William O'Brien (actor) facts for kids
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William O'Brien (born around 1740, died 1815) was a famous Irish actor and writer of plays.
Contents
Early Life and Acting Career
William O'Brien was likely born in County Clare, Ireland, around 1740. His family had a distant connection to the Viscounts Clare. His father was a fencing teacher in Dublin.
In 1758, a well-known actor named David Garrick brought O'Brien from Dublin to London. William joined Garrick's acting group at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. O'Brien became very good at acting. He was especially successful in plays by William Shakespeare and in funny plays of his time.
A Surprising Marriage
William O'Brien met Lady Susannah "Susan" Fox-Strangways while they were acting in plays for fun at Holland House. Lady Susan was the oldest daughter of Stephen Fox, who was the first Earl of Ilchester.
On April 7, 1764, William and Lady Susan got married at St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden. Lady Susan's family did not approve of their marriage. Because of this, their marriage caused a stir in society.
Life After the Stage
After getting married, William O'Brien stopped acting on stage. Because of the family's disapproval, William and Lady Susan had to travel to North America for a while. They sailed to New York in September 1764.
They were not very happy there, but they explored a lot. They traveled up the Hudson River, went west to Niagara Falls, and then north to Quebec. In Quebec, O'Brien worked for a short time as a barrack master, managing army buildings. In 1768, he was given a job as Secretary and Provost-Master-General in the Bermudas. This was an important role in the government there.
Return to England and Later Years
The O'Briens returned to England in 1770. They lived in London for a while. William tried to become a playwright, writing his own plays. He wrote two plays, Cross-Purposes (1772) and The Duel (1773). However, his career as a playwright was not very successful.
A famous writer named James Boswell described O'Brien as "a lively little fellow" and "quite the fine man about town." This means he was energetic and fashionable.
Later, the O'Briens moved to Stinsford House in Dorset. This was a property owned by Lady Susan's family. William and Lady Susan did not have any children. William O'Brien worked as the Receiver-General of Dorset until just before he died in 1815. This job involved managing money for the area.
William O'Brien and Lady Susan were buried together at St Michael's church in Stinsford.
