William Henry Chippendale

William Henry Chippendale (14 August 1801 – 3 January 1888) was an English actor, known in particular for his portrayal of old men.

Life He was born in Somers Town, London, on 14 Aug. 1801, and received some education at the high school, Edinburgh, in which city his father made his first appearance on 25 July 1814 as Polonius. Chippendale was placed with James Ballantyne to learn printing, and asserted, in error or oblivion, that he 'read' some of the Waverley manuscripts. He was subsequently apprenticed to John Ballantyne the auctioneer. He claimed to have played the Page to Stephen Kemble's Falstaff, and taken other boyish parts. In 1819, he made at Montrose, as David in the 'Rivals' his first professional appearance, and then became a strolling player. On 11 Jan. 1823, as Chippendale from Carlisle, he was at the Caledonian theatre, Edinburgh, playing Johnny Howie in 'Gilderoy.' Glasgow, Carlisle, the Lincoln, York, and Worcester circuits, and Manchester, Birmingham, Bath, and Bristol saw him in leading business in comedy. In Manchester he first enacted Sir Peter Teazle.

Chippendale spent 17 years at Price's Park Theatre in New York.

Chippendale returned to the United Kingdom in 1853, performing at the Haymarket Theatre for over two decades,

As Polonius, he took a farewell benefit at the same company on 24 February 1879. He subsequently acted in the country until his intellect began to fail.

His third wife was a fellow Haymarket actor, the actress Mary Jane Seaman. Chippendale had twenty-three children, most of whom predeceased him.

He died on 3 January 1888 and was buried on the western side of Highgate Cemetery. His grave (no.13555) no longer has a headstone or marker.