John Harper (died 1742) was an English actor. He was known for comic parts. John Harper Miller

Life

Harper originally performed at

Bartholomew Fair The Bartholomew Fair was one of London's pre-eminent summer charter fairs. A charter for the fair was granted by King Henry I to fund the Priory of St Bartholomew in 1133. It took place each year on 24 August (St Bartholomew's Day) within the p ...

and

Southwark Fair ''Southwark Fair'' is a 1733 genre painting and engraving by the British artist William Hogarth. The scene, which was first called simply "A Fair" and only later became associated with Southwark Fair, shows theatrical performances, musicians, a ...

; a performance for his benefit at William Bullock's booth in Birdcage Alley, consisting of '' The Jew of Venice'', songs and dances, and the drunken man by Harper, was announced in '' The Daily Courant'' of 24 September 1719. On 7 November 1719 at

Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is located in Holborn and is the List of city squares by size, largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a ...

Harper was the original Montmorency in Charles Beckingham's ''Henry IV of France''. He remained at Lincoln's Inn Fields until 1721.Playing among other parts Dr. Caius in the ''

Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'', and Ajax in ''

Troilus and Cressida ''The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida'', often shortened to ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ), is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forc ...

''. On 27 October 1721 his name appears as Sir Epicure Mammon in '' The Alchemist'' at Drury Lane. Here he remained for eleven years, taking parts for a low comedian. For some years he was the Falstaff of Drury Lane, and was more popular in the part than his rival James Quin. He also played the king in ''

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

'', and in ''Virtue Betrayed'' by John Banks. Harper was one of the participants in the Actor Rebellion of 1733 and seceded from Drury Lane. John Highmore, the theatre's patentee, made him the target of a test legal action under the Vagrant Act, 12 Queen Anne; and on 12 November 1733 Harper was committed to

Bridewell Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI in 1553 as Bridewell Hospital for use as a ...

, as a vagabond. On 20 November he came before

Lord Hardwicke Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, (1 December 16906 March 1764) was an England, English lawyer and politician who served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a close confidant of the Duke of Newcastle, Prime Minister between 1 ...

Chief Justice of the King's Bench The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales. Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English a ...

. It was pleaded on his behalf that he paid his debts, was well esteemed by persons of condition, was a freeholder in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, and a householder in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. He was discharged amid acclamations on his own recognisance. On 21 October 1738 Harper's name appeared in the Drury Lane bills in a favourite part, Cacafogo in '' Rule a Wife and have a Wife''. Soon afterwards he had a stroke of paralysis. He died on 1 January 1742.

Selected roles

* Grogram in ''

Kensington Gardens Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyde Pa ...

'' by John Leigh (1719) * Montmorency in ''

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

'' by Charles Beckingham (1719) * Loadham in '' The Half-Pay Officers'' by Charles Molloy (1720) * Sir Roland Heartfree in '' Whig and Tory'' by Benjamin Griffin (1720) * Old Hob in '' Hob's Wedding'' (1720) * Tally in ''

The Artifice ''The Artifice'' is an independent long-form online magazine that focuses on visual arts and other "unique topics." The website is collaboratively built and maintained by writers, with all articles peer-reviewed by other writers, with discuss ...

'' by

Susanna Centlivre Susanna Centlivre (c. 1669 (baptised) – 1 December 1723), born Susanna Freeman, and also known professionally as Susanna Carroll, was an English poet, actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century". Centlivre's ...

(1722) * Shamble in '' A Wife to be Lett'' by

Eliza Haywood Eliza Haywood (c. 1693 – 25 February 1756), born Elizabeth Fowler, was an English writer, actress and publisher. An increase in interest and recognition of Haywood's literary works began in the 1980s. Described as "prolific even by the standar ...

(1723) * Blunt in '' The Impertinent Lovers'' by Francis Hawling (1723) * Sir Oliver Bruin in '' The Rival Modes'' by

James Moore Smythe James Moore Smythe (; 1702 – 18 October 1734) was an English dramatist, playwright and fop. Biography Smythe was appointed by the King to the Office of, Co-Paymaster of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms. He was born James Moore. He ...

(1727) * Sir Positive Trap in '' Love in Several Masques'' by

Henry Fielding Henry Fielding (22 April 1707 – 8 October 1754) was an English writer and magistrate known for the use of humour and satire in his works. His 1749 comic novel ''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'' was a seminal work in the genre. Along wi ...

(1728) * Aegon in '' Love in a Riddle'' by

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in ...

(1729) * Sir Nicholas Wiseacre in '' The Village Opera'' by Charles Johnson (1729) * Crispin in '' Bayes's Opera'' by Gabriel Odingsells (1730) * Hobson in '' The Devil to Pay'' by

Charles Coffey Charles Coffey (late 17th century – 13 May 1745) was an Irish playwright, opera librettist and arranger of music from County Westmeath. Following the initial failure of his ballad opera ''The Beggar’s Wedding'' (Dublin, Smock Alley Theatre, ...

(1732) * Sir Lubbardly Block in '' The Modish Couple'' by James Miller (1732) * Constable in ''

Caelia Caelia (or Celia) is a Fairy Queen in Richard Johnson (16th-century writer), Richard Johnson's Romance (heroic literature), romance ''Tom a Lincoln''. Caelia is the ruler of an island called "Fairy Land", populated by women who have slain their war ...

'' by Charles Johnson (1732) * Ticket Renter in ''

The Lottery "The Lottery" is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was first published in ''The New Yorker'' on June 26, 1948. The story describes a fictional small American community that observes an annual tradition known as "the lottery", which is int ...

'' by

(1732) * Woodall in '' The Modern Husband'' by

(1732) * Galleypot in '' The Mother-in-Law'' by James Miller (1734) * Colonel Raffler in '' The Universal Gallant'' by

(1735) * Sir Humphrey Henpeck in '' The Man of Taste'' by James Miller (1735) * Porco in '' The Universal Passion'' by James Miller (1737) * Booswell in '' The Coffee House'' by James Miller (1738)

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Harper, John Year of birth missing 1742 deaths 18th-century English male actors English male stage actors English male Shakespearean actors