Matthew Medbourne (died 19 March 1680) was an English

stage actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

and occasional

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

of the Restoration era. A long-standing member of the Duke's Theatre, Medbourne was a victim of the

Popish Plot The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinat ...

scare and died in

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey, just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, the pr ...

. Medbourne was a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, but little is known about him before he emerged as a member of the

Duke's Company The Duke's Company was a theatre company chartered by King Charles II at the start of the Restoration era, 1660. Sir William Davenant was manager of the company under the patronage of Prince James, Duke of York. During that period, theatres ...

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 ...

during the 1661–62 season. His first confirmed role is as Delio in ''

The Duchess of Malfi ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' in 1662. Around the time of the Great Plague, he wrote a play ''Saint Cecily'', a

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

which was never acted.In December 1669 he was arrested for disorderly conduct, and was suspended from the Duke's Company for a period but was fully returned by 1671. In 1670 he had written a version of ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

'' which was staged at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

. He remained with the Duke's at the new

Dorset Garden Theatre The Dorset Garden Theatre in London, built in 1671, was in its early years also known as the Duke of York's Theatre, or the Duke's Theatre. In 1685, King Charles II died and his brother, the Duke of York, was crowned as James II. When the Du ...

until 1678. In 1676 Medbourne helped

Titus Oates Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II. Early life Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father was the Baptis ...

to join the household of

Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk, (11 January 1655 – 2 April 1701) was an English nobleman, politician, and soldier. He was the son of Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk, and Lady Anne Somerset, daughter of Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of ...

as the latter's Anglican chaplain to minister to Protestant members of the Catholic Duke's household. Oates was later dismissed for his poor preaching. In October 1678 Medbourne was accused of

High Treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

during the scare of

stirred by Oates. He was arrested and imprisoned in

Newgate Newgate was one of the historic seven gates of the London Wall around the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. Newgate lay on the west side of the wall and the road issuing from it headed over the River Fleet to Mid ...

the following month. Increasingly ill during his confinement he died on 19 March 1680.Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.165

Selected roles

* Herod in '' Herod and Mariamne'' by Samuel Pordage (1663) * Filomarini in '' The Slighted Maid'' by

Robert Stapylton Sir Robert Stapylton or Stapleton (died 1669) was an English courtier, dramatic poet and translator. Life Stapylton was the third son of Richard Stapleton of Carlton, Selby, Carlton by Snaith, Yorkshire, by Elizabeth Pierrepont, Elizabeth, dau ...

(1663) * Capito in '' The Stepmother'' by

(1663) * Thuricus in '' Mustapha'' by Roger Boyle (1665) * Smerdis in '' Cambyses, King Of Persia'' by

Elkanah Settle Elkanah Settle (1 February 1648 – 12 February 1724) was an English poet and playwright. Biography He was born at Dunstable, and entered Trinity College, Oxford, in 1666, but left without taking a degree. His first tragedy, '' Cambyses, King ...

(1671) * Friendly in '' The Town Shifts'' by Edward Revet (1671) * Alphonso in ''

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13. His elder sister Anne acted as regent jointly with her husband Peter II, Du ...

'' by

John Crowne John Crowne (6 April 1641 – 1712) was a British dramatist. His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey. He emigrated to Nova Scotia where ...

(1671) * Sir Grave Solymour in '' The Six Days' Adventure'' by Edward Howard (1671) * Theodore in ''

Juliana Juliana (variants Julianna, Giuliana, Iuliana, Yuliana, etc) is a feminine given name which is the feminine version of the Roman name Julianus. Juliana or Giuliana was the name of a number of early saints, notably Saint Julian the Hospitaller, whi ...

'' by

(1671) * Don Gerardo in '' The Fatal Jealousy'' by Henry Nevil Payne (1672) * Lysander in ''

The Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

'' by Joseph Arrowsmith (1673) * Hametalhaz in ''

The Empress of Morocco ''The Empress of Morocco'' is a 1673 tragedy by the English writer Elkanah Settle. It was originally staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre in London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the U ...

'' by

(1673) *Muchland in '' The Morning Ramble'' by Henry Nevil Payne (1673) * Clarmount in '' Love and Revenge'' by

(1674) * Agis in ''

Alcibiades Alcibiades (; 450–404 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general. The last of the Alcmaeonidae, he played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War as a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician, but subsequently ...

'' by

Thomas Otway Thomas Otway (3 March 165214 April 1685) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for '' Venice Preserv'd'', or ''A Plot Discover'd'' (1682). Life Otway was born at Trotton near Midhurst, the parish of which his father ...

(1675) * King of China in '' The Conquest of China'' by

(1675) * Lord Drybone in '' The Country Wit'' by

(1676) * Captain Tilbury in '' Madam Fickle'' by Thomas D'Urfey (1676) * Montano in '' Pastor Fido'' by

(1676) * Mendozo in ''

Abdelazer ''Abdelazer; or, The Moor's Revenge'' ( or ) is a 1676 play by Aphra Behn, an adaptation of the c. 1600 tragedy '' Lust's Dominion''. It is Behn's only tragic play. Plot Abdelazer is a captive Moor living at the court of King Philip of Spain, ...

'' by

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; baptism, bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration (England), Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writ ...

(1676) * Morat in '' Ibrahim'' by

(1676) * Rui Gomez in ''

Don Carlos, Prince of Spain ''Don Carlos, Prince of Spain'' is a 1676 tragedy by the English writer Thomas Otway. It portrays the relationship between Philip II of Spain and his son and heir Don Carlos. The play is based on the novel by Abbe de Saint-Réal. It was staged ...

'' by

(1676) * Paulinus in '' Titus and Berenice'' by

(1676) * Moncado in '' The Wrangling Lovers'' by

Edward Ravenscroft Edward Ravenscroft ( – 1707) was an English dramatist who belonged to an ancient Flintshire family. He was entered at the Middle Temple, but devoted his attention mainly to literature. Ravenscroft was the first critic to posit that Shakesp ...

(1676) * Lysimachus in '' The Siege of Babylon'' by Samuel Pordage (1677) * Carles in ''

The Counterfeits ''The Counterfeits'' is a 1678 comedy play by the English writer John Leanerd. It was staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre with a cast that included Anthony Leigh as Don Gomez, Thomas Gillow as Don Luis, Thomas Betterton as ...

'' by

John Leanerd John Leanerd () was a British playwright who is known for plagiarising. Works * ''The Country Innocence, The Country Innocence; or, the Chambermaid turn'd Quaker'', London, a comedy acted at the London Theatre Royal in Lent, 1677, by the younger ...

(1678) * Agamemnon in '' The Destruction of Troy'' by John Banks (1678)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800, Volume 10''. SIU Press, 1973. {{DEFAULTSORT:Medbourne, Matthew English male stage actors 17th-century English male actors Year of birth unknown 1680 deaths Victims of the Popish Plot