criticises the Tories, religious hypocrisy, and ...
''. In 1815, meanwhile, he had, by permission of the Covent Garden management, supported
Sarah Siddons Sarah Siddons (''née'' Kemble; 5 July 1755 – 8 June 1831) was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. Contemporaneous critic William Hazlitt dubbed Siddons as "tragedy personified". She was the elder sister of Joh ...
in her farewell engagement in Edinburgh, where he played Macbeth, 'The Stranger' in ''Douglas'', Wolsey, King John, and the Earl of Warwick. Back at Covent Garden, he was, 7 October 1816, the original Colonel Rigolio in William Dimond's ''Broken Sword'', and on 12 November the original Governor of Surinam in Morton's ''Slave''.


Career peak

On 2 October 1817 his acting of Frederick William, King of Prussia, in
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, ...
's ''Youthful Days of Frederick the Great'', raised his reputation to the highest point it attained, and on 22 April 1818 he was the first Salerno in
Richard Lalor Sheil Richard Lalor Sheil (17 August 1791 – 23 May 1851), Irish politician, writer and orator, was born at Drumdowney, Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The family was temporarily domiciled at Drumdowney while their new mansion at Bellevue, near ...
's ''Bellamira''.’ In Jameson's ''Nine Points of the Law'' he was at the Haymarket, 17 July, Mr. Precise, and in the ‘Green Man,’ 15 August, exhibited what was called a perfect piece of acting as Mr. Green. At Covent Garden he was, 17 April 1819, the first David Deans in his own adaptation, ''The Heart of Midlothian''; played Sir Sampson Legend in ''Love for Love'', Buckingham in ''Richard III'', Prospero, Sir Amias Paulet in ''Mary Stuart'' (adapted from Schiller), 14 December 1819, Lord Glenallan, and afterwards was announced for Jonathan Oldbuck in his own and
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 operatic comedies, many being stage adaptations of existing novels. Of his 40 or so w ...
's adaptation, ''
The Antiquary ''The Antiquary'' (1816), the third of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, centres on the character of an antiquary: an amateur historian, archaeologist and collector of items of dubious antiquity. He is the eponymous character and for all p ...
'', 25 January 1820. Illness seems to have prevented his playing Oldbuck, which was assigned to
John Liston John Liston (c. 1776 – 22 March 1846), English comedian, was born in London. He made his public debut on the stage at Weymouth as Lord Duberley in ''The Heir at Law''. After several dismal failures in tragic parts, some of them in supp ...
. On 17 May he was the first Dentatus in Sheridan Knowles's '' Virginius''. At the Haymarket during the summer seasons Terry played a great round of comic characters. Among many original parts in pieces by James Kenney, J. Dibdin, and others, Terry was Sir Christopher Cranberry in ''Exchange no Robbery'', by his friend
Theodore Hook Theodore Edward Hook (22 September 1788 – 24 August 1841) was an English man of letters and composer and briefly a civil servant in Mauritius. He is best known for his practical jokes, particularly the Berners Street hoax in 1809. The w ...
, 12 August 1820; the Prince in ''Match Breaking'', 20 August 1821; and Shark in ''Morning, Noon, and Night'', 9 September 1822.


Move to Drury Lane

Having quarrelled with the management of Covent Garden on a question of terms, Terry made his first appearance at Drury Lane, 16 October 1822, speaking an occasional address by Colman and playing Sir Peter. At the Haymarket, 7 July, he was the first Admiral Franklin in James Kenney's ''Sweethearts and Wives'', and on 27 September the first Dr. Primrose in a new adaptation by T. Dibdin of the ''
Vicar of Wakefield ''The Vicar of Wakefield'', subtitled ''A Tale, Supposed to be written by Himself'', is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and published in 1766. It was one of the most popular and w ...
''. The season 1823–4 at Drury Lane saw him as Bartolo in ''Fazio'', Lord Sands, Menenius in ''Coriolanus'', and as the first Antony Foster in a version of ''Kenilworth'', 5 January 1824, and the following season as Orozembo in ''Pizarro'', Justice Woodcock in ''Love in a Village'', Adam in ''As you like it'', Moustache in ''Henri Quatre'', Hubert in ''King John'', and Rochfort in an alteration of the ''Fatal Dowry''. Among his original rôles were Zamet in ''Massaniello'', 17 February 1825, and Mephistopheles in '' Dr. Faustus'', 16 May.


Manager

In 1825, in association with his friend
Frederick Henry Yates Frederick Henry Yates (4 February 1797 – 21 June 1842) was an English actor and theatre manager. Life Yates was born in London, the youngest son of Thomas Yates, a tobacco manufacturer, of Thames Street and Russell Square. Frederick was educ ...
, he became manager of the Adelphi, opening, 10 October, in a piece called ''Killigrew''. On the 31st was produced
Edward Fitzball Edward Fitzball (20 March 179327 October 1873) was a popular English playwright, who specialised in melodrama. His real surname was Ball, and he was born at Burwell, Cambridgeshire. Fitzball was educated in Newmarket, was apprenticed to a Nor ...
's adaptation, ''The Pilot'', in which Terry was the Pilot. He also appeared in other parts. But he shortly left management because of outside troubles.


Relationship with Walter Scott

Scott consulted Terry on literary questions, especially on plays, and seems to have trusted him with the '' Doom of Devorgoil'', with a view to adapting it for the stage. How many of the numerous stage adaptations of Scott that saw the light between the appearance of ''
Waverley Waverley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott ** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel * Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...
'' and the death of the actor are by Terry cannot be said, many of them being anonymous and unprinted. Terry was almost as well known in Edinburgh as in London, and Scott thought highly of his acting. Terry's idolatry of Scott led him to imitate both his manner and his calligraphy. He also took off Scott’s speech, so as almost to pass for a Scotsman. Scott lent him money for his theatrical speculations, and gave him advice. Terry's architectural knowledge was of use to Scott, who consulted him while building Abbotsford; the introduction to Edward Blore was from him. Terry was responsible also for the ''British Theatrical Gallery'', a collection of whole-length portraits with biographical notes (London, 1822)


Troubles and death

Being intimate with the Ballantynes, Scott’s publishers, Terry took a financial stake in their business, and when their business crash came Scott was saddled with his liability (£1,750). Terry's financial affairs became so involved that he was obliged to retire from management, and he suffered a breakdown. After leaving the Adelphi he temporarily retired to the continent, and then re-engaged at Drury Lane and played Polonius and Simpson. Finding himself unable to act, and his memory gone, he gave up his engagement. On 12 June 1829 he was struck with paralysis, and died during the month.


Family

Having first married in Liverpool, Terry took as his second wife Elizabeth Wemyss Nasmyth in 1815 who like her well-known father,
Alexander Nasmyth Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, was a painter. Elizabeth and her sister
Anne Nasmyth Anne Bennett (; 13 November 1798 – 28 January 1874) was a teacher and a painter from the artistic Nasmyth family of Edinburgh. She was not the most exhibited daughter but has been considered the "best painter in this talented family". After t ...
ran art classes for painters from the Terrys' house.J. C. B. Cooksey, ‘Nasmyth family (per. 1788–1884)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 14 May 2017
/ref> Mrs. Terry—who, after Terry's death, married Charles Richardson the lexicographer—had good taste in design, and seems to have taken a share in the decoration of Abbotsford. Terry left by her a son named after Scott (Walter), after whose fortunes Scott promised to look, and a daughter Jane. A portrait of Terry by Knight, and one by De Wilde as Barford in ''Who wants a Guinea?'' are in the Mathews Collection at the Garrick Club. One, as Leon in ''Rule a Wife and have a Wife'', is in the ''Theatrical Inquisitor'' (vol. i.).


References

*


Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Daniel 1780 births 1829 deaths 19th-century English male actors English dramatists and playwrights English male stage actors English male dramatists and playwrights