David Moses Dyte
English quill merchant
About David Moses Dyte
Lived 1775 – 1830 (aged 54–55).
David Moses ben Meir Dyte (–1830) was an English Jewish quill merchant who distinguished himself by preventing the assassination attempt on George III by James Hadfield on 15 May 1800.
Dyte was attending Colley Cibber's play She Would and She Would Not at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane when Hadfield fired a horsepistol at the King. Dyte, seated directly behind the shooter, struck the assailant and deflected the shot. It is said that Dyte asked as his sole reward the right to sell opera tickets, then a monopoly at the royal disposal. In 1802 he was appointed 'Purveyor of Pens and Quills to the Royal Household'. The incident was immortalised in the play Jew Dyte by Harold Rubinstein.
Dyte was the father of Henry Dyte, who served as Honorary Secretary to the Blind Society; and the grandfather of D. H. Dyte, Surgeon to the Jewish Board of Guardians, and Charles Dyte, a parliamentarian in the colony of Victoria.
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Important facts
People in David Moses Dyte's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who was David Moses Dyte?
English quill merchant
When was David Moses Dyte born?
David Moses Dyte was born in 1775.
When did David Moses Dyte die?
David Moses Dyte died in 1830.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Moses Dyte. https://biography.guide/david-moses-dyte/
MLA: "David Moses Dyte." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-moses-dyte/.
Chicago: "David Moses Dyte." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-moses-dyte/.
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