William Ecclestone
William Ecclestone or Egglestone[1] (fl. 1610 – 1623) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of Shakespeare's company the King's Men.
Life
Nothing is known with certainty about Ecclestone's early life. There was an Eccleston living in Southwark in 1583, and a person of the same name lived in Swan Alley, near the Swan Theatre, in 1601; this may have been one (or two) of the actor's family. (No personal name is given in the records in either case.) A "William Eglestone" was married to an Ann Jacob on 20 February 1603 at St. Saviour's in Southwark; this might (or might not) have been the actor.
The man who definitely was the actor was with the King's Men in 1610 and 1611; he was part of the cast of their productions of
In the 25 cast lists that were included in the second Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1679, Ecclestone is mentioned in 12; in addition to the plays cited above, Ecclestone acted in:
- The Custom of the Country
- The Humorous Lieutenant
- The Island Princess
- The Laws of Candy
- The Little French Lawyer
- The Loyal Subject
- The Mad Lover
- The Sea Voyage
- The Spanish Curate
- Women Pleased
His is the seventh most frequently-mentioned name among the actors on the lists. Unfortunately, the specific roles Ecclestone filled in these plays are not known.
Ecclestone disappeared from the historical record in 1623, after he was mentioned in the last will and testament of
Notes
- ^ DNB
References
- Chambers, E. K.The Elizabethan Stage. 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923.
- Halliday, F. E. A Shakespeare Companion 1564–1964. Baltimore, Penguin, 1964.
Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
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