William Simmonds Chatterley (21 March 1787 – 1822) was an English actor. His father, originally a surgical instrument maker in

Cannon Street Cannon Street is a road in the City of London, the historic nucleus of London and its modern financial centre. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, about north of it, in the north of the City. It is the site of the ancient London S ...

filled subsequently a post in connection with

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

, at which house Chatterley made his appearance in infantine parts. He is said to have played in his third year the King of the Fairies in the 'Jubilee,' and Cupid in 'Arthur and Emmeline,' a piece which records show to have been played at Drury Lane on 5 November 1789. When, in 1791, the Drury Lane company migrated to the King's Theatre (Opera House) in the Haymarket, Chatterley accompanied it, but played no character sufficiently important to have his name mentioned. On 1 February 1795, after the return of the company, he is first publicly heard of playing Carlos in an ill-starred tragedy by

Bertie Greatheed Bertie Greatheed (1759–1826) was an English dramatist, slave owner and landowner. Life Greatheed was born on 19 October 1759, the son of the MP Samuel Greatheed of Guy's Cliffe, near Warwick, and his wife Lady Mary Bertie, daughter of Peregrin ...

, entitled '' The Regent''. On 24 September 1796 he played the Child in 'Isabella,' a version by Garrick of Southerne's 'Fatal Marriage,' to the Isabella of Mrs. Siddons. Through the recommendation of Bannister he assumed youthful characters in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, and took part in private theatricals. His connection with Drury Lane was maintained until 1804, when he accepted a country engagement. At

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

he made a success in what is technically called leading business. Palmer and Dimond secured him in 1810 for the Bath theatre, of which they were managers. Here he married, on 11 August 1813, Miss Louisa Simeon, an actress, who was known as

Louisa Chatterley Louisa Chatterley or Louisa Place born Louisa Simeon (1797 – 4 November 1866) was a British actress. She was involved in an embezzlement case, and later married a noted social reformer with fifteen children. Life Louisa Simeon was born in Piccad ...

and whose reputation remained at least on a level with his own. He reappeared in 1816 in London at the Lyceum. Irregularity of life interfered with his success, and after accepting temporary engagements at the Adelphi, the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

, the

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 other theatres, he died at Lynn in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

in 1822, a victim of most forms of excess, particularity alcohol abuse. In Bath, he played such characters as Sir Anthony Absolute, Launcelot Gobbo, Foresight in 'Love for Love,' Sir Solomon Sadlips in ''

The Double Gallant ''The Double Gallant, or the Sick Lady's Cure'' is a 1707 comedy play by the British writer Colley Cibber. It was originally performed on 1 November 1707 at the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket with a cast that included Benjamin Johnson as Si ...

''. In London, his great character was Justice Woodcock, in which he came only behind Munden and Dowton. He 'created,' on 24 May 1799, the rôle of the boy in ''

Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Spain, to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...

'' by

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

. Mrs. Chatterley, who was an agreeable actress in comedy, had the reputation of being the best representative of a Frenchwoman on the English stage.

References

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterley, William Simmonds 1787 births 1822 deaths 18th-century English male actors 19th-century English male actors English male stage actors Male actors from London