Background
John Henry was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1738.
John Henry was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1738.
Henry received a liberal education.
Henry made his début in 1762 at Drury Lane, London. It has been stated that he came out under the patronage of Thomas Sheridan, the father of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, but that he did not succeed. Leaving England, he played for a time in Jamaica, West Indies, and then made his American début at the Southwark Theatre, Philadelphia, October 6, 1767.
When war with England impended and colonial theatres were closed by recommendation of Congress, the American Company of Comedians early in 1775 departed for Jamaica, where it remained until peace was restored. For the season of 1779-1780 Henry was engaged at Drury Lane, acting Othello among other roles.
In 1782 he was again in America looking after the property of the company and giving lectures and readings in New York. About this time he adapted The School for Soldiers; or, The Deserter, a version of a French play, for the Old American Company, as it was now called. Leading his actors back to these shores in 1785, he almost immediately united forces with Lewis Hallam, a prominent member of the pre-Revolutionary company, who for some months had been managing a feeble troupe in this country.
During their partnership Hallam and Henry were often at violent odds, being rival actors and quarrelsome by nature, but for the next seven years they had a monopoly of the American theatre from New York to Annapolis. In 1791, however, the comedian Thomas Wignell, after disagreements with Henry, resigned from the organization and set about forming a company of his own. Thus threatened, Henry sailed for England in 1792 to obtain reënforcements and brought back some able actors, chief among them being John Hodgkinson. He at once set about robbing Henry of the roles he had long played, and in this procedure the newcomer had the connivance of the crafty Hallam, who was glad to see his partner undone. Henry resisted for a time, but his spirit was soon broken, and in 1794 he sold his half of the property for $10, 000 to Hallam, who promptly resold it to Hodgkinson.
Henry's death from rapid consumption, perhaps aggravated by distress of mind, followed shortly upon this transaction.
Henry was handsome. This amazing person was as unscrupulous as he was gifted and ambitious. William Dunlap described Henry as being six feet tall, and also stated that he was "uncommonly handsome. "
Henry's private life was a source of gossip during his day. He rode in a private coach, which was unusual for the time, and though seen as ostentatious he maintained it was because he had gout. Henry also had two wives, sisters with the surname Storer who were both actresses. The first wife Jane, and their two young children, died at sea during a ship fire in 1767 off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Henry and Jane's younger sister Ann survived. Henry and Ann then lived together (and she may have bore him a son), but likely never formally married. Henry eventually married younger sister Maria.