[The chief authorities are Chetwood and Davies's Dramatic Miscellanies. Davies obtained the story of his death from `Honest' Lyon, a comic actor who was present. The list of characters is gleaned from various records of Genest.]
HULETT, JAMES (d. 1771), engraver, resided in London, and was extensively employed on illustrations for books. His engravings do not possess any particular merit. He engraved plates for many books, including D. de Coetlogon's 'Dictionary of Arts and Sciences,' 1745, and portraits of the Earl of Essex and Lord Fairfax for Peck's `Life and Actions of Oliver Cromwell;' besides a view of `The Bridge over the Thames at Hampton Court' after Canaletto, and a portrait of Owen Farrell, the Irish dwarf, after H. Gravelot. Hulett lived in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, and died in 1771.
[Dodd's manuscript History of English Engravers (Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 33402); Redgrave's Dict. of Artists.]
HULL, JOHN, M.D. (1761–1843), botanist, was born at Poulton, Lancashire, in 1761. In May 1792 he graduated as M.D. at Leyden, his dissertation being 'de catharticis.' He settled at Manchester, where he practised especially as an accoucheur, and became physician to the Lying-in Hospital. Between 1798 and 1801 he published several papers in defence of the Cæsarian operation, and having taken to botany as a relaxation he issued in 1799 a 'British Flora,' which reached a second edition in 1808, and two volumes on the 'Elements of Botany' in 1800. In 1819 he became a licentiate of the College of Physicians. He died at his eldest son's house in Tavistock Square, London, 17 March 1843. His son, William Winstanley Hull, is noticed separately.
[Munk's Coll. of Phys. iii. 195.]
HULL, ROBERT (d. 1425), judge. [See Hill, Robert.]
HULL, THOMAS (1728–1808), actor and dramatist, born in 1728 in the Strand, where his father practised as an apothecary, was educated at the Charterhouse with a view to the church, and made an unsuccessful attempt to follow his father's profession. According to the 'Biographia Dramatica,' he first appeared at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, and thence proceeded to Bath, where he managed the theatre for John Palmer [q.v.] His first recorded appearance was, however, at Covent Garden, 5 Oct. 1759, as Elder Wou'dbe in Farquhar's `Twin Rivals.' In the course of the season he played Charles in the 'Nonjuror,' the attendant spirit in `Comus,' and, for his benefit, Manly in the 'Provoked Husband.' The following season saw him as Juan in 'Rule a Wife and have a Wife,' Lord Morelove in the 'Careless Husband,' Friar Lawrence, and Springlove in the 'Jovial Crew,' and also witnessed his marriage to Miss Morrison, a not very distinguished actress of the theatre, who played for his benefit, under the name of Morrison the Lady in 'Comus,' 28 April 1764. At Covent Garden Hull stayed without a break, so far as can be ascertained, till the end of his career, a period of forty-eight years. Among the parts assigned him were Friar Lawrence, Mr. Page, King Henry V, King Henry VI, Horatio, Worthy in the 'Recruiting Officer,' Æson in `Medea,' Camillo and Chorus in 'Winter's Tale,' Voltore in the 'Fox,' Cromwell in 'King Henry VIII,' Duncan, Prospero, Ægeon in 'Comedy of Errors,' Adam in `As you like it,' Pinchwife in the `Country Wife,' Pisanio in `Cymbeline,' Flavius in 'Timon,' King in 'Hamlet,' Pandulph in `King John,' and innumerable others. He was the original Harpagus in Hoole's 'Cyrus' (3 Dec. 1768), Edwin in Mason's `Elfrida' (21 Nov. 1772), Pizarro in Murphy's `Alzuma' (23 Feb. 1773), Mador in Mason's `Caractacus' (6 Dec. 1776), Sir Hubert in Hannah More's `Percy' (10 Dec. 1777), and Mr. Shandy in Macnally's `Tristram Shandy' (26 April 1783). From 1775 to 1782 he managed Covent Garden for Colman. It was his pride that during his long connection with Covent Garden he never missed playing his part but once, when he was confined to his bed by a violent fever. The plays attributed to him, with one or two exceptions which are noted, were acted at Covent Garden. Hull's name appeared for the last time on the bills on 28 Dec. 1807, when he played the Uncle in `George Barnwell.' He died on 22 April 1808 at his house, near Dean's Yard, Westminster, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Margaret's, Westminster. A proposal to restore by subscription the inscription on his tomb, which had become illegible, was made in 1876 (Notes and Queries, 5th ser. v.438). Hull's plays, with the exception of `King Henry II,' which may rank with most tragedies of the day, display a fluency and a knack of arrangement due to his histrionic experience. His prose style is easy, pleasant to read, and sometimes decidedly happy. He enjoyed the friendship of Shenstone, some of whose letters he published, and other persons of note. Lingering too long on the stage, he outlived his reputation as an actor, which in his best days was dependent upon judgment, propriety, and
