William Mountfort

William Mountfort (c. 1664 – 10 December 1692), English actor and dramatic writer, was the son of a Staffordshire gentleman.[1]

For other people named William Mountfort, see William Mountfort (disambiguation).

His first stage appearance was with the Dorset Garden company about 1678, and by 1682 he was taking important parts, usually those of the fine gentleman. Mountfort wrote a number of plays, wholly or in part, and many prologues and epilogues. He married, in 1686, Susanna Percival, the actress.

Owing to jealousy of Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle's supposed interest in Mountfort, Captain Richard Hill, an adventurer, who had annoyed her with persistent attentions, accompanied by Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun ambushed Mountfort in Howard Street, Strand, on 9 December 1692. During the struggle Mountfort was stabbed in the chest by Hill, he died of his wounds the following day. Following the attack Hill fled to France. Lord Mohun was tried by his peers and acquitted by a vote of 69 to 14.

The bell of St Clement's Church is reputed to have cracked when tolled at Mountfort's funeral. His daughter Susanna Mountfort became an actor at Drury Lane.

Works

An anthology of his plays, entitled Six Plays, was published by J. Tonson, G. Strahan and William Mears in two volumes (1719-20) accompanied by a preface consisting of some memoirs of his life. The plays were:[2]

  • The injur'd lovers, or, The Ambitious Father (1688)[3]
  • The Successful Strangers (1690)[4]
  • Greenwich Park
  • King Edward the Third , with the Fall of Mortimer Earl of March (generally attributed to John Bancroft)
  • The life and death of Dr. Faustus
  • Henry the Second, King of England, with the Death of Rosamond (generally attributed to John Bancroft)

It is believed that his 1705 play Zelmane: Or, The Corinthian Queen: A Tragedy. As it is Acted at the New-theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields has the first appearance of the expression, "Be still my beating heart."[5][6]

References
  1. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1894). "Mountfort, William" . Dictionary of National Biography. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 211–213.
  2. Mountfort, William; Mears, William; Strahan, G; Tonson, Jacob; Hoffman, Francis; Hogg, J; Bancroft, John; Bancroft, John (1720). Six plays. Printed for J. Tonson ..., G. Strahan ..., and W. Mears ... OCLC 810523798.
  3. MOUNTFORT, William (9 October 1688). "The Injur'd Lovers: Or, the Ambitious Father. A Tragedy, Etc. [in Five Acts and in Verse]" – via Google Books.
  4. Mountfort, William (9 October 1719). "Six Plays, Written by Mr. Mountfort. In Two Volumes. ...: The injur'd lovers. The successful stranger. Greenwich park". J. Tonson ... G. Strahan ... and W. Mears – via Google Books.
  5. Martin, Gary. "'Be still, my beating heart' - the meaning and origin of this phrase". Phrasefinder.
  6. Rayborn, Tim (22 August 2017). Shakespeare's Ear: Dark, Strange, and Fascinating Tales from the World of Theater. Skyhorse. ISBN 9781510719583 – via Google Books.
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