Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 15.djvu/15

 DIBDIN, THOMAS JOHN (1771–1841), actor and dramatist, illegitimate son of the elder [q. v.], and younger brother of Charles Isaac Mungo Dibdin, by the same mother, who had taken the name of Mrs. Davenet at Covent Garden Theatre, but was the unmarried sister of Cecil Pitt, was born in Peter Street, London (now Museum Street, Bloomsbury), on 21 March 1771. One of his godfathers was David Garrick, the other Frank Aiken, one of Garrick's company. Garrick warmly befriended the family, and showed resentment when they were deserted. Mrs. Siddons led the boy, when four years old, before the audience at Drury Lane, as Cupid in a revival of Shakespeare's ‘Jubilee’ in 1775, she representing Venus. His maternal grandmother, Mrs. A. Pitt, had been for half a century a popular actress at Covent Garden. In 1779 he entered the choir of St. Paul's, under the tuition of Mr. Hudson. He was then removed, at his mother's expense, for a year to Mr. Tempest of Half-farthing Lane Academy, Wandsworth; next to Mr. Galland, a Cumberland man, classical scholar and disciplinarian, who taught Virgil—‘Arma virumque cano,’ which a pupil translated feelingly into ‘With a strong arm and a thick stick.’ He remained three years in the north country, at Durham, was recalled to London, and apprenticed in the city to his maternal uncle, Cecil Pitt of Dalston, upholsterer, but turned over to William Rawlins, afterwards Sir William and sheriff of London, who during four years declared him to be ‘the stupidest hound on earth;’ but who in later years always echoed the newspaper praise of the successful farce-writer by saying, ‘That's a boy of my own, and I always said he was clever!’ Thomas had seen many plays acted at Durham, and had constructed a toy theatre. An acquaintanceship with Jack Palmer, who built the Royalty in 1786, developed his inherited dramatic instincts, and for rough treatment he summoned his master before John Wilkes, who acted with thorough justice and impartiality, sending him back to business. Forbidden to witness any plays he abstained for two months, when he went to the Royalty sixpenny gallery and was nearly detected by his master, who sat beside him. At eighteen he fled to Margate, soon obtained an engagement with the Dover company at Eastbourne, assumed the name of S. Merchant, and made his first appearance as Valentine in O'Keeffe's ‘Farmer,’ singing ‘Poor Jack,’ his father's ditty, which was quite new, and was repeated nearly every night in the season. Here he wrote the first of his ‘two thousand ditties’ (sic), a hunting song, and his first burletta, ‘Something New,’ also prospering in scene-painting with ‘Tilbury Fort’ and the ‘Spanish Armada’ of 1588 for ‘The Critic,’ including unlimited smoke. He had adventures with smugglers, and got a better engagement from Gardner of the Canterbury and Rochester circuit, parting on friendly terms with Russell; they afterwards exchanged compliments by playing for each other's benefits. Dibdin acted at Deal, Sandwich, Canterbury, Beverley, Rochester, Maidstone, and Tunbridge Wells. At Beverley he first met Miss Nancy Hilliar, a young actress, whom, three years later, he met again at Manchester, and married 23 May 1793. He got a Theatre Royal engagement at Liverpool in 1791, and appeared as Mungo in the ‘Padlock’ at the opening of a new theatre at Manchester, the old one having been burnt. Here he again met his Scotch godfather Aiken, and was able to gain for his half-brother Cecil Pitt the leadership of the orchestra, in requital for hospitality at Eastbourne. He was scene-painter in chief, and produced ‘Sunshine after Rain.’ Small provincial engagements, including some in Wales, followed. In 1794 an opening at Sadler's Wells, Islington, presented itself, with a salary of five guineas a week, immediately after the birth of his daughter Maria.

A farce called the ‘Mad Guardian’ was published under the name of Merchant in 1795. In 1796 he wrote for Sadler's Wells, of which his brother Charles T. M. Pitt was now manager, many dramatic trifles. He had a fatal facility. More important were these: ‘Sadak and Kalasrade, or the Waters of Oblivion,’ and ‘John of Calais,’ in 1798, and an opera, ‘Il Bondocani,’ from the ‘Arabian Tales,’ or Florian's ‘New Tales,’ accepted by Harris, but not represented for five years. ‘Blindman's Buff, or Who pays the Reckoning?’ with ‘The Pirates,’ and two others, he sold to Philip Astley for fourteen guineas. Assured by Rawlins against prosecution, he now dropped the name of S. Merchant, and assumed that of Dibdin (against the wish of Charles, his father), instead of resuming that of Pitt. Unlike his father, he was faithful in friendships, and at this time had such genial spirits that he was a favourite everywhere. In later life he became soured and more exacting. He became prompter and joint stage-manager at Sadler's Wells. Without being a brilliant he was always a conscientious actor, of close study, letter-perfect, and paying attention to costume. On the Kent circuit he never lost ground, and when the mayor of Canterbury visited him in town (at Easter 1804), Dibdin was able to take him round the chief theatres; when at Covent Garden