Henry Condell facts for kids

Henry Condell (born around 1576 – died 1627) was an important British actor. He was part of the King's Men. This was the acting group that William Shakespeare wrote plays for. Henry Condell worked closely with John Heminges. Together, they helped put together and publish the First Folio. This was the first collection of Shakespeare's plays, released in 1623.

Henry Condell's Life and Acting Career

Henry Condell's early life is not fully known. It seems he might have been from a part of England called East Anglia. His will mentions a cousin from New Buckenham. Records show a Henry Condell was baptized in Norwich on September 5, 1576. His father was Robert Condell, a fish seller. His mother was Joan Yeomans.

Some people think Condell was the actor "Harry" in a play called The Seven Deadly Sins. If this is true, he started acting around 1590. He would have acted with Lord Strange's Men. This group included John Heminges and Augustine Phillips.

Condell was definitely in London by 1596. He married Elizabeth Smart (who died in 1635) on October 24, 1596. They lived in St Mary Aldermanbury, the same area as Heminges. Condell, like Heminges, helped lead their local church there. They had nine children, but only three lived to be adults:

• Elizabeth (born 1606)
• Henry (born 1610, died 1630)
• William (born 1611)

Condell's Role in Acting Companies

Not much is known about Condell's adult life as an actor. However, he was very important in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and later the King's Men. In official papers, his name usually appeared right after famous actors like Richard Burbage and Heminges.

Condell was good friends with other actors. William Shakespeare and Augustine Phillips left him money in their wills. This money was for special mourning rings. Other actors, like Nicholas Tooley, also trusted Condell with their money.

Condell became quite wealthy from his acting. He bought a country house in Fulham. He also owned other land, including an estate in Snowshill, Gloucestershire. His signature is found on the papers for this land purchase. This is one of the few times we see his actual handwriting.

Plays Henry Condell Performed In

Henry Condell acted in many plays. He was in two of Ben Jonson's plays:

• Every Man in His Humour (1598)
• Every Man Out of His Humour (1599)

He also performed in four more of Jonson's plays:

• Sejanus (1603)
• Volpone (1605)
• The Alchemist (1610)
• Catiline (1611)

Condell was the first actor to play the Cardinal in John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi (around 1613). He was also listed in the cast for eight plays in a collection from 1679. These plays include:

• Bonduca
• The Captain
• The Humorous Lieutenant
• The Knight of Malta
• The Loyal Subject
• The Mad Lover
• The Queen of Corinth
• Valentinian

John Heminges and Henry Condell Memorial in London, honoring their work with Shakespeare

Condell likely stopped acting around 1619. He signed his will on December 13, 1627. He died in Fulham at age 51. He was buried in St Mary Aldermanbury on December 29, 1627. His wife, Elizabeth, was buried there in 1635.

Henry Condell left a large amount of property when he died. This included parts of the famous Globe Theatre and Blackfriars Theatre.

Henry Condell in Fiction

Henry Condell has been shown in TV shows and movies.

• In the 2016 TV comedy Upstart Crow, he is played by Dominic Coleman.
• In the 2011 movie Anonymous, he is played by Mark Rylance.