Julia Glover facts for kids
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Julia Betterton Glover (born January 8, 1779 – died July 16, 1850) was a famous stage actress from Ireland. She was especially well-known for her funny roles in plays during the late 1700s and early 1800s.
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Julia Glover's Early Life and Acting Career
Julia was born Julianna Butterton in 1779 in Newry, Ireland. Her father, William Butterton, managed a theater. When his theater business struggled, he decided to change Julia's last name to "Betterton." He claimed they were related to a very famous, long-dead actor named Thomas Betterton. This was not true.
Becoming a Child Star
Using this new name, Julia and her family traveled to different theaters. Young Julia quickly became known as an amazing child actor. She performed in cities like York, Bath, and other places. At just nine years old, she made her first appearance in Scotland in 1790. When she was 16, she made her debut on the big London stage in 1797.
As a child, Julia toured with her father and took on small parts in plays. In 1787, she joined a theater group called the York Circuit. There, she played the Page in The Orphan. She also played the Duke of York in Richard III alongside actor George Frederick Cooke. Cooke even chose Julia to play the main character, Tom Thumb, in a funny play called Tom Thumb.
Rising to Fame
In 1795, Julia went to Bath and took on many important roles. She played Juliet, Imogen, Desdemona, and Lady Macbeth. She also played Lydia Languish, a funny role that made her very famous. News of her success reached London. Many job offers came her way, but her father turned them down. Eventually, he accepted a very good offer, taking her salary for himself. Julia then made her London debut in 1797 in a play called Percy.
Early in her career, Julia Glover often competed for serious, sad roles with another actress named Maria Ann Campion. Because of this, Julia started to prefer playing funny characters.
Family Life and Later Career
In 1800, Julia married Samuel Glover. Their marriage was not happy. She had eight children, and four of them lived past childhood. Two of her sons, Edmund Glover and William Howard Glover, also became actors.
In 1820, Julia played the famous role of Hamlet at the Lyceum Theatre. Critics praised her performance. In 1822, she appeared as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Her own daughter, Phyllis, played Juliet in that show.
Retirement and Final Performance
In 1850, Julia Glover announced she would retire from acting. After being sick in bed for two weeks, she performed one last time at Drury Lane on July 12, 1850. She played Mrs. Malaprop in the play The Rivals. She was clearly very ill and weak during her performance. At the end of the play, she was too weak to stand and receive applause. Instead, the curtain rose to show Julia sitting down, surrounded by the other actors. She passed away just a few days later, on July 16, 1850.
Selected Roles
- Emily Fitzallan in False Impressions (1797)
- Lady Jane in He's Much to Blame (1798)
- Eleanor de Ferrars in The Eccentric Lover (1798)
- Maria in Five Thousand a Year (1799)
- Caroline in The Votary of Wealth (1799)
- Mrs Glenroy in Town and Country (1807)
- The Unknown Lady in Ourselves (1811)
- Alhadra in Remorse (1813)
- Laetitia Freemantle in First Impressions (1813)
- Mrs Weilberg in The Three Strangers (1825)
- Jeanette in The French Libertine (1826)
- Dame Ryland in A School for Grown Children (1827)
- Lady Hampton in The School for Coquettes (1831)
- Widow Green in The Love Chase (1837)
- Esther in The Maid of Mariendorpt (1838)
- Mrs. Grigson in Quid Pro Quo (1844)
- Miss Brown in Look Before You Leap (1846)
- Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals (1850)
