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Joseph Reed (playwright)

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339: 277:, and brought out at Covent Garden, for Woodward's benefit, on 17 March 1776. Reed died on 15 August 1787, aged 64, at his residence in Sun-tavern Fields, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. He married, in 1750, Sarah, daughter of John Watson, a flax-dresser of Stockton, and three children survived him. The eldest, John Watson Reed, was an attorney of Ely Place, Holborn, with antiquarian tastes; he died on 31 January 1790. 126:
Reed was born at Stockton, Durham, in March 1723, the second son of John Reed, a presbyterian ropemaker. After a very scanty education he succeeded to his father's business, which he practised with success through life. His leisure he devoted to a study of English literature, and he developed
177:, which was produced at Drury Lane on 23 April 1761. Two of the best characters, Lady Wrinkle and Mrs. Snarewell, were suppressed by the stage censor, but the unexpurgated piece was published, and in an advertisement at the close Reed pointed out that the manuscript had been submitted to 225:, prepared it for the press in 1792; but, although it was at once printed, it was not announced for publication till 1808. Before the day of publication arrived, however, all the copies were burnt in the fire at Nichols's printing-office, and it was never reprinted. 314:
A Rope's End for Hempen Monopolists, or a Dialogue between a Broker, a Ropemaker, and the Ghost of Jonas Hanway, Esq. In which are represented the pernicious effects of the rise in the price of hemp. By a Halter-maker at the service of all
189:. When the farce was revived at Drury Lane on 12 February 1768, Reed supplied a new character, Mrs. Doggerel. The play long held the stage, and was included in John Bell's, Cawthorn's, Mrs. Inchbald's, and other familiar collections. 250:, a project that Fielding encouraged. The drama opened on 14 January 1769 at Covent Garden, with Shuter as Western and Mattocks as the hero, and was repeated thirteen times. Fielding praised Reed's version publicly. 140:. In 1747 he visited London with a view apparently to gaining an entrance into theatrical society. Ten years later he removed his business and family to Sun-tavern Fields, Stepney, London, and on 6 July 1758 204:
was acted at Drury Lane for Holland's benefit on 28 March 1767, with a prologue, written by Garrick and spoken by King, in which humorous reference was made to Reed's trade in halters. In 1787 Reed, in
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literary aspirations; but he always regarded himself as an amateur, and, when he began to publish, often described himself on his title-pages as "a halter-maker."
373: 200:, with a view to submitting his labours to him. "I never did the man an injury," Dr. Johnson afterwards lamented, "yet he would read his tragedy to me." 445: 267:. Reed wrote under the pseudonym of Benedict, and Kenrick reprinted his letters in the fifth edition of his pamphlet. Reed's last acted play was 420: 430: 136:
a poem by Reed, "in imitation of the Scottish dialect, on the death of Mr. Pope." In 1745 he printed, at Newcastle, a farce called
440: 425: 242: 114: 354: 154: 148:. It was humorous but critics regarded it as very long, although Reed blamed Cibber for its want of success. 435: 450: 260: 325:, a periodical issued in support of the Earl of Bute's administration; and in 1764 he sent to the 210: 132: 221:
for Palmer's benefit on 28 April 1797, when Mrs. Siddons played the heroine. Reed's friend,
415: 410: 8: 259:, defended Garrick — despite a pending quarrel between them — from apparent libel by Dr. 255: 141: 378: 36: 390: 149: 382: 237: 197: 105: 144:
produced, at Covent Garden, a burlesque tragedy by Reed, in five acts, called
404: 343: 222: 40: 178: 317:, 1786; an attack on those who were seeking to corner the market in hemp. 247: 173:
Somewhat more successful was a boisterous and indelicate farce, entitled
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St. Peter's Lodge, a Serio-comic Legendary Tale in Hudibrastic Verse
342: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 273: 63: 44: 59: 158:, and Reed replied to his critic in a pungent pamphlet called 89: 193: 181:
in August 1758, and that Foote had stolen his Mrs. Cole in
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The Tradesman's Companion, or Tables of Averdupois Weight
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and the 1769 comic opera adaptation of Henry Fielding's
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A British Philippic inscribed to the Earl of Granville
228: 217:. It was performed at Drury Lane, under the title of 213:, the manager of Drury Lane, for declining to revive 165: 371:"Reed, Joseph (1723–1787), playwright and poet". 402: 246:. Reed worked on an adaption of the story as a 192:Reed next essayed a tragedy on the subject of 121: 108:playwright and poet known for his 1761 farce 377:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 358:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 240:who had had great success with the novel, 310:, 1786, dedicated to the Prince of Wales. 207:The Retort Courteous, or a Candid Appeal, 446:English male dramatists and playwrights 374:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 269:The Impostors, or a Cure for Credulity, 160:A Sop in the Pan for a Physical Critick 16:English playwright and poet (1723–1787) 403: 263:, who had just issued the scandalous 243:The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling 130:In August 1744 there appeared in the 104:(March 1723 – 15 August 1787) was an 54: 302:An Epitaph on the … Earl of Chatham 285:Reed's other publications include: 13: 421:English dramatists and playwrights 196:, and obtained an introduction to 14: 462: 431:18th-century English male writers 152:denounced it, when published, in 355:Dictionary of National Biography 337: 321:In 1761 Reed contributed to the 236:Reed was a friend of the author 364: 280: 1: 332: 441:People from Stockton-on-Tees 426:18th-century English writers 391:UK public library membership 7: 185:from the Mrs. Snarewell of 10: 467: 329:an amusing autobiography. 122:Childhood and early career 229:Adaptation of Fielding's 138:The Superannuated Gallant 85: 77: 69: 50: 30: 23: 383:10.1093/ref:odnb/23273 271:which he adapted from 219:The Queen of Carthage, 146:Madrigal and Trulletta 253:In 1772 Reed, in the 133:Gentleman's Magazine 436:Writers from London 187:The Register Office 175:The Register Office 168:The Register Office 155:The Critical Review 110:The Register Office 451:English male poets 389:(Subscription or 256:Morning Chronicle 142:Theophilus Cibber 99: 98: 458: 395: 394: 386: 368: 359: 341: 340: 327:Universal Museum 265:Love in the Suds 56: 37:Stockton-on-Tees 21: 20: 466: 465: 461: 460: 459: 457: 456: 455: 401: 400: 399: 398: 388: 370: 369: 365: 347: 338: 335: 283: 261:William Kenrick 234: 171: 150:Tobias Smollett 124: 73:Dramatist, poet 58: 35: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 464: 454: 453: 448: 443: 438: 433: 428: 423: 418: 413: 397: 396: 362: 361: 334: 331: 319: 318: 311: 305: 299: 293: 282: 279: 238:Henry Fielding 233: 227: 198:Samuel Johnson 170: 164: 123: 120: 97: 96: 87: 83: 82: 79: 75: 74: 71: 67: 66: 57:(aged 64) 55:15 August 1787 52: 48: 47: 32: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 463: 452: 449: 447: 444: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 427: 424: 422: 419: 417: 414: 412: 409: 408: 406: 392: 384: 380: 376: 375: 367: 363: 360: 357: 356: 351: 345: 344:public domain 330: 328: 324: 316: 312: 309: 306: 303: 300: 298:, 1762, 12mo. 297: 294: 291: 288: 287: 286: 278: 276: 275: 270: 266: 262: 258: 257: 251: 249: 245: 244: 239: 232: 226: 224: 223:Joseph Ritson 220: 216: 212: 211:Thomas Linley 208: 203: 199: 195: 190: 188: 184: 180: 176: 169: 166:Success with 163: 161: 157: 156: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 134: 128: 119: 117: 116: 111: 107: 103: 95: 91: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 68: 65: 61: 53: 49: 46: 42: 41:County Durham 38: 33: 29: 22: 19: 372: 366: 353: 350:Reed, Joseph 336: 326: 322: 320: 313: 307: 301: 295: 292:, 1756, 4to. 289: 284: 272: 268: 264: 254: 252: 241: 235: 230: 218: 214: 206: 201: 191: 186: 182: 179:Samuel Foote 174: 172: 167: 159: 153: 145: 137: 131: 129: 125: 113: 109: 101: 100: 18: 416:1787 deaths 411:1723 births 315:monopolists 281:Other works 248:comic opera 102:Joseph Reed 94:comic opera 25:Joseph Reed 405:Categories 393:required.) 333:References 70:Occupation 34:March 1723 231:Tom Jones 209:attacked 183:The Minor 115:Tom Jones 274:Gil Blas 162:, 1759. 346::  323:Monitor 304:, 1784. 106:English 81:1744–87 64:England 45:England 387: 78:Period 60:London 90:farce 86:Genre 215:Dido 202:Dido 194:Dido 51:Died 31:Born 379:doi 352:". 407:: 118:. 92:, 62:, 43:, 39:, 385:. 381:: 348:"

Index

Stockton-on-Tees
County Durham
England
London
England
farce
comic opera
English
Tom Jones
Gentleman's Magazine
Theophilus Cibber
Tobias Smollett
The Critical Review
Samuel Foote
Dido
Samuel Johnson
Thomas Linley
Joseph Ritson
Henry Fielding
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
comic opera
Morning Chronicle
William Kenrick
Gil Blas
public domain
Reed, Joseph
Dictionary of National Biography
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
doi
10.1093/ref:odnb/23273

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