William Rufus Chetwood facts for kids

William Rufus Chetwood (died 1766) was a busy English writer, publisher, and bookseller. He wrote many plays and adventure novels. He also wrote a very important book called General History of the Stage, which shared a lot about the theatre world of his time.

Early Life and Theatre Work

We don't know much about William's early life. He might have spent a long time at sea. In 1713, he started as a publisher. The next year, he worked as an assistant manager for a theatre company in Dublin.

His first book, Life of Lady Jane Grey, was published in Dublin in 1715. By June 1715, he became a "prompter" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. A prompter helps actors remember their lines during a play. He worked there for about 20 years.

Publishing Books

Chetwood soon built a business as a publisher and bookseller. He often worked with other companies. He helped publish plays by William Shakespeare. He also published many new plays in London between 1719 and 1722.

He published famous books like Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders and Colonel Jack. He also published collected plays by Colley Cibber and many novels by Eliza Haywood. On his own, he published plays by Thomas D'Urfey and Thomas Doggett.

His Own Plays and Novels

William Chetwood wrote some early plays like South-Sea, or, The Biter Bit. These plays were published but never performed on stage. He also wrote two adventure novels. These were The Voyages, Dangerous Adventures, and Imminent Escapes of Captain R. Falconer and Voyages and Adventures of Captain Robert Boyle. These books were very popular and stayed in print for a long time.

His first play to be performed was The Lovers' Opera in 1729. This play was based on another play by Susanna Centlivre. It was published many times and also performed in Dublin. He wrote a few more plays, but they didn't earn him much money. He also wrote another novel, The Voyages, Travels and Adventures of Captain W. O. G. Vaughan, in 1736.

Family and Later Life

William Chetwood had a daughter named Richabella from an early marriage. She became an actress. In 1738, he married Anne Brett, who was also an actress. She was the granddaughter of Colley Cibber.

Around 1741, William faced some money problems. A special performance of a play was held to help him. In the same year, he published a collection called Five New Novels. He worked in Dublin and Belfast in the 1740s and 1750s.

In 1749, he published his important book, General History of the Stage. This book shared valuable information about the theatres in London and Dublin at that time. He also wrote A Tour through Ireland in 1748.

William Chetwood passed away on March 3, 1766.