156:, she coached him carefully and brought out such ability as he possessed. His eldest step-daughter Elizabeth Robinson had married another company actor and co-manager James Robertson on 6 October 1791 and another step-daughter, Mary Henrietta Robinson had married Thomas Manly (Wilson) on 8 August 1801. The theatrical partnership lasted just two and a half years, in March 1805 James Robertson announced that Mr Alcock had purchased Mrs Wrench's 'theatrical property'. Wrench and Hannah then joined in York the company of
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135:.’ He seems to have been grandson of Sir Benjamin Wrench, M.D., of Norwich (d. 1747, aged 82) (see Notes and Queries, 5th ser. v. 48). His father died before he reached his seventh year, and having declined a proffered living and a commission in the army offered by General Tryon, a relative, Wrench adopted the stage as a profession, making his first appearance at
290:
Wrench was medium height, light complexioned, with high shoulders and flat features. A portrait of him, by Sharpe, as Wing in ‘Amateurs and Actors,’ and one by De Wilde as Sir
Freeman in ‘Free and Easy,’ are in the Mathews collection in the Garrick. His portrait as Belmour is in Oxberry's ‘Dramatic
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On 24 Oct. 1843 he died at his lodgings in
Pickett Place, London, in his sixty-sixth year. Wrench and Manly, an actor, were engaged respectively to Miss Robinson and Mrs. Taylor of Nottingham, but ultimately changed partners, Wrench marrying Mrs. Taylor and Manly her daughter. Wrench's marriage was
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In the country Wrench played a large round of comic characters, including
Charles Surface, Dr. Pangloss, Captain Absolute, and many others. Wrench was a good comedian, but never reached the first rank. Oxberry, who often played with him, speaks of him as knock-kneed, and says that, adopting Robert
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At Drury Lane Wrench remained until 1815. He left Drury Lane that year, and divided his time between the Lyceum and the country — Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, and other large towns. At the Lyceum he was on 29 Aug. 1818 the first Wing in Peake's
168:, Gossamer, Job Thornberry, and Jeremy Diddler. The marriage was a disaster and they later pursued separate careers. He had a drink problem and later left his wife in financial difficulties. She died in Melton Mowbray in 1837 aged 80.
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before he could be allowed to essay it. Mrs. Hannah
Henrietta Robinson Taylor (c1757-1837) 21 years his senior, was the co-manager of the Stamford & Nottingham circuit, whom he married (as her third husband) on 9 August 1802 at
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not happy. He was charged with leaving his wife necessitous while he indulged in tavern dissipations. His wife had formerly, as Mrs. Taylor, been an actress of some ability (see
Thespian Dictionary, under Taylor ).
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Biography,’ and as
Benedick in the ‘Theatrical Inquisitor’ for January 1814. An image from 'Fashion in Success' is also in the book on the Lincolnshire Circuit by Neil R Wright.
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William
Elliston as model, he copied his nasal twang and drawling doubtful delivery, mistook abruptness for humour, and was less a gentleman on the stage than a "
534:. He played a few original characters in obscure plays of Masters, Millingen, Leigh, and other forgotten dramatists, among which may be named Gaspar in the
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254:, and was at that house when (16 Feb. 1830) it was burnt to the ground. In 1834, in the rebuilt house, Wrench and Keeley made a great hit in Oxenford's
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as
Fashion in "Success", Etching by Adcock, G., Publisher I. Gifford & Co. in "Portraits of Actors, 1720-1920", University of Illinois Library
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with some other parts in which he had been seen in Bath, were given in his first season; he was also seen as the first Henry
Torringham in Cobb's
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he made his first appearance at the
Adelphi, where he made perhaps his greatest success on 26 November 1821 as Corinthian Tom in Moncrieff's
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C.E. Oxberry (editor), "Memoir of Benjamin Wrench" Oxberry's dramatic biography and histrionic anecdotes", Published 1826,
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by Henry Mayhew and Henry Baylis. In 1840 Wrench was at the Olympic. His last engagement was at the Haymarket.
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Whatever ability he had was slow in ripening, and he had to rehearse for fourteen days the part of Francis in
131:(1778–1843), was an actor, born in 1778 in London, where his father occupied ‘a lucrative appointment in the
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Genest says he showed himself a good actor, but was no adequate substitute for Elliston.
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On 4 October 1826 Wrench appeared for the first time at Covent Garden, enacting Rover in
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179:, he was replaced by Wrench, who made his appearance on 5 January 1805 as Gossamer in
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189:. In the new Bath house Wrench opened on 26 October 1805 as Percy in the
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213:, as ‘Wrench from Bath and York,’ playing on 7 October 1809 Belcour in
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of Fletcher, 31 Oct. 1811; Sir Frederick Fillamour in Mrs. Le Fanu's
209:, where he appeared, with the company then temporarily occupying the
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23:
792: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
703: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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He then returned to York, and while there received an offer from
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On 30 Oct. at the Haymarket he was the first Caleb Chizzler in
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611:, 26 April. During the following season he was Rochester in
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Memoirs of Munden; Donaldson's Recollections of an Actor
761:"Mr Wrench (Obituary)", Gentleman's magazine, 1844, i.
755:"Mr Wrench", Biography of the British Stage, 1824,
471:adapted by Sir James Bland Burges from Massinger's
437:Captain Absolute, Benedict, Charles Austencourt in
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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484:He added to his repertory Sir Harry Beagle in the
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749:Authentic Memoirs of the Green Room, n.d. (1814)
651:, 4 May. He was also seen as Captain Tickall in
554:, 21 May; Professor Trifleton in Horace Smith's
811:. Vol. 63. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
723:. Vol. 63. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
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250:He had made a great success at the Lyceum in
160:, whose praise he obtained, and proceeded to
558:30 Oct. 1813; Captain Enrico in T. Dibdin's
733:Dramatic and Musical Review, November 1843
619:, Valcour, an original part, in Pocock's
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
579:Antipholus of Syracuse, Lord Trinket in
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193:. He played during the season Archer in
164:, where with complete success he played
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599:and was the first Pedrillo in Dimond's
562:22 Nov.; and Volage in Henry Siddons's
311:, Volume 1, Publisher J. Pattie, 1838,
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752:Theatrical Looker on, Birmingham, 1823
727:Oxberry's Dramatic Biography, vol. iv.
546:11 April 1812; Captain Blumenfield in
730:Genest's Account of the English Stage
639:, 12 Jan. 1830; Richard Jones in the
603:, 24 Nov.; Rosambert in Moncrieff's
467:(19 Dec. 1809), and Edward Lacey in
46:adding citations to reliable sources
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236:In 1820, as Captain Somerville in
232:and the first Sir John Freeman in
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282:Benjamin Wrench as Belmour c.1826
242:Tom and Jerry, or Life in London.
840:19th-century English male actors
808:Dictionary of National Biography
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740:, vol. iv. publ. Chapple, 1814,
720:Dictionary of National Biography
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623:, 19 March 1829; Peter Shock in
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197:Stratagem, Orlando, Belcour in
33:needs additional citations for
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709:John Joseph Knight (1900). "
635:, 29 Oct. 1829; Quickset in
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655:, Baron Wolfenstein in the
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402:Three Weeks After Marriage
835:English male stage actors
538:taken by Clarke from the
633:Shakespeare's Early Days
430:, Marplot, Frederick in
399:, Sir Charles Racket in
124:Benjamin Wrench, c.1838.
736:"Memoir of Mr Wrench",
426:, Howard in Reynolds's
420:The Soldier's Daughter,
383:Every one has his Fault
381:, Sir Robert Ramble in
217:and Tristram Fickle in
173:Robert William Elliston
685:Neil R Wright (2016).
643:, founded on Cooper's
617:The Recruiting Officer
575:He played Volatile in
509:High Life Below Stairs
371:Cure for the Heartache
339:Neil R Wright (2016).
324:Neir R Wright (2016).
307:"Mr Benjamin Wrench",
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738:Theatrical Inquisitor
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238:Capers at Canterbury,
228:the first Jenkins in
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689:. SLHA. p. 131.
615:, Mercutio, Kite in
585:A Race for a Dinner,
548:How to die for Love,
531:The Provoked Husband
528:and Count Basset in
455:Trip to Scarborough,
395:, Jeremy Diddler in
343:. SLHA. p. 132.
328:. SLHA. p. 131.
226:Amateurs and Actors,
187:Children in the Wood
42:improve this article
687:Treading The Boards
597:Marriage of Figaro,
518:School for Authors,
516:Gratiano, Frank in
445:Colonel Lambert in
373:, Doricourt in the
341:Treading the Boards
326:Treading the Boards
653:Husbands and Wives
629:Suspicious Husband
613:Charles the Second
591:Tom Shuffleton in
560:Who's to have her?
556:First Impressions,
506:Duke's Servant in
460:Know Your Own Mind
433:The Poor Gentleman
418:Frank Heartall in
391:Job Thornberry in
309:Actors by Daylight
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252:He lies like Truth
182:Laugh When You Can
126:
661:Belle's Stratagem
659:, and Flutter in
637:The Phrenologists
627:, and Frankly in
577:Wife's Stratagem,
526:Speed the Plough,
520:Major Belford in
405:, and Jaffier in
388:Which is the Man?
375:Belle's Stratagem
369:, Young Rapid in
359:Deserted Daughter
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397:Raising the Wind
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98:January 2013
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40:Please help
35:verification
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830:1843 deaths
825:1778 births
799:Lee, Sidney
783:Attribution
715:Lee, Sidney
649:The Colonel
550:taken from
488:Marquis in
473:City Madam.
441:Delaval in
260:But however
819:Categories
593:John Bull,
583:Sponge in
544:Prejudice,
504:Dramatist,
447:Hypocrite,
443:Matrimony,
295:References
270:" (rake).
248:Wild Oats.
207:Drury Lane
68:newspapers
449:Storm in
424:The Prize
393:John Bull
162:Edinburgh
133:Exchequer
763:page 438
757:page 275
674:page 144
645:Pioneers
601:Seraglio
552:Kotzebue
492:Duke in
363:O'Keeffe
313:page 177
137:Stamford
796::
717:(ed.).
707::
657:Poacher
564:Policy,
469:Riches,
166:Othello
82:scholar
742:page 3
713:". In
641:Wigwam
211:Lyceum
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536:Kiss,
268:blood
195:Beaux
171:When
89:JSTOR
75:books
428:Will
177:Bath
61:news
805:".
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357:'s
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