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Great Britain - 1804

William Betty

Obverse:

Draped bust of William Betty facing, head with closely curled hair turned to right. WILLIAM HENRY WEST BETTY . / BORN 13 SEPT^R 1791

Exergue:

1791

Size:

45 mm.

Reverse:

Inscription within open wreath. BRITISH / TRAGEDIAN / WITH / FEELING / AND PROPRIETY / HE / ASTONISHES THE / JUDICIOUS / OBSERVERS OF / HUMAN / NATURE / 1804

Vern's Comments:

William Henry West Betty was born in 1791 and first appeared on stage at the age of eleven. He usually played Shakespearean parts and was seen in London for the first time on December 1, 1804. The noted water color artist and diarist Joseph Farington made numerous entries about Betty; it would have been surprising if he had not given the dominance of the theater on public and private life. Farington often quotes conversations or letters received in his diary and I will not attempt to identify all of these people in the quotes that follow.

September 8, 1804:	Holman & another actor, have seen the Boy so much talked of for his Theatrical powers. Their report is that His powers are very extraordinary. When He first appears on the stage in Richard or Hamlet &c., it excites laughter to see such disproportion between the character & the actor, but in 5 minutes all that is overcome by His power of representation, & He seems to be that which He assumes.

September 13, 1804:	Lysons saw the young Tragedian at Birmingham. He is abt. 13 years old — His action is very easy & good, & His general facility remarkable, on the whole His acting better than Pope or Holman &c. & next to Kemble, but He shd. not desire to see Him more than twice, for a change of characters, as the disproportion of His stature to that of the men and woemen with whom he acts, cannot be got over, & all illusion is lost. It is a curiosity. He has been trained to acting it seems from 5 years old.

November 21, 1804:	The young Roscius was mentioned as a prodigy. Heath said He would make £20,000 this year. Lawrence promised to get me a seat in the House when He appears in London, which he is to do in a very short time. —

December 1, 1804:	The publick interest has been very much excited by the reports of the young Roscius, Master Betty, & the Newspapers of this day announced that His first appearance in London would be this evening at Covent Garden in the character of Achmet in Barbarossa. — Before 6 oClock I went with Lawrence this evening to Mrs. Kembles Box at Covent Garden where we found Mrs. Kemble, — Lysons, Mr. Morris, Member of Parliament, and Kemble. — Mrs. Inchbald [the actress] came to our Box, also a Son & daugr. of Mr. Harris, the Proprietor. The House was very full. Many people lifted out of the Pit & carried through the Boxes; others fainting. — Lord Abercorn, Sir Wm. Scott [Lord Stowell], and many persons of distinction were there. — When the Curtain was drawn up and Charles Kemble came forward to speak a temporary address writen by J. Taylor, a storm of noise arose & He was obliged to retreat. It was owing to an apprehension that an apology was going to be made. — He came on a Second time & spoke the address but could not be heard. The interruption was long. At length the Play began. Master Betty as Achmet did not appear till the second act. I saw him standing between the scenes, & conversing quite at his ease sometime before He came forward. He was greeted warmly, but the applause was quite temperate till in the third act. He excited such feelings as produced a thundering crack of applause such as I thought I never before heard. A second time He did the same His performance appeared to me to be very extraordinary considering His Youth, some parts excellent, but in parts there was something feeble from want of more physical power. His action remarkably easy. — Lawrence said to me that Pope [the actor] would have played many parts better, but there were strokes of originality above Him.— Kemble came occasionally to us but made no remark abt. the young actor. — I noticed to Mrs. Kemble His great power, considering His youth, in several difficult parts. She said it was nothing to an experienced actor. I made no further remark to Her. She had a great deal at stake & allowance was to me made.

BHM:

N^o. 560 WILLIAM BETTY

AE, Pr. 45 by J. Westwood.

AE R; Pr. R.
E.P.M. 1888/69.
AM; BM; FM.

See note to No. 556.

British Historical Medals, p. 137

William Betty