Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 60.djvu/125

 Nisbett, Charlotte Cushman, Helen Faucit, and many others. A presentation was made him by the company.

On Easter Monday 1853 he began a new management of the Adelphi with Lemon's farce, ‘Mr. Webster at Home.’ He gave on 8 June Boucicault's ‘Geneviève,’ in which he played Lorin; produced on 10 Oct. his own ‘Discarded Son,’ and was Falstaff in a revival of the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor.’ On 20 March 1854 he was the first Father Radcliffe in Taylor and Reade's ‘Two Loves and a Life;’ played two parts, Diogenes and Ferdinand Volage, in the ‘Marble Heart,’ Selby's adaptation of ‘Les Filles de Marbre,’ 31 May; was Richard Pride in Boucicault's ‘Janet Pride,’ 5 Feb. 1855; and on 20 June first Lorentz Hartmann in Taylor's ‘Helping Hand.’ On 5 Feb. 1856 he was Cobbs in ‘Boots at the Holly Tree Inn,’ in 1857 the first Joseph Chavigny in Watts Phillips's play so named, on 16 Nov. Carl Blitzen in the ‘Headless Man,’ and on 22 May 1858 Horatio Sparkins in Morton's ‘French Lady's Maid.’

In the new Adelphi theatre, erected on the site of the old, Webster was, on 6 Aug. 1859, the original Penn Holder, one of his greatest parts, in his own adaptation, ‘One Touch of Nature.’ On 10 Nov. 1859 he was the original Robert Landry in Watts Phillips's ‘Dead Heart.’ On 29 Aug. 1864 he produced at the Adelphi his own adaptation, ‘A Woman of Business.’ On 30 Nov. he was first Van Gratz in the ‘Workmen of Paris’ (‘Les Drames du Cabaret’). In ‘No Thoroughfare,’ adapted by Wilkie Collins, Webster was the first Joey Ladle on 28 Dec. 1867. In ‘Monte Cristo,’ which was damned in October 1868, he played Noirtier. On 31 May 1869 he was the first Hugh Wollaston in ‘Eve,’ an adaptation by his son, B. Webster, jun., of Augier's ‘Gabrielle.’ On 1 Nov. he opened as lessee the Princess's, which he had long owned, reviving the ‘Willow Copse,’ in which he played his old part of Luke Fielding. In Byron's ‘Prompter's Box,’ on 23 March 1870, he was the first Frank Bristow, and in April 1873 the first Rodin the Jesuit in the ‘Wandering Jew,’ adapted by Leopold Lewis. This appears to have been his last original part. In February 1874 he retired from the stage, and on 2 May his farewell benefit took place at Drury Lane. The ‘School for Scandal’ was given. Mrs. Keeley recited an address by Oxenford, and Webster, who did not act, made a speech; over 2,000l. was raised. On 1 Aug. he repeated at the Princess's Richard Pride in ‘Janet Pride.’ He played Snake for Buckstone's benefit at Drury Lane on 8 June 1875. The previous day he had spoken at the Theatrical Fund dinner at the Freemasons' Tavern. His last appearance was at the Crystal Palace on 2 Nov. 1875 as William Penn Holder. He died on 3 July 1882 at his residence, Churchside, Kennington.

Webster left two sons, Ben and John, who were connected with the stage. Ben Webster, the younger, wrote for the Adelphi ‘Behind Time,’ a farce in one act, on 26 Dec. 1865; and seven other farces or adaptations from the French came from his pen between that date and 1873. John Webster played about 1837 and 1838 at Covent Garden, the Haymarket, St. James's, and the Adelphi. A daughter married Sir Edward Lawson, bart., proprietor and editor of the ‘Daily Telegraph.’ Benjamin Webster, a grandson, is at present on the London stage.

In his line as a character actor Webster stood foremost in his day, and has not since known a superior. He kept his energy, physical and intellectual, almost to the last, and his latest creations count among his best. His greatest characters were Richard Pride, Robert Landry, Lavater, William Penn Holder, Lorentz Hartmann, Jabez Sneed, Triplet, Graves, Belphegor, Tartuffe, Rodin in the ‘Wandering Jew,’ and Joey Ladle. He was happiest in characters in which serious purpose, puritanical fervour, and grim resolution were shown, and had not indeed more comedy than would serve like light points in a picture to indicate the gloom. He was a spirited manager so far as regards the engagement of good actors, but was behind the times, backward as those were, in respect of stage mounting and the employment of supernumeraries. To this day the term Adelphi guests is used as a byword.

Webster is responsible for about a hundred plays, the names of many of which cannot now be traced. Several are in part based on French originals. In addition to those named are ‘High Ways and By Ways,’ a farce in two acts (Cumberland's ‘British Drama’); ‘Paul Clifford,’ a drama in three acts, and ‘The Golden Farmer,’ a drama in two acts (both in Cumberland's ‘Minor Theatre’); ‘The Old Gentleman,’ a comedy in one act (Duncombe's ‘British Theatre’); ‘The Modern Orpheus,’ a farce in one act; ‘The Village Doctor,’ a drama in two acts; ‘Peter and Paul,’ a comic drama in two acts; ‘Caught in a Trap,’ a comedietta in two acts; ‘The Thimble Rig,’ a farce in one act; ‘The Wonderful Water Cure,’ extravaganza in one act; ‘Mrs. Sarah Gamp's Tea and Turn Out,’ a Bozzian sketch in one act. These are all in Webster's ‘Acting National Drama.’ His name also appears to ‘The