Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/82

 BURTON.

BURTSELL.

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Kean's Sir Giles Overreach, and Mrs. Glover's Meg in " A New Way to Pay Old Debts/' H.s American debut was made in 1834, at the Arch street theatre, Philadelphia, in the characters of Dr. Ollapod, in "The Poor Gentleman," and Wormwood in "The Lottery Ticket." In the four years ol his stay in Philadelphia he won for hhnself a substantial jjopularity. For nine years follow- ing he appeared in nearly all the large cit- ies of the United States. In 1841 he Avas mana- ger of the Church street theatre of New York, when the theatre was consumed by fire, and all his scenery, books and manuscripts were de- stroyed. In 1848 he leased Pahno's opera house in Chambers street, N. Y., and changed its name to Burton's theatre. For eight years this house was known as the home of comedy in America, and Burton achieved the richest trimnphs as its mana- ger. Here many a highly popular play was first produced, and here Shakespeare's comedies were revived on a scale of great magnificence. The most famous actors of the time appeared on his boards, and many, afterwards famous, gained here their first experience and belonged at various times to his stock company. His Shakespearian roles were among his masterpieces. " His Cali- ban, Dogberry, Autolycus. Verges, Touchstone, Nick Bottom, and his Falstaff are by impartial judges said to have been among the most com- plete embodiments of the great poet's ideas that his works have ever seen, '" says Lawrence Hut- ton in ' ' Plays and Players. " " Among his other creations, his ' Timothy Toodles" and his ' Amin- adab Sleek,' were so absolutely his own tliat when an actor nowadays essays either character, he plays the Toodles and Sleek of Burton." His repertoire included one hundred and eighty- four characters. In 1856 Mr. Burton became the manager of the Metropolitan theatre, but the venture was so meagrely successful that in 1858 he abandoned it, and began a starring career, which ended two years later with his untimely death. His last appearance was made Dec. 16, 1859, at Hamilton, Canada, where he played " Aminadab Sleek " and " Guy Goodluck.'' Mr. Burton wrote several farces and a number of plays. His " Ellen Wareham," a play published in 1833, had the extraordinary fortune of being produced in five diff'erent London theatres on the same evening. He contributed stories and sketches to the periodicals of the time, and

edited the Litcrarii Souvenir and the Gentle- man's 2Iagazinc. Tliis latter periodical he estab- lished, and Edgar Allan Poe was at one time liis assistant in its editorial management. Among his writings, TJie Actor's Alloquy, Wagga- ries and Vagaries, and A Cyclopaedia of Wit and Humor (1858). are notable. See William E. Burton: a Sketch of his Career, by Wm. L. Keese. Mr. Burton died in New York city, Feb. 10, 1860.

BURTT, John, clergyman, was born in Knock- marloch, Ayrshire, Scotland, May 26, 1789. After receiving a classical education and serving an apprenticeship to a weaver, he was pressed into the navy, and was five years before the mast. He then effected his escape, and taught school at Kilmarnock and Paisley for a time. In 1816 he attended medical lectures at the Glas- gow -aniversity, and in 1817, becoming involved in political disturbances, he fled to the United States. He studied for a year at Princeton theo- logical seminary, and served as a city missionary at Trenton and at Philadelphia imtil 1824, when he was ordained by the presbytery of Philadel- phia, and was pastor over churches at Salem, N. J., at Cincinnati, Ohio, and at Blackwood- town, N. J. He edited the Philadelphia Presby- terian fro A 1830 to 1833, and the Cincinnati Standard from 1833 to 1835. A collection of his verses was publislied in Glasgow in 1817, and republished, with additions, in Bridgeton, N. J., in 1819, under the title " Horaj Poetica?." In 1859 he resigned his pastorate, and spent his re- maining years in retirement at Salem, N. J., where he died, March 24, 1866.

BURTSELL, Richard Lalor, clergyman, was born in New York city, April 14, 1840. He studied theology at the Propaganda in Rome, and was ordained priest, Aug. 10, 1862. He retiu-ned to New York, was first assistant pastor of St. Ann's R. C. church, and in 1868 was given charge of the new parish of the Epiphany. In 1884 the office of " The Defender of the Marriage Tie " was introduced into the United States by the third plenary council of Baltimore, the office having been originally created by Pope Benedict XIV. in 1741. The duty of the incumbent is to act as guardian of the tie in cases of dispute concerning marriages. Archbishop Corrigan ap- pointed Dr. Burtsell to this office in 1886. The next year he acted as counsel and adviser to the Rev. Dr. Edward McGlynn in his controversy with Archbishop Corrigan. In April of the same year his office was taken from him. In 1888 he appeared under subpo?na at the lawsuit over the Maguire burial, and in 1889 celebrated mass at the funeral of Miss Kelly, a member of the anti-poverty society. Archbishop Corrigan ordered him to retire to a parish in Rondout,