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575:, and he and Terriss were seen to argue the next night in Terriss's dressing room in the Adelphi Theatre. On the day of the murder Prince asked for money at the Fund's office, but was told that his request could not be considered that day. He then apparently crossed the street and waited for Terriss, concealed in a doorway near the Adelphi's stage door.
568:, in which Prince had a minor role, Terriss took offence to something that Prince said about him and had Prince dismissed. Terriss, however, sent small sums of money to Prince via the Actors' Benevolent Fund, and continued to try to find him acting work. By the end of 1897, Prince was destitute and desperate for work, but he had become unemployable.
22:
222:
and other unsuccessful ventures, he returned to
England, working briefly in a hospital where his brother was a surgeon, and then as an apprentice engineer. Having enjoyed amateur theatricals, he decided to try the stage, adopting the stage-name William Terriss. His first appearance on stage was at
276:
Over the next few years he established his acting career. His handsome presence, fine voice, friendly demeanour and gallant bearing made him one of
Britain's most popular actors. Because of his swashbuckling style, he became famous in hero parts and was known as "Breezy Bill". In 1873, at the
465:), which ran for 513 performances. The pair established themselves as romantic leads together and presumably became lovers. In 1887 Terriss and Millward were engaged at the Adelphi in its melodramas, with Terriss in the hero parts, beginning with Frank Beresford in
469:(1887). He excited the audience at the Adelphi in both passionate love scenes and in fighting scenes. For the next half dozen years, he rejoined Irving at the Lyceum, where his most acclaimed roles included the title role in
564:. Terriss had helped the struggling younger actor to find work in various productions that he had a hand in. However, Prince had, over the years, increasingly abused alcohol and become mentally unstable. During the run of
273:, among other plays. His wanderlust again compelled him to take his young family to America, this time Kentucky, to breed horses. Again failing to find financial success, Terriss returned to London in 1873.
180:. Carr later wrote of Terriss's school days that "if he gained but little learning, he at any rate acquired a perfect mastery in the art of tree-climbing". Terriss then studied at Windermere College and
667:
reported that a ghost has been seen many times at the Covent Garden tube station, identified from a photograph as
Terriss, though sightings have lessened over the years. A 2008 documentary,
613:
seafront in his memory. It still stands there with a memorial plaque. There is also a plaque on the wall by the stage door of the
Adelphi Theatre recording his murder. The Terriss Theatre in
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432:
and travelled with the Lyceum company on its 1883â1884 American tour. Terriss and Irving became close friends. Terriss also became close with his neighbour,
617:, built in 1899, was named after him. It became the Rotherhithe Hippodrome in 1907 but was demolished in 1955; the site is now the Rotherhithe Free Church.
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59:
and tried several professions abroad and at home. Adopting the stage name
William Terriss, he made his first stage appearance in 1868 and was first in the
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253:, where he tried his hand at sheep-farming and other rustic jobs. In 1871 Terriss returned to London with his wife and baby. He had successes at the
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184:, without taking a degree. He loved the adventurous, outdoor life. He married Isabel Lewis (stage name Amy Fellowes) in 1870 and had a daughter,
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303:, among others. He continued to play in various London theatres in the mid-1870s such roles as Julian Peveril in a successful adaptation of
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In
December 1885 Terriss met 24-year-old Jessie Millward, with whom he starred as David Kingsley in the extraordinarily successful
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508:. Subsequent plays were also great successes for Terriss and the theatre. Terriss's last appearance was as Captain Thorne in
40:, as well as parts in classic dramas and comedies. He was also a notable Shakespearean performer. He was the father of the
484:
In 1894 Terriss rejoined the
Adelphi, earning even greater fame in melodrama. In 1895, he had a great critical success in
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The murder became a sensation in the London press. At the trial Prince was found guilty but insane and sent to
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called
Terriss "one of the greatest and next to Henry Irving undoubtedly the most popular actor in England".
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A portrait of
Terriss hangs in the stairwell of Denville Hall, the home for retired Actors and Actresses in
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1100:
777:, A & C Black, 1920â2008, online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 8 January 2012
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203:, who became an actor and later a well known film director. His aunt and uncle were the writer
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was later quoted as saying that "Terriss was an actor, so his murderer will not be executed."
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from the late 1880s, among other roles. In 1897, he was stabbed to death by a deranged actor,
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481:(1893). In 1889â90, and again in 1893â94, Terriss and Millward toured in the US with Irving.
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and quickly established himself as one of
Britain's most popular actors. In 1880, he joined
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108:. They toured Britain and America together. Terriss played the hero parts in Adelphi
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628:. Henry Irving was the first President of the organisation until his death in 1905.
504:. His son-in-law, Seymour Hicks, wrote the piece at the suggestion of the dramatist
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950:, p. 222, New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books; Hal Leonard Corp. (2003)
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through the stage door in Maiden Lane to prepare for the evening's performance of
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Some eminent Victorians: personal recollections in the world of art and letters
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1138:. The Singular Society of the Baker Street Dozen, 2002, accessed 31 March 2011
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William Terriss and Richard Prince: Two Characters in an Adelphi Melodrama
36:, was an English actor, known for his swashbuckling hero roles, such as
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571:
On 13 December 1897 Prince was forcibly ejected from the foyer of the
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1244:, 2009 book about Terriss and his relationship with Jessie Millward
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Terriss was the third and youngest son of George Herbert Lewin, a
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20:
1224:(Westminster: Archibald Constable, 1898). OCLC Number: 253652912
120:, where he was appearing. Terriss's ghost is supposed to haunt
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to much acclaim, including the title characters in Romeo and
382:, playing such parts as Cassio in Irving's hit production of
1193:(London: Harrap Ltd., A Futura Book, 1986), pp. 1â71.
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role was the small part of Lord Cloudrays in a revival of
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to enthusiastic notices. In 1895 he acted there opposite
1021:
Article referring to the Adelphi melodramas and Terriss
73:
in 1871. In the same year he had major successes in
1248:great great granddaughter with Theatrical archive
771:"Terriss, William (William Charles James Lewin)"
609:, London. A lifeboat house was built in 1898 on
345:, in the late 1870s, he was Captain Absolute in
55:Athletic as a child, Terriss briefly joined the
32:(20 February 1847 â 16 December 1897), born as
1208:(1987; London: Society for Theatre Research)
944:De Young, Jim, John Miller and Nathan Silver.
631:A fictionalised version of Terriss's murder,
319:. In 1878 he had a hit as Squire Thornhill in
309:and the title role in the stage adaptation of
1091:, Brompton Cemetery, accessed 11 January 2012
8:
739:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
552:On 16 December 1897, as he was entering the
450:that followed, he again earned high praise.
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655:Legend has it that Terriss's ghost haunts
1134:The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
644:The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
293:, and was popular as Captain Molyneux in
281:, he appeared as Doricourt in the comedy
1173:, at 43:45 of the video, 5 November 2008
1121:, Geograph.org, accessed 20 January 2017
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736:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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733:Foulkes, Richard. "Terriss, William".
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996:"Obituary, Mr. Robert Courtneidge",
793:(Duckworth & Co., 1908), pp. 3-4
199:. He also had two sons, William and
341:. Among other roles, especially in
1273:1897 murders in the United Kingdom
1221:The Life of William Terriss, Actor
89:, appearing in Shakespeare plays.
14:
1101:City of Westminster green plaques
932:, Actors' Benevolent Fund website
659:and the Adelphi Theatre. A 2005
580:Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum
1313:19th-century English male actors
542:Terriss's murder as depicted in
1278:Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford
223:the Prince of Wales Theatre in
136:Terriss as Squire Thornhill in
1308:People murdered in Westminster
624:, England. The home is run by
1:
663:documentary on ghosts on the
1323:Deaths by stabbing in London
1288:Burials at Brompton Cemetery
753:UK public library membership
626:The Actors' Charitable Trust
92:In 1885, he met 24-year-old
930:"Murder of William Terriss"
637:, was broadcast in 2002 on
545:The Illustrated Police News
172:, where he was a friend of
154:William Charles James Lewin
152:Friend. His birth name was
116:, at the stage door of the
34:William Charles James Lewin
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1089:List of cemetery residents
815:"The Terriss Tragedy", in
657:Covent Garden tube station
475:(1892) and as Henry II in
218:, and as a tea-planter in
214:After brief stints in the
160:, London, and educated at
122:Covent Garden tube station
96:, with whom he starred in
1283:English male stage actors
1166:Ghosts on the Underground
1119:"Rotherhithe Free Church"
669:Ghosts on the Underground
255:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
247:Prince of Wales's Theatre
124:and the Adelphi Theatre.
16:English actor (1847â1897)
1235:Information about Archer
1058:, 17 December 1897, p. 3
818:New York Dramatic Mirror
515:New York Dramatic Mirror
190:Edwardian musical comedy
42:Edwardian musical comedy
25:William Terriss, c. 1880
1328:1890s murders in London
1303:Male actors from London
840:London Evening Standard
634:The Star of the Adelphi
496:. This was followed by
1293:English murder victims
1070:, 9 January 1898, p.16
1011:Smythe, pp. 98 and 112
908:, 26 April 1884, p. 21
745:10.1093/ref:odnb/27144
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467:The Bells of Haslemere
429:Much Ado About Nothing
397:The Merchant of Venice
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330:The Vicar of Wakefield
227:in 1868 as Chouser in
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48:and the film director
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1002:, 8 April 1939, p. 14
917:Smythe, pp. 74 and 79
605:Terriss is buried in
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562:Richard Archer Prince
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443:Pygmalion and Galatea
402:The Belle's Stratagem
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284:The Belle's Stratagem
182:Jesus College, Oxford
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128:Life and early career
114:Richard Archer Prince
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1106:16 July 2012 at the
947:London Theatre Walks
486:Swordsman's Daughter
245:in 1870, at the old
148:, and his wife Mary
1185:Goodman, Jonathan.
1171:The History Channel
1130:Prepolec, Charles.
673:The History Channel
598:Terriss's grave in
434:George Bernard Shaw
323:, an adaptation by
306:Peveril of the Peak
166:Bruce Castle School
1218:Smythe, Arthur J.
1155:, 25 October 2005]
1149:"City of the Dead"
1068:The New York Times
1056:The New York Times
906:The New York Times
842:, 22 December 1887
821:, 21 December 1897
665:London Underground
603:
573:Vaudeville Theatre
566:The Harbour Lights
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500:, inspired by the
455:The Harbour Lights
378:'s company at the
374:In 1880 he joined
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369:The Harbour Lights
207:and the historian
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98:The Harbour Lights
85:'s company at the
27:
1241:Final Performance
1204:Rowell, George.
1034:Smythe, chapter V
966:Smythe, pp. 80â87
896:Smythe, pp. 69â71
887:Smythe, pp. 56â68
878:Smythe, pp. 48â56
860:Smythe, pp. 27â30
851:Smythe, pp. 19â20
751:(Subscription or
622:Northwood, London
607:Brompton Cemetery
600:Brompton Cemetery
312:Nicholas Nickleby
162:Christ's Hospital
156:. He was born in
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447:
441:
427:
419:
415:
412:James Albery
405:
401:
395:
389:
383:
376:Henry Irving
373:
368:
363:Terriss and
346:
333:, alongside
328:
320:
310:
304:
298:
288:
282:
275:
266:
262:
258:
240:
231:. His first
228:
213:
209:George Grote
153:
149:
143:
137:
97:
91:
83:Henry Irving
78:
74:
68:
54:
33:
29:
28:
18:
1268:1897 deaths
1263:1847 births
1136:: Reviewed"
775:Who Was Who
641:as part of
639:BBC Radio 4
615:Rotherhithe
335:Ellen Terry
325:W. G. Wills
265:, based on
50:Tom Terriss
1257:Categories
755:required.)
679:References
611:Eastbourne
534:stage door
472:Henry VIII
459:G. R. Sims
355:Peak years
348:The Rivals
259:Robin Hood
225:Birmingham
110:melodramas
102:G. R. Sims
75:Robin Hood
38:Robin Hood
999:The Times
661:Channel 5
416:Two Roses
343:melodrama
170:Tottenham
146:barrister
1104:Archived
984:Rowell,
186:Ellaline
61:West End
1180:Sources
385:Othello
315:at the
267:Ivanhoe
263:Rebecca
261:and in
242:Society
79:Rebecca
70:Society
1212:
1197:
986:passim
954:
749:
548:(1897)
522:Murder
512:. The
478:Becket
448:Olivia
391:Hamlet
321:Olivia
220:Bengal
140:, 1878
138:Olivia
651:Ghost
257:, in
44:star
1210:ISBN
1195:ISBN
952:ISBN
492:and
461:and
457:(by
337:and
176:and
164:and
104:and
77:and
741:doi
488:by
414:'s
367:in
327:of
297:'s
269:by
239:'s
201:Tom
150:nÊe
100:by
67:'s
63:in
1259::
1169:,
1151:,
1048:^
1027:^
937:^
922:^
798:^
789:,
773:,
761:^
695:^
647:.
351:.
211:.
168:,
52:.
1201:.
1132:"
747:.
743::
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