James Boaden (23 May 1762 – 16 February 1839) was an English biographer, dramatist, and journalist.

Biographer

He was the son of William Boaden, a merchant in the Russia trade. He was born at Whitehaven,

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

, on 23 May 1762, and at an early age came with his parents to London, where he was educated for commerce. After serving some time in a counting-house, he turned his attention to journalism, and in 1789 was appointed editor of the ''Oracle'' newspaper, which had been started in that year as a rival to the ''World''. Boaden entered himself at the Middle Temple, but does not appear to have been

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

. He died on 16 February 1839.

Dramatic works

Boaden's first dramatic piece was ''Osmyn and Daraxa, a Musical Romance'', acted in 1793. His next play, ''Fontainville Forest'', 1794, founded on Ann Radcliffe's '' Romance of the Forest'', was received with applause at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. From 1795 to 1803 he continued to write plays which were well received: ''The Secret Tribunal'', 1795, based on Benedikte Naubert's ; ''Italian Monk'', 1797, founded on Mrs. Radcliffe's novel of the same name; ''Cambro Britons'', 1798; ''Aurelio and Miranda'', 1799; ''Voice of Nature'', 1803; ''Maid of Bristol'', 1803.

The Shakespeare forgeries

In 1796, Boaden addressed to George Steevens, the Shakespearean commentator, "A Letter containing a Critical Examination of the Papers of Shakespeare published by Mr. Samuel Ireland." He stated in this letter his grounds for believing the papers held by

Samuel Ireland Samuel Ireland (21 May 1744 – July 1800), English author and engraver, is best remembered today as the chief victim of the Ireland Shakespeare forgeries created by his son, William Henry Ireland. Early life He began life as a weaver in Spita ...

to be spurious; but said that he, like so many others, had been at first deceived. In reply to this letter appeared an anonymous pamphlet, entitled "A Comparative Review of the Opinions of Mr. James Boaden (editor of the ''Oracle'') in February, March, and April 1795, and of James Boaden, Esq. (author of ''Fontainville Forest'' and of a ''Letter to George Steevens, Esq.'') in February 1796, relative to the Shakespeare MSS. ''By a Friend to Consistency''. ''The Friend to Consistency'' (James Wyatt) pointed out that Boaden had been most enthusiastic about the "invaluable remains of our immortal bard" when they were first presented to the public."

Biographer

In later life Boaden wrote biographies of celebrated actors and actresses. His ‘Life of Kemble’ (with whom he had been on terms of intimacy), in two volumes, appeared in 1825. It was followed by the ‘Life of Mrs. Siddons,’ 1827, 2 vols. 8vo, and ‘Life of Mrs. Jordan,’ 1831, 2 vols. These memoirs are in an easy style and accurate. In 1833 Boaden published his ‘Memoirs of Mrs. Inchbald,’ 2 vols, to which were added some dramatic pieces published (for the first time) from Mrs. Inchbald's manuscripts.

Later writings

Boaden's attempts at novel-writing were esteemed "ingenious performances" in their day. ''The Man of Two Lives'' is the title of one, and the ''Doom of Giallo'', or the ''Vision of Judgment'', 1835, 2 vols, of the other. In 1824 appeared ''An Inquiry into the Authenticity of the various Pictures and Prints of Shakespeare'', and in 1837 a tract ''On the Sonnets of Shakespeare, identifying the person to whom they are addressed, and elucidating several points in the Poet's History''. The writer maintains that the Mr. W. H. to whom the sonnets were dedicated was William Herbert, a view adopted also by later scholars. The essay first appeared in some numbers of the '' Gentleman's Magazine'' in 1832.

Family

He left nine children, including artist

John Boaden John Boaden (1792/93 – 4 April 1839) was an English portrait painter. Life Boaden was the son of the theatre critic James Boaden. A painter of portraits and theatrical subjects, he exhibited 40 works at the Royal Academy between 1810 and 1833, ...

, and a daughter who inherited a facility for play-writing.

References

External links

''An Inquiry Into the Authenticity of Various Pictures and Prints: Which, from the Decease of the Poet to Our Own Times, Have Been Offered to the Public as Portraits of Shakspeare''
(1824) at Google Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Boaden, James 1762 births 1839 deaths English dramatists and playwrights English biographers 19th-century English novelists English male dramatists and playwrights Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery English male novelists 19th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers Male biographers