William Hunter Kendal

Background

He was born William Hunter Grimston in London on the 16th of December 1843, the son of a painter. He was the eldest son in the family.

Career

He made his first stage appearance at Glasgow in 1862 as Louis XIV, in A Life's Revenge, billed as "Mr Kendall. " After some experience at Birmingham and elsewhere, he joined the Haymarket company in London in 1866, acting everything from burlesque to Romeo.

Together with his wife ss " Mr and Mrs Kendal " their professional careers then became inseparable. Mrs Kendal's first stage appearance was as Marie, "a child" in The Orphan of the Frozen Sea in 1854 in London. She soon showed such talent both as actress and singer that she secured numerous engagements, and by 1865 was playing Ophelia and Desdemona. She was Mary Meredith in Our American Cousin with Sothern, and Pauline to his Claud Melnotte. But her real triumphs were at the Haymarket in Shakespearian revivals and the old English comedies. While Mr Kendal played Orlando, ' Charles Surface, Jack Absolute and Young Marlowe, his wife made the combination perfect with her Rosalind, Lady Teazle, Lydia Languish and Kate Hardcastle; and she created Galatea in Gilbert's Pygmalion and Galatea (1871). Short seasons followed at the Court theatre and at the Prince of Wales's, at the latter of which they joined the Bancrofts in Diplomacy and other plays.

Then in 1879 began a long association with Mr (afterwards Sir John) Hare as joint-managers of the St James's theatre, some of their notable successes being in The Squire, Impulse, The Ironmaster and A Scrap of Paper. In 1888, however, the Hare and Kendal regime came to an end. From that time Mr and Mrs Kendal chiefly toured in the provinces and in America, with an occasional season at rare intervals in London. 728

Achievements

• He and his wife Madge starred at the Haymarket in Shakespearian revivals and the old English comedies beginning in the 1860s. They starred at and jointly managed (with John Hare) the St. James's Theatre.

Personality

Kendal was a skilful businessman, manager and art collector, investing his share of the theatre's profits, after making sure to purchase some jewellery for his wife and a painting for himself. He assembled a fine collection of contemporary paintings, which the couple displayed in their homes.

Interests

• He enjoyed fishing, shooting, cycling and riding.

Connections

In 1869 he married Madge Kendal, a sister of the dramatist, T. W. Robertson. They had five children, but they became estranged from them.

Father:

Edward Hunter Grimston

Mother:

Louisa née Rider

Spouse:

Madge Kendal

Partner:

Sir John Hare