Thomas Knight

Thomas Knight (died 1820), actor and dramatist, was born in Dorset of a family of no great wealth.

Early career He was intended for the legal profession, and received from Charles Macklin, the actor, lessons in elocution. A favourite with Macklin, he accompanied him to the theatre, acquiring in his visits tastes which led him to adopt the stage as a profession.

At an unrecorded date he appeared at the Richmond Theatre in Charles Surface, and failed conspicuously. He then joined Austin's company at Lancaster. Before leaving London he tried vainly to force upon Macklin a remuneration for his services as a teacher. Tate Wilkinson saw Knight, it is said, in Edinburgh, and engaged him for the York circuit. His first appearance was made in York in 1782 as Lothario to the Calista of Mrs Jordan. Wilkinson, who was greatly disappointed with him, advised him to quit the stage, but Knight struggled on, playing Charles Oakley, Spatterdash in the Young Quaker, Carbine in the Fair American, etc., and gradually grew in public favour. Wilkinson generously acknowledged the error of his former judgement, and during the five years in which Knight remained with the company he took the lead, and had only one quarrel with the management. Finding his name as Twineall in Such Things Are put third on the list, the customary place for the character, he insisted on its place being first, and being refused did not appear. On 27 October 1787 he played at the Bath Theatre as the Copper Captain, Spatterdash, Ramilie in the 'Miser', Duke of Monmouth in 'Such things were', and Marquis in the 'Midnight Hour' followed.

Marriage In 1787 Knight married at Bath, Margaret Farren, sister of the Countess of Derby (Elizabeth Farren).

In 1786 Margaret Farren played with Knight in York and followed him by to Bath for their wedding. Soon afterwards she made her first appearance there as Miss Peggy in The Country Girl to her husband's Sparkish. In the course of the same season Knight acted thirty characters, among which Touchstone, Trappanti, Claudio in Measure for Measure, Trim in Steele's The Funeral, Sir Charles Racket, and Pendragon may be mentioned. In Bath, as at Bristol, which was under the same management, he played during the nine years of his engagement an endless variety of comic parts—Charles Surface, Antonio in Follies of a Day, Clown in All's Well That Ends Well, Mercutio, Duretête, Goldfinch, Dromio of Ephesus, Pistol, and Autolycus being among the most easily recognisable.

Covent Garden Knight's first appearance at Covent Garden took place on 25 September 1795 as Jacob in The Chapter of Accidents (when his wife played Bridget) and Skirmish in Dibdin's The Deserter. Knight was seen in an endless number of parts at Covent Garden. The most important are Sim in Wild Oats, Hodge, Bob Acres, Slender in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Roderigo, Gratiano, Dick Dowlas, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Tony Lumpkin, Sergeant Kite in The Recruiting Officer, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Touchstone, and Lucio in Measure for Measure. His original parts included Young Testy in Holman's Abroad and at Home, Count Cassel in Mrs. Inchbald's adaptation, Lovers' Vows, Changeable in Thomas Dibdin's Jew and the Doctor, Farmer Ashfield in Morton's Speed the Plough, and Corporal Foss in Colman's The Poor Gentleman.

Edinburgh After acting with his wife for three years at Covent Garden, they went together to Edinburgh, where