Item TAT/1/2 - Account book of Tate Wilkinson Theatres

Identity area

Reference code

TAT/1/2

Title

Account book of Tate Wilkinson Theatres

Date(s)

  • 1781-1783 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 volume

Context area

Name of creator

(1739-1803)

Biographical history

Tate Wilkinson was born in 1739. The son of a clergyman, he was educated at Harrow.

His first attempts at acting were badly received, and it was to his wonderful gift of mimicry that he owed his success. His imitations, however, naturally gave offence to the important actors and managers whose peculiarities he hit off to the life. Garrick, Peg Woffington, Samuel Foote and Sheridan, after being delighted with the imitations of the others, were among the most angry when it came to their turn, and threatened never to forgive him. Garrick never did.

As an actor, Wilkinson was most successful in Foote's plays, but his list of parts was a long one. In Shakespearian characters he was very popular in the provinces. In 1766 he became a partner of Joseph Baker in the management of several Yorkshire theatres, and married about 1768. He became sole manager after his partner's death in 1770 of a number of theatres on what was then called the Yorkshire Circuit, and he was both liberal and successful. The Theatre, Leeds, built to his order in 1771, was part of the circuit. In 1769 he took over York Theatre Royal, where he also had living quarters.

He died in 1803.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Includes income and expenditure for theatres at Hull, York, Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield.

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Material is available subject to the usual terms and conditions of access to Archives and Local History collections.

Conditions governing reproduction

Images are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Language and script notes

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    Alternative identifier(s)

    legacy

    Y792

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