George Saville Carey facts for kids

George Saville Carey (born in 1743, died in 1807) was a talented entertainer and writer. He was known for his stage performances and for writing many different kinds of works, including plays, songs, and books.

Early Life and Stage Dreams

George Saville Carey was born after his father, Henry Carey, had passed away. He grew up learning the printing business. Around 1763, when he was about 20 years old, he decided he wanted to become an actor.

Famous actors like David Garrick and Mrs. Cibber encouraged him. He performed at the Covent Garden in London. However, he didn't become a big star there and soon left the stage.

Writing and Entertainments

After his acting career, Carey started writing. In 1766, he published two plays, The Inoculator (a comedy) and The Cottagers (an opera). These plays were not performed on stage, but people could buy the books.

He also wrote under a fake name, or pseudonym, "Paul Tell-Truth, esq." In 1768, he published a play called Liberty Chastised. He also wrote The Nut-Brown Maid.

In 1770, one of his short plays, The Old Women Weatherwise, was performed at the Drury Lane theatre. He also wrote The Magic Girdle, a burletta (a short comic opera).

Becoming a Mimic

Carey became well-known for his public shows. He would perform at places like the Covent Garden and the Haymarket. In these shows, he would imitate famous actors and singers of the time. He was very good at copying their voices and actions.

In 1776, he even published a book called Lecture on Mimicry, which was all about his skill. He continued to perform his mimicry shows in different towns, including Bath and Buxton.

Later Works and Songs

Carey kept writing and publishing books. In 1799, he released Balnea, or History of all the Popular Watering-places of England. This book was so popular that it had three editions by 1801.

In 1800, he published One Thousand Eight Hundred, a collection of about 60 of his songs. Some of these songs were sung by a famous singer named Incledon. The next year, in 1801, he published The Myrtle and Vine, a huge collection of thousands of songs.

Final Years

In the summer of 1807, George Saville Carey was still performing his shows in London. Sadly, he died suddenly from a stroke at the age of 64. His friends paid for his burial.

Years later, around 1825, one of his plays, Old Women Weatherwise, was printed as a cheap little book called a chap-book.