John Henderson (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Henderson
John Henderson. Oil on canvas by Thomas Gainsborough
Born	1747 Cheapside, London
Died	25 November 1785 (age 38) 9 Buckingham Street, London
Burial place	Westminster Abbey
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1772-1785
Spouse(s)	Jane Figgins
Children	Harriet

John Henderson (1747–1785) was a famous English actor. He was known for playing many roles, especially in Shakespeare's plays. He started acting in Bath, where people called him "The Bath Roscius" (meaning a great actor from Bath). Later, he became a star in London. Many believed he would have been as famous as David Garrick, another legendary actor, if he hadn't died so young.

Early Life and Learning

John Henderson was born in London in 1747. His father passed away when John was a baby. So, his mother raised him and his older brother in Newport Pagnell. John always looked after his mother later in life. She taught him about books and encouraged him to memorize parts of plays, especially from Shakespeare.

In 1758, he went to Dr. Sterling's school in Hemel Hempstead. He was good at art and spent six years in London studying drawing with Daniel Fournier. He even helped with some pictures in Fournier's book about drawing. After a relative he lived with died, a kind person helped him follow his dream of becoming an actor.

Starting His Acting Career

John joined a book club in Islington where members read aloud from different writers. He was a fantastic reader and could copy voices very well. He was especially interested in a book called Tristram Shandy and even used "Shandy" as a nickname.

A friend from the club, John Ireland, later wrote about John's life. John was so good at copying voices that his imitation of David Garrick's famous speech was almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing.

John wanted to act in London, but it was hard to get a chance. He tried to get an audition with David Garrick, a very famous actor, but wasn't successful at first. Other theater managers also turned him down. People said his voice was "woolly" or unclear.

Finally, David Garrick suggested he try acting in a theater outside London. He recommended John to John Palmer, who managed the Old Orchard Street Theatre in Bath.

First Big Roles in Bath

On October 6, 1772, John Henderson made his first public appearance in Bath. He played the main role in Hamlet and used the fake name "Courtney." People loved his performance! He also played King Richard III.

Later, he started using his real name. He performed in many Shakespeare plays, including Hotspur in Henry IV, Part 1, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and Macbeth. He also acted in other popular plays of the time.

In Bath, John became friends with famous people like the painter Thomas Gainsborough and the writer Richard Cumberland. People called him "The Bath Roscius" because he was such a great actor there. He performed in Bath until 1778. During this time, he added even more Shakespeare roles to his list, like Lear, Othello, Shylock, and Falstaff. He also performed in Bristol and Birmingham. In Birmingham, he met a young actress named Sarah Siddons and was very impressed by her talent.

Becoming a London Star

Even though John was very successful in Bath, he still wanted to act in London. It was difficult because David Garrick, who was very famous, might have seen him as a rival.

But in 1777, things changed. David Garrick retired, and another manager, George Colman, needed a main actor for the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Colman offered John his first London role as Shylock on June 11. John was a huge success! He played many roles that summer, including Hamlet, Falstaff, and Richard III.

Later that year, on September 30, 1777, John made his first appearance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which was now managed by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. He played Hamlet again. He continued to add many more Shakespearean roles to his performances, like King John and Macbeth. He also played in other well-known plays.

During the summers, John traveled to perform in Dublin, Liverpool, and Bath. He continued to act at Drury Lane, playing many of his popular roles. In March 1779, he played King Lear for his own special performance, which earned him a lot of money.

From late 1779, the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden became his main stage. He added even more roles to his already long list, including characters from plays like Jane Shore and The Provok’d Wife. He also played more Shakespearean roles like Leontes, Malvolio, and Iago.

When plays were advertised, "Mr Henderson" was always at the top of the cast list. Many people thought he was a worthy successor to David Garrick. His performance as Iago was considered one of his best. Even though he was not very tall and sometimes moved a bit awkwardly, people praised his ability to truly become the characters he played. Pictures of him in his famous roles like Hamlet and Iago were very popular.

John also traveled during the summer to perform in cities like Bristol, Birmingham, and Edinburgh. In 1784, while in Edinburgh, he played Falstaff, a role in which he was drawn as a cartoon by John Kay.

In 1784 and 1785, John joined Thomas Sheridan for a series of public readings of poetry. These readings were so popular that a book about their method was published later.

His Final Years

John Henderson's last performance was on November 8, 1785, at Covent Garden. He played Horatius in a play called The Roman Father. He passed away just 17 days later, on November 25, at his home in London. He was only 38 years old. People were very surprised by his sudden death.

His funeral on December 3 was a big event. Many carriages and mourners followed his body to Westminster Abbey. He was buried near the tomb of David Garrick and the memorial to Shakespeare. Many actors and writers who had worked with him attended the funeral.

John died without leaving a will, but he had a good amount of money, estimated to be between £6,000 and £7,000. He also had a very large library with about 2,500 books and many pictures. These were sold at an auction over six days in February 1786. His collection included many books about theater history and plays, as well as pictures by famous artists like William Hogarth.

His Family

John Henderson married Jane Figgins on January 13, 1779. She was the daughter of a successful cloth merchant. Their only daughter, Harriet, was born later that year. Harriet later married James Carrick Moore, a surgeon. Their daughter, Harriet Jane Moore, became an artist.

After John's death, a special performance was held to help his wife, Jane. The famous actress Sarah Siddons performed in it. Jane Henderson passed away in 1819 and was buried next to her husband in Westminster Abbey.