John Thurmond facts for kids
John Thurmond was a British actor who lived a long time ago, in the late 1600s and early 1700s. He was known for performing in many plays. To tell him apart from his son, who was also an actor named John, people sometimes called him John Thurmond the Elder.
His Acting Career
John Thurmond's first known performance was in 1695. He acted in a play called Cyrus the Great. He was part of a famous group of actors led by Thomas Betterton. They performed at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London.
Around 1699, John Thurmond moved to Dublin, Ireland. There, he joined the Smock Alley Theatre. He even acted alongside his wife, Winifred, who was also an actress.
By 1708, he was back in London. He became part of the acting company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. This was a very important theatre in London.
Notable Roles
John Thurmond played many different characters throughout his career. Some of his roles included:
- Artabasus in Cyrus the Great (1695)
- Frederick in The She-Gallants (1695)
- Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1708)
- Honorius in Lucius (1717)
- Abudah in The Siege of Damascus (1720)
Later Life
John Thurmond continued acting until his death. He died on September 7, 1727. This was the same night he was supposed to appear in the play Othello. He was buried in St Paul's, Covent Garden, a famous church in London. His wife, Winifred, who passed away in 1736, was also buried there.
