Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 43.djvu/142

 , where he died on 26 June 1790, aged 61. He married a lady of considerable wealth.

He published, in addition to funeral sermons for George II (1760) and Caleb Fleming (1779), and a funeral oration for Timothy Laugher (1769): 1. 'Prayers for the use of Families,' &c, 1773, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1785, 8vo. 2. 'Free Thoughts on the Inconsistency; of conforming to any Religious Test as a Condition of Toleration,' &c., 1779, 8vo. 3. 'Observations in Defence of the Liberty of Man as a Moral Agent,' &c., 1779, 8vo. 4. 'An Appendix to the Observations,' &c, 1780, 8vo. 5. 'A Summary View of the Grounds of Christian Baptism,' &c., 1788, 8vo (defence of infant baptism). He edited (1766, 4to) the posthumous commentaries of John Alexander (1736–1765) [q. v.]

 PALMER, JOHN (1742?–1798), actor, born in the parish of St. Luke's, Old Street, London, about 1742, was son of a private soldier. In 1759 the father served under the Marquis of Granby, and subsequently, on the marquis's recommendation, became a bill-sticker and doorkeeper at Drury Lane Theatre. When about eighteen the son John recited before Garrick as George Barnwell and Mercutio; but Garrick found no promise in him, and joined his father in urging him to enter the army. Garrick even got a small military appointment for him: but Palmer refused to follow his counsel, and entered the shop of print-seller on Ludgate Hill.

On 20 May 1762, for the benefit of his father and three others, he made his first appearance on any stage, playing Buck in the 'Englishman in Paris.' This performance he repeated for benefits on the 21st, 24th, and 25th. Palmer was then engaged by Foote, who said that his 'tragedy was d——d bad,' but 'his comedy might do' for the 'little theatre in the Haymarket,' now known as the Haymarket, where, in the summer of 1762, he was the original Harry Scamper, an Oxford student, in 'Foote's 'Oracle.' Being refused an engagement by Garrick, whom he still failed to please, he joined a country company under Herbert, and played, at Sheffield, Richmond in 'Richard III.' Returning to London, he played, for the benefit of his father and others, George Barnwell in the 'London Merchant.' He then re-engaged with Foote, but was dismissed in the middle of the season. After acting at Portsmouth he was engaged by Garrick, at a salary of 20s. a week, for Drury Lane, but did not get higher than the Officer in 'Richard III' (act ii. sc. i.) For his father's benefit Palmer appeared as Dick in the 'Apprentice.' At the Haymarket, in the summer of 1764, he was the original Sir Roger Dowlas in Foote's 'Patron.' Being refused at Drury Lane an increase of salary, he went to Colchester, under Hurst, and was so lightly esteemed that, but for the intercession of Mrs. Webb, an actrees of influence, he would have been discharged. In Norwich he married a Miss Burroughs, who had taken a box for his benefit. He then gave, at Hampstead and Highgate, and in various country towns, Stevens's 'Lecture on Heads," and, after playing with a strolling company, returned to London. In 1766, after refusing offers for Dublin and Covent Garden, he engaged with Garrick for Drury Lane, at a salary of 25s, a week, raised in answer to his remonstrance to 30s. He appeared on 7 Oct. 1766 as Sir Harry Beagle in the 'Jealous Wife.' He appears in the bills as 'J. Palmer,' being thus distinguished from his namesake, the elder John Palmer, known as 'Gentleman' Palmer (see below), who took leading business in the company.

Returning in the summer to the Haymarket, Palmer was on 2 July 1767 the original Isaacos in the mock tragedy of the 'Tailors,' and acted Ben Budge in the 'Beggar's Opera,' Morton in Hartson's 'Countess of Salisbury,' imported from Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, to the Lord William of Miss Palmer from Dublin, apparently no relation, and Young Rakish in the 'Schoolboy.' Back at Drury Lane, he was on 23 Oct. 1767 the original Wilson in Garrick's 'Peep behind the Curtain, or the New Rehearsal;' Furnival, a worthless barrister, in Kenrick's 'Widow'd Wife;' on 23 Jan. 1768 Sir Harry Newburgh in Kelly's 'False Delicacy,' and, 21 March, Captain Slang in Bickerstaffe's 'Absent Man,' and played also Young Wilding in the 'Liar,' and Colonel Tamper in 'The Deuce is in him.'

The death of 'Gentleman Palmer' in 1768 was followed by the engagement of John Palmer for four years, at a salary rising from forty to fifty shillings a week. The parts assigned him increased in number and importance. The death of Holland and the secession of other actors also contributed to his advancement. It was, indeed, while replacing 'Gentleman Palmer' as Harcourt in the 'Country Girl,' somewhere between 1766 and 1768—most likely in 1767—that Jack Plausible, as the second Palmer was generally called, established himself in Garrick's favour. He offered to play the part, with which he was quite unfamiliar, the following