1759; Aboan in Hawkesworth's alteration of ‘Oroonoko,’ 1 Dec. 1759; Colonel Medway in Mrs. Sheridan's ‘Discovery,’ 3 Feb. 1763; Manly in Bickerstaffe's alteration of the ‘Plain Dealer,’ 7 Dec. 1765; Sir John Melvil in the ‘Clandestine Marriage’ of Garrick and Colman, 20 Feb. 1766; Moody in the ‘Country Girl,’ Garrick's adaptation of the ‘Country Wife,’ 25 Oct. 1766; Warwick in Dr. Franklin's ‘Earl of Warwick,’ 13 Dec. 1766; General Melmoth in Kenrick's ‘Widow's Wife,’ 5 Dec. 1767; Colonel Rivers in Kelly's ‘False Delicacy,’ 23 Jan. 1768; Teribazus in Murphy's ‘Zenobia,’ 27 Feb. 1768; Timur in Dow's ‘Zingis,’ 17 Dec. 1768; and Sir William Evans in the ‘School for Rakes’ of Mrs. Griffiths, 4 Feb. 1769. In his final season he was Richard III in Garrick's ‘Jubilee’ pageant, 14 Oct. 1769, and on the 27th of the following November as Timur in ‘Zingis’ made his last appearance. He died of small-pox on 7 Dec. 1769, and was buried on the 15th in a vault in Chiswick Church. Dr. Doran tells, after James Smith, a highly coloured narrative of Holland's betrothal to Miss Pope (Annals of the Stage, ed. Lowe, iii. 306).
Holland was a good-looking, manly actor, with a strong, resonant, well-toned voice, and great power of application. He was, however, led away by the public, and under the influence of applause became loud and extravagant. Davies, who praises his Iago and his Iachimo, says that he was illiterate, and that his spirit degenerated into vulgarity (Life of Garrick, ii. 95). Gentleman describes Holland in Iago ‘hunting after a meaning he never found’ (Dramatic Censor, i. 152). His performances at Bristol, where he first appeared in 1767, won him the warm praise of Chatterton, who spoke of nature as but a copy of his art, and said, ‘No single part is thine, thou'rt all in all’ (‘To Mr. Holland,’ Works, i. 265, Boston, 1864). Holland and Powell were of nearly the same age, were the closest of friends, and lived in the same house. Powell was introduced by Holland to Garrick. Their close friendship was derided by Foote, and many stories are current as to the shock caused to Holland by the death of Powell, whom he survived less than a year. On hearing while on the stage of Powell's death, he broke down, and had to apologise for inability to act. In some of Garrick's favourite characters, Chamont, Hastings, and Tancred, he was favourably received. Garrick speaks of him with uncustomary warmth. Dibdin, in his ‘History of the Stage,’ v. 121, praises very highly his private character, says that ‘his company was coveted by the wise and the celebrated …’ that ‘he was free, good, natural, cheerful, and generous, nor had he an unkind wish to any human creature,’ and states that he left his family 6,000l. Foote, according to the same authority, had an unfeigned regard for Holland, and went to his funeral, but did not refrain from calling the family vault the family oven, in allusion to Holland's origin as a baker, which Holland never sought to conceal. His monument in Chiswick Church, removed from its original place in the chancel to the north wall of the inside of the church tower, has a highly eulogistic inscription by Garrick. A portrait of Holland is in the Garrick Club.
[Genest's Account of the Stage; Victor's Hist. of the Theatres of London and Dublin; Jenkins's Memoirs of the Bristol Stage, 1826; O'Keeffe's Recollections; Davies's Life of Garrick; Victor's Letters; Notes and Queries, 7th ser. viii. 489, ix. 66, 138, 341; Garrick Correspondence.]
HOLLAND, CHARLES (1768–1849?), actor, son of Thomas Holland of Chiswick, was a nephew of Charles Holland (1733–1769) [q. v.] After playing for some time in the country he appeared at Drury Lane, 31 Oct. 1796, as Marcellus in ‘Hamlet.’ At this theatre he remained until the season of 1819–1820, getting few chances and failing to improve his position. Some notice was taken of his opening performance, and his Trueman in the ‘London Merchant,’ in which character he supported Mrs. Siddons as Milwood, is said to have been ‘a chaste, manly, and feeling performance’ (Monthly Mirror, ii. 499). On the death of Palmer, who was replaced by Barrymore, he took, 15 Feb. 1798, the character of Count Wintersen in the ‘Stranger,’ and during the illness of Charles Kemble he performed Alonzo in ‘Pizarro,’ in which piece he was the original Centinel, 24 May 1799. He essayed also Palmer's character of Sydenham in the ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ and was said to have proved ‘that his talents were entitled to more attention and encouragement from the managers.’ He acted at Drury Lane many subordinate parts in unimportant dramas by Whalley, Cherry, S. Sotheby, Cumberland, and others. On 15 June 1800 he played Cassio, and on 20 Nov. 1800 the Dauphin in ‘King John.’ On 25 April 1801 he was the original Infirmier in ‘Julian and Agnes,’ by Sotheby. On 6 June 1809, as Steinfort in ‘The Stranger,’ he made his first appearance at the Haymarket, where, 25 July 1810, he was the original Henry Mortimer in Eyres's ‘High Life in the City.’ He accompanied the Drury Lane company in its migration to the Lyceum, and on the opening of the new theatre, 10 Oct. 1812, was Horatio to Elliston's Hamlet. Holland supported Kean in
