Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Robertson, Thomas William
ROBERTSON, THOMAS WILLIAM (1829–1871), actor and dramatist, the son of William Robertson, an actor, came of an old theatrical stock, and was born on 9 Jan. 1829 at Newark-on-Trent. His great-grandfather, James Robertson, came from Perth, became the principal comic actor of the York Theatre, was praised as a ‘comedian of true merit’ by Tate Wilkinson [q. v.], published a volume of ‘Poems’ by ‘Nobody,’ retired in 1779 after forty years' service, and died in York in 1795, aged 82. Of James Robertson's three sons, Thomas became manager of the Lincoln circuit; the second, James, married a Miss Robinson, stepdaughter of Mr. Wrench, well known as Corinthian Tom in ‘Tom and Jerry.’ William, one of seven children, the offspring of this marriage, was articled to a solicitor at Derby, and subsequently joined the Lincoln company of Thomas, his uncle, and married in 1828 Miss Margaret Elizabeth, or Margaretta Elisabetha Marinus, a young actress of the company. A large family was the result of the union. Thomas William was the eldest child, and Margaret or Madge (Mrs. Grimston, better known as Mrs. Kendal) the youngest. Two younger sons also went on the stage. Of these, Frederick Craven Robertson (1846–1879) began his career at the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, in 1867, in his elder brother Thomas William's ‘For Love;’ joined the company of Frederick Younge; gave an acceptable performance of Captain Hawtree in ‘Caste;’ and for a time after Younge's death managed the ‘Caste’ company. Another son, Edward Shafto Robertson (1844?–1871), who made his first appearance as an actor in London in 1870, was accidentally killed next year while proceeding from Melbourne to India in the steamship Avoca.
Thomas William Robertson was educated by the wife of his great-uncle, Thomas Robertson; on the death of the husband, on 31 Aug. 1831, his widow became manager of the Lincoln circuit. On 13 June 1834, at the theatre, Wisbech, he played, as Master T. Robertson, Hamish, Rob Roy's son, in ‘Rob Roy, or Auld Lang Syne.’ In the various towns of the Lincoln circuit he afterwards played childish parts, including Cora's Child in ‘Pizarro’ and the Count's Child in the ‘Stranger.’ About 1836 he was sent to a school at Spalding, kept by Henry Young, and about 1841 to a second school at Whittlesea, kept by one Moore. He played occasionally during his holidays, and on leaving Moore's school in 1843 became factotum of the Lincoln company, to the management of which his father appears to have succeeded. He painted scenery, prompted, wrote songs for the company, adapted ‘The Battle of Life’ and the ‘Haunted Man’ of Charles Dickens, both played at Boston, and acted a range of parts including Hamlet, Charles Surface, Young Marlow, John Peerybingle in the ‘Cricket on the Hearth,’ Dr. Pangloss, Monsieur Jacques, and Jeremy Diddler. On the breaking up in 1848 of the Lincoln circuit, Robertson came to London and essayed many experiments, but turned to acting at the less-known theatres for a living. After teaching himself French, he was for a few months usher in a school at Utrecht, where he was ill paid and half starved. In 1851 William Farren, then manager of the Olympic Theatre, produced his first piece, ‘A Night's Adventures,’ which ran for four nights. He made at this time the acquaintance of Henry James Byron [q. v.], with whom he acted in provincial companies, and with whom also, it is said, he made an unprosperous attempt to give an entertainment at the Gallery of Illustration. In 1854 he sold for 3l. to the managers of the City Theatre, Johnson and Nelson Lee, a play called ‘Castles in the Air,’ produced at that house on 29 April. Robertson next became, at a somewhat precarious salary of 3l. per week, prompter at the Olympic, under the management of Charles Mathews. Among very many pieces he wrote at this period were ‘Photographs and Ices,’ ‘My Wife's Diary,’ ‘A Row in the House,’ subsequently produced at Toole's Theatre on 30 Aug. 1883, all of which, with countless adaptations, he was compelled to sell to Lacy, the theatrical bookseller. Subsistence was eked out by writing in unimportant papers; and once Robertson sought to enlist in the army, but was rejected. After playing at the Marylebone, of which his father was at the time joint manager, he went in 1855 with a company, headed by Mr. and Mrs. Wallack, to play Macbeth at the Théâtre des Italiens, Paris. The result was a fiasco.
On 27 Aug. 1856 he married at Christ Church, Marylebone, Miss Elizabeth Burton (whose real name was Taylor), an actress then playing at the Queen's Theatre in Tottenham Street, and went with her to Dublin, where she was engaged as leading lady and he as eccentric comedian and assistant stage-manager. The pair visited with scanty success Belfast, Dundalk, and many smaller towns in Ireland. Returning to England, they acted at the Surrey, the Marylebone, in Plymouth, Woolwich, Rochester, Windsor, and elsewhere, Mrs. Robertson's performances being interrupted by the birth of successive children. After the death of a daughter Robertson retired from the stage, occupying himself with magazine sketches and translating French plays for the publisher Lacy. His farce of ‘The Cantab,’ produced at the Strand on 14 Feb. 1861, introduced him to a Bohemian literary set, and led to his becoming a member of the Savage and Arundel Clubs, where he enlarged his observation of human nature, and whence he drew some curious types. He wrote for the ‘Welcome Guest’ and the ‘Illustrated Times,’ in which he was the ‘Theatrical Lounger.’ Some contributions he signed ‘Hugo Vamp.’ His success was indifferent. His wife was ailing, and the question was more than once raised of his quitting journalism and becoming a tobacconist. A novel, called ‘David Garrick,’ founded on Mélesville's three-act comedy ‘Sullivan,’ was one of Robertson's potboilers. This he adapted into the play known as ‘David Garrick,’ offering it vainly to one management after another, and ultimately pledging it with Lacy for 10l. It was at length accepted by Sothern, who, after forwarding Robertson the money to redeem it, advanced the author 50l. on account. It was produced with indifferent success in April 1864 at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Birmingham. But when given at the Haymarket by Sothern soon afterwards it was received with high favour, and it has since been frequently revived. Emboldened by its reception, Robertson wrote for the Haymarket ‘Society,’ a sketch of Bohemian manners, first produced in Liverpool, and transferred on 11 Nov. 1865 to the Prince of Wales's Theatre in Tottenham Street, then under the Bancroft management, where it ran for twenty-six weeks, establishing the fortunes of the theatre, as well as those of the author, and incidentally of one or two actors. The triumph was marred by the death of his wife on 14 Aug. 1865. Like ‘Society,’ ‘Ours’ was first produced at Liverpool, the date being 23 Aug. 1866. On 16 Sept. it was transferred to the Prince of Wales's, London, where its reception was enthusiastic.
Robertson's reputation was now fully established, and managers competed for his plays. His highest triumphs were confined to the Prince of Wales's Theatre, the pieces produced at other houses meeting with unequal success, and being in some cases failures. ‘Caste,’ given at the Prince of Wales's on 6 April 1867, shows Robertson's high-water mark, and, besides being his highest achievement, remains an acting play. Robertson married, on 17 Oct., at the English Consulate, Frankfort-on-the-Maine, his second wife, Miss Rosetta Feist, a lady of German extraction. His next piece at the Prince of Wales's ‘Play,’ produced on 15 Feb. 1868, showed a distinct falling off, but his position was retrieved by ‘School,’ the next in order, on 14 Jan. 1869. This avowedly owed something to the ‘Aschenbrödel’ of Benedix. Last in the list of Prince of Wales's pieces, on which Robertson's reputation rests, was ‘M.P.,’ given on 23 April 1870.
To other theatres, meanwhile, Robertson contributed ‘Shadow Tree Shaft,’ a three-act drama, unprinted, the scene of which is laid in Staffordshire in the time of the Young Pretender (it was given at the Princess's on 6 Feb. 1867); ‘A Rapid Thaw,’ a comedy in two acts, unprinted, translated from the French, and played at the St. James's on 2 March 1867; ‘For Love,’ a three-act drama, unprinted, given at the Holborn on 5 Oct. 1867; ‘Passion Flowers,’ a three-act drama, unprinted, adapted from the French, and produced at the Theatre Royal, Hull, on 28 Oct. 1868, with his sister, Miss Robertson, in the principal part; ‘Home,’ a three-act adaptation of ‘L'Aventurière’ of M. Augier, produced by Sothern at the Haymarket on 14 Jan. 1869; ‘My Lady Clara,’ a five-act drama, founded on Tennyson's poem, and played at the Alexandra Theatre, Liverpool, on 22 Feb. 1869 (under the altered title of ‘Dreams’ it was given at the Gaiety on 27 March, with Alfred Wigan and Miss Robertson in the principal parts); ‘A Breach of Promise,’ a comic drama, in two acts, Globe, 10 April; ‘Dublin Bay,’ a farce, unprinted, given at the Theatre Royal, Manchester, on 18 May 1869, and in London on 18 Dec. 1875; ‘Progress,’ a three-act version of ‘Les Ganaches’ of M. Victorien Sardou, Globe, 18 Sept. 1869; ‘The Nightingale,’ a drama in five acts, Adelphi, 15 Jan. 1870; ‘Birth,’ a three-act comedy, produced in Bristol on 5 Oct.; ‘War,’ a three-act drama, 16 Jan. 1871, St. James's. The reception of the last piece was unfavourable. In addition to the plays that have been named, Robertson is responsible for ‘A Dream in Venice’ and ‘Up in a Balloon,’ entertainments, unprinted; ‘Down in our Village,’ ‘Over the Way,’ ‘Post Haste,’ unprinted comedies; and ‘Which is it?’ among unprinted farces. The following additional works are to be found in Lacy's ‘Acting Edition of Plays,’ or the collected works of Robertson, consisting of sixteen plays, edited by his son (2 vols. 1889); ‘Birds of Prey,’ ‘Chevalier de Saint George,’ ‘Duke's Daughter,’ ‘Ernestine,’ ‘Faust and Marguerite,’ ‘Half-Caste,’ ‘Jocrisse the Juggler,’ ‘Muleteer of Toledo,’ ‘Noemie,’ ‘Star of the East,’ and ‘Sea of Ice,’ dramas, and ‘Breach of Promise,’ ‘Clockmaker's Hat,’ ‘Not at all Jealous,’ ‘Peace at any Price,’ and ‘Two Gay Deceivers,’ farces. Robertson published, besides ‘David Garrick,’ two other novels—‘Dazzled not Blinded’ and ‘Stephen Caldrick.’ Among schemes or suggestions for plays which are still in existence are those for comedies entitled ‘Passions’ and ‘Political Comedy.’ Of a comedy to succeed ‘M.P.’ at the Prince of Wales's, the title only, ‘Faith,’ survives. Robertson also wrote ‘Constance,’ an opera, with music by F. Clay, produced unsuccessfully at Covent Garden Theatre.
For some years previous to 1870 Robertson's health had been failing, and at the time when ‘M.P.’ was presented, in April 1870, his condition inspired grave alarm. In December 1870 he went, on medical advice, to Torquay, returning without deriving any benefit, and on the evening of 3 Feb. 1871 he died in his chair at his house, 6 Eton Terrace, Haverstock Hill, London. His son, Thomas William Shafto Robertson, a manager and an actor, died 24 May 1895, aged 37. Other members of his family joined the theatrical profession.
Robertson may be credited with the foundation of a school the influence of which survives and is felt. His theory of comedy-writing was to place, amid worldly and cynical surroundings, a tender, youthful, and sentimental interest, which would show the brighter for its entourage. In his best work, such as ‘Caste’—his unmistakable master-piece—and in half a dozen other works, the process produced very satisfactory results. He was the inventor of a system—which, though artificial, was, temporarily at least, effective—of giving, antiphonally, portions of conversations or spoken duets, the one sentimental and the other not seldom worldly. The term ‘Teacup and saucer school,’ applied to him by ‘Q.’ of the ‘Athenæum’ (i.e. Thomas Purnell [q. v.]), suggested perhaps by Robertson's affection for domestic interiors and occupations, stuck to his work and to that of James Albery, to some extent a follower of Robertson, and is not wholly inapt. Robertson's work is healthy throughout, and much of it is original, being the result of his own observation. He caught quickly the manners of his time, and his characters are usually lifelike. His knowledge of French stood him in good stead, and he derived a portion of his inspiration from the writings of Musset and Sand.
Robertson was a brilliant conversationalist, and in his bohemian days widely popular. He was a robustly built man, with reddish hair and beard. Portraits of him from photographs, caricatures in comic journals, and the like are numerous. An etching of him by Norman Macbeth, and a black-and-white drawing by his brother-in-law, Mr. W. H. Kendal, are both in the latter's possession. A small bust, well executed and lifelike, is in the Arundel Club, with him at one time a favourite haunt.
[Principal Dramatic Works of Thomas William Robertson, with Memoir by his Son, 2 vols. 1889 (with portrait); Life and Writings of T. W. Robertson, by T. Edgar Pemberton, 1893; Era Almanack, various years; Era newspaper, 29 June 1879; Athenæum, 14 Oct. 1871; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Lacy's Acting Plays; Men of the Time, 1868; Men of the Reign; Dutton Cook's Nights at the Play; Howard and Scott's Blanchard; personal knowledge.]