Samuel Crisp facts for kids
Samuel Crisp (born 1707 – died April 24, 1783) was an English writer who wrote plays. He is best known for his play Virginia, which was shown at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1754.
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Early Life and Education
Samuel Crisp was born in 1707 and was baptized on November 14 of that year. His father, also named Samuel Crisp, was a merchant in London. His mother was Florence Williams.
Samuel Crisp went to school at Eton College. By the time he was thirteen, both of his parents had passed away. He inherited money and did not need to work a regular job. He enjoyed life as a person who liked art and culture for fun, not as a profession.
Travels and Interests
Crisp lived in Italy for a few years. While there, he studied art and music. He returned to England in 1740. In England, he became friends with important people like Fulke Greville and Charles Burney, who was a historian of music.
Writing His Play Virginia
A famous lady, the Countess of Coventry, asked Samuel Crisp to write a play. He wrote a tragedy called Virginia. This play was based on an old Roman story about Appius and Verginia.
Challenges with the Play
The famous actor and theater manager David Garrick was not very keen on putting on Crisp's play. However, he eventually agreed. Garrick even wrote the opening and closing speeches for the play.
Virginia was shown at the Drury Lane Theatre in February 1754. It ran for eleven nights. Even though there wasn't much open criticism, people felt the play wasn't very good.
When the play was printed a few weeks later, critics wrote bad reviews. The Monthly Review especially criticized the story, the characters, and the way it was written.
Crisp's Disappointment
Samuel Crisp worked hard to rewrite and improve his play. He hoped it would be a big success the next year. But David Garrick was not interested in showing the improved version. He eventually refused to put it on stage again.
Crisp was very upset by this. A writer named Macaulay later wrote that Crisp "became a cynic and a hater of mankind." This means he became very negative and disliked people.
Later Life at Chessington Hall
After his disappointment, Samuel Crisp went to live with his friend Christopher Hamilton. They lived at Hamilton's country house, Chessington Hall.
Crisp continued to live there even after Christopher Hamilton died in 1759. He stayed as a boarder with Hamilton's unmarried sister, Sarah.
Friends and Family Visits
Samuel Crisp often had visitors at Chessington Hall. His sister, Mrs. Sophia Gast, would visit from Oxfordshire. His old friend Charles Burney and Burney's family also visited often.
Crisp became a very close friend of Burney's daughter, Frances Burney. Frances later became a famous writer. Samuel Crisp gave her advice about her writing.
Death and Legacy
Samuel Crisp passed away at Chessington on April 24, 1783. He was 76 years old. He was buried in the local churchyard.
A special marble plaque was put up to remember him. It had lines written by his friend Charles Burney. Samuel Crisp never married.
