KEAN

Charles John (2 son of Edmund Kean 1787–1833). b. Water ford, Ireland 18 Jany. 1811; entered Eton as an Oppidan, June 1824; made his first appearance on the stage at Drury Lane theatre as Young Norval in Douglas 1 Oct. 1827; visited America 1830, 1839, 1845; played Hamlet at Drury Lane 8 Jany. 1838; manager of Prince ’s theatre, London with Robert Keeley 28 Sep. 1850, sole manager 17 Oct. 1851 to 29 Aug. 1859; played in the provinces 1859–61; subscription testimonial vase value 2000 guineas presented to him at banquet in St. James’ hall, London 22 March 1862; acted in Australia, United States and Canada 1863–66; made his last appearance at Prince of Wales’s theatre, Liverpool 28 May 1867 as Louis XI.; F.S.A. 18 June 1857; F.R.G.S.; his best characters were Hamlet, Richard III. and Louis XI.; edited nine of Shakspeare’s plays with notes 1853–59; arranged Selections from the plays of Shakspeare 1860; directed private theatricals at Windsor Castle 1849–60. d. Queens borough ter. Bays water, London 23 Jany. 1868. bur. Cat he ring ton ch. near Horndean, Hants. 30 Jany., his personalty sworn under £35,000, 25 March 1868. J. W. Cole’s Life of C. Kean 2 vols. (1860), portrait ; The drawing room portrait gallery of eminent personages , 1 series (1859), portrait ; E. Stirling’s Old Drury Lane , ii 153–63 (1881); W. Marston’s Our recent actors , i 168–215 (1888); I.L.N. 1 Feb. 1868 p. 117, portrait .