George Davies Harley facts for kids
George Davies Harley (born in 1762, died November 28, 1811) was a talented English actor and a poet. His original name was George Davies.
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Life of George Davies Harley
George Davies Harley had a few different jobs before he became famous. Some people say he was a tailor, while others say he worked as a clerk in a bank. He also worked in offices that sold lottery tickets.
Harley loved acting and took lessons from a well-known actor named John Henderson. He made his first appearance on stage on April 20, 1785, in Norwich. His first big role was playing Richard III.
Becoming a Star
Harley quickly became very popular in Norwich. People started calling him the "Norwich Roscius." This nickname compared him to Quintus Roscius Gallus, a very famous actor from ancient Rome.
Because of his success, a theatre manager named Thomas Harris hired him to perform at the Covent Garden Theatre in London. Harley first appeared there on September 25, 1789, again playing Richard. Over the next few years, he played many important characters. These included Shylock, Touchstone, King Lear, and Macbeth. He also created new roles in plays written by authors like William Hayley.
Moving Around Theatres
Even though he was successful in London, Harley decided to move to smaller theatres outside the city. He wanted to gain more experience. Later, he returned to Covent Garden and stayed there for four more seasons.
After that, he went back to performing in different towns. He was very good at playing older men in comedies. He performed successfully in Bristol from 1796 to 1799. He also acted in cities like Birmingham, Sheffield, and Wolverhampton. In 1802, he even performed alongside the famous actress Sarah Siddons during her last visit to Dublin.
George Davies Harley passed away in Leicester on November 28, 1811.
Works by George Davies Harley
George Davies Harley was also a writer. He published several books of poems and other writings. Here are some of his works:
- A Monody on the Death of Mr. John Henderson, late of Covent Garden Theatre, Norwich, 1787. (A "monody" is a sad poem, often sung, for someone who has died.)
- Poems by George Davies Harley, of the Theatre Royal, Norwich. Printed for the author (by subscription), 1796.
- Ballad Stories, Sonnets, vol. i. Bath, 1799. (Ballads are narrative poems, and sonnets are short poems with a specific rhyme scheme.)
- Holyhead Sonnets, Bath, 1800.
- An Authentic Biographical Sketch of the Life, Education, and Personal Character of William Henry West Betty, the Celebrated Young Roscius, London, 1802. (This book was about a very young and famous actor known as "Young Roscius.")
- The Fight off Trafalgar, a descriptive poem, Sheffield and London, 1806. (This poem described the famous Battle of Trafalgar.)
One of his poems, a monody about John Henderson, was written in a style similar to a famous poem called Elegy by Thomas Gray. Among his longer poems are To Night and A Legacy of Love. The second poem was written for his young son, whom he called George the second, because his first son had passed away.
