William Bullock (actor)
William Bullock (c. 1657 – c. 1740) was an English actor, "of great glee and much comic vivacity." He played at all the London theatres of his time, and in the summer at a booth at Bartholomew Fair.
Life
Bullock's name is mentioned in Downes's "Roscius Anglicanus." He first appears in the cast of Colley Cibber's "Love's Last Shift," produced by the associated companies of
His death is said to have taken place on 18 June 1733, a date which has been accepted by most subsequent writers. He had a benefit, however, at Covent Garden on 6 January 1739, described on the bills as 'his first appearance on the stage for six years,' when he played Dominic in Dryden's "Spanish Fryar." In his address to the public he pleaded his great age, upwards of threescore and twelve, as a reason for indulgence. He played again on 25 April 1739, for the benefit of Stephen, the Host in the "Merry Wives of Windsor,' a favourite character. He had, according to Genest, in the summer a booth at Bartholomew Fair, at which he acted. After this no more is heard of him. [1]
Family
William Bullock had three sons, all actors, of whom the eldest was
Christopher created a few original parts in comedies and farces of which he was the author or adapter:—A Woman's Revenge (1715); Slip; Adventures of Half an Hour (1716); The Cobbler of Preston; Woman's a Riddle; The Perjurer (1717); and The Traitor (1718).
Notes
- ^ a b Knight 1886.
- ^ Chisholm 1911.
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Knight, John Joseph (1886). "Bullock, William (1657?-1740?)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 7. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bullock, William". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Sources