Robert Jephson
Robert Jephson was an Irish playwright and member of the literary elite in London during the latter half of the eighteenth century. Born in Dublin, he was influenced early on by education at a school that emphasized dramatic arts, which shaped his skills in acting, directing, and set design. After a brief military career cut short by health issues, Jephson moved to London, where he established a reputation for his charming personality and social skills. He found financial security through a political appointment and ultimately became a member of Parliament.
Jephson's writing career began with his successful play "Braganza" in 1775, and he continued to produce several notable works, including "The Law of Lombardy" and "The Count of Narbonne," which introduced Gothic elements to British theatre. His plays were often staged at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, where they received considerable attention. Although his last play, "Conspiracy," was not well-received in its time, modern scholars have begun to reassess its merits, recognizing it as a stronger work than originally thought. Jephson's contributions to theatre and literature highlight his significance in the cultural landscape of his era.
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Robert Jephson
Playwright
- Born: October 2, 1904
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
- Died: May 31, 1803
- Place of death: Blackrock, Ireland
Biography
In the latter half of the eighteenth century, Irish playwright Robert Jephson was compared favorably to William Shakespeare. Among his friends and admirers were many of London’s most influential people. Jephson’s plays, often opening in Dublin, Ireland, were regularly performed at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London, of which David Garrick was the manager.
Jephson was the younger son of John Jephson, was archdeacon of Cloyne. It was Jephson’s good fortune that, at the age of eleven, his father sent him to a school run by Reverend Roger Ford in Dublin, Ireland, Jephson’s birthplace. Ford placed considerable emphasis on drama and encouraged boys in his charge to mount productions of plays. Jephson and his close friend, Edmond Malone, both benefitted as adults from this exposure to the stage, having the opportunities to act, direct, build sets, and generally learn the intricacies of play production. ActorCharles Macklin took an interest in Ford’s school and often participated in supervising its dramatic activities. Jephson learned more at Ford’s school than he did in the two years he subsequently spent attending Trinity College, Dublin, where he was an indifferent and uninterested student.
Upon leaving Trinity College, Jephson joined the army, where he became a captain. In 1761, however, he left military service because of ill health and was granted a pension of half pay. The next year, Jephson moved to London, where he became a fixture in the city’s substantial and sophisticated literary set. Apparently, he had a pleasing personality and the social graces that made him acceptable in the best circles. He was also a great mimic, which was an amusing asset socially.
Jephson attracted the attention of Charles Townsend. When Townsend’s brother, Lord Townsend, went to Ireland as viceroy in 1766, he appointed Jephson master of the horse with an annual retainer of five hundred pounds. Jephson, who kept this post until his death in 1803, was sufficiently secure financially to marry Jane Barry in 1767. In the 1760’s and early 1770’s, Jephson wrote a number of political essays, and in 1775 he was elected a member of Parliament, representing various locations until 1788.
Jephson’s career as a playwright began in 1775 with the production of his Braganza at Drury Lane. Garrick, who had a financial interest in seeing the play succeed, mounted a spectacular production of the play that proved overwhelmingly successful. This success gave Jephson leave, with royal permission, to dedicate his next play, The Law of Lombardy, to King George III. Jephson made a unique contribution in the play that followed, The Count of Narbonne, based on Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto (1765), by introducing strong Gothic elements to the British stage. Several more plays followed between 1780 and 1796, all of them reasonably successful save for the last one, Conspiracy. Despite its lack of contemporary acceptance, recent scholars have reconsidered Conspiracy and deem it to be a stronger play than did eighteenth century audiences.