Ralph Sherwin (April 1799 – 1830) was an English actor. During a short career he appeared for three years at Drury Lane.

Life

Sherwin was born in April 1799 at Bishop Auckland in County Durham. He was educated at

Witton-le-Wear Witton-le-Wear is a village in County Durham, North East England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Wear, to the north-west of Bishop Auckland. Geography and administration Witton-le-Wear is part of the North West Durham Parliamen ...

, and studied medicine for five years in London and Edinburgh. He was inspired to take to the stage on becoming acquainted with

Frederick Henry Yates Frederick Henry Yates (4 February 1797 – 21 June 1842) was an English actor and theatre manager. Life Yates was born in London, the youngest son of Thomas Yates, a tobacco manufacturer, of Thames Street and Russell Square. Frederick was educ ...

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 sit ...

, and his first appearance was made in York in July 1818, under Mansell. He remained in the York company for two years, acting in Leeds, Hull, and Sheffield. He then went to the

Theatre Royal, Birmingham The Theatre Royal, until 1807 the New Street Theatre, or, colloquially, New Theatre, was a 2000-seat theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England. It was erected in 1774 and demolished in 1956. The theatre was damaged by fire in 1792 ...

, under

Alfred Bunn Alfred Bunn (April 8, 1796 in LondonDecember 20, 1860 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) was an English theatrical manager. He was married to Margaret Agnes (née Somerville) Bunn, a minor actress, in 1819. Biography Bunn was appointed stage manager of Drur ...

, losing his wardrobe when the theatre was burned down. At Brighton, under John Brunton Jr, he played low comedy and old men, subsequently rejoining Bunn at Leicester, and reappearing in the newly erected theatre in Birmingham. In February 1823, as "Sherwin from York", he appeared at Drury Lane, playing Dandie Dinmont in ''

Guy Mannering ''Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer'' is the second of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1815. According to an introduction that Scott wrote in 1829, he had originally intended to write a story of the supernatura ...

'' to the Dominie Sampson of

John Liston John Liston (c. 1776 – 22 March 1846), English comedian, was born in London. He made his public debut on the stage at Weymouth as Lord Duberley in '' The Heir at Law''. After several dismal failures in tragic parts, some of them in sup ...

. Engaged for three years, he acted Robin in '' No Song, No Supper'', Paddock in ''My Spouse and I'', Diggory Delph in ''Family Jars'', and other parts. He was, in February 1825, the original Shock, a very poor shepherd, in

Joseph Lunn Joseph Lunn (9 April 1784 – 12 December 1863) was an English dramatist, mostly of comedies and farces. Many of them were produced at the Haymarket Theatre in London. Life Lunn was born in Woolwich in 1784, son of William Lunn and his wife Mary. ...

's adaptation ''The Shepherd of Derwent Vale, or the Innocent Culprit''; in May he was Sam Sharpset in ''The Slave'' to

William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the ...

's Gambia, and in June he played Russet in ''

The Jealous Wife ''The Jealous Wife'' is a 1761 British play by George Colman the Elder. A comedy, it was first performed at the Drury Lane Theatre on 12 February 1761 and ran for 19 performances in its first season and 70 by the end of the century. It was tra ...

''. Few opportunities were, however, given him, and at the end of the three years he seems not to have been re-engaged. Irregular habits were the reputed cause of his dismissal. He then took to driving a stage-coach, which he upset, returning for a short time to the stage. He died in 1830, in Durham, at his father's house.

His character

Joseph Knight wrote: "Sherwin had a fine face and figure, expressive features, and a voice smooth and powerful. He was a good mimic, could sketch likenesses with remarkable fidelity, and was an efficient representative of Yorkshire characters. His talent was, however, impaired by indulgence."

References

Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwin, Ralph 1799 births 1830 deaths People from Bishop Auckland Male actors from County Durham 19th-century English male actors English male stage actors