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typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:William_O%27Brien_(actor).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg/220px-William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="309" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg/330px-William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg/440px-William_O%27Brien_%28actor%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="569" data-file-height="800" /></a><figcaption>William O'Brien, ca. 1765</figcaption></figure> <p><b>William O'Brien</b> (c.1740–1815) was an Irish actor and playwright. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Career">Career</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Career"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>William O'Brien was probably born in <a href="/wiki/County_Clare" title="County Clare">County Clare</a> in about 1740 to a family which claimed a distant connection to the <a href="/wiki/Viscount_Clare" title="Viscount Clare">Viscounts Clare</a>. His father was a fencing master in Dublin<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/David_Garrick" title="David Garrick">David Garrick</a> brought O'Brien over to London from Dublin in 1758 to join his actor's company at <a href="/wiki/Theatre_Royal,_Drury_Lane" title="Theatre Royal, Drury Lane">Drury Lane</a>. O'Brien was successful in a number of roles, particularly Shakespeare and contemporary comedies.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He eloped with Lady Susannah "Susan" Fox-Strangways, eldest daughter of <a href="/wiki/Stephen_Fox-Strangways,_1st_Earl_of_Ilchester" title="Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester">Stephen Fox</a>, the first <a href="/wiki/Earl_of_Ilchester" title="Earl of Ilchester">Earl of Ilchester</a>, whom he had met when they both performed in amateur theatricals at <a href="/wiki/Holland_House" title="Holland House">Holland House</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Their marriage, which took place on 7 April 1764 at St. Paul's Church, Covent Gardens, was disapproved of by Lady Susan's family. </p><p>Following the marriage, O'Brien retired from the stage. The couple were forced for a time to travel to North America, because of the social scandal caused by their elopement. They set sail for New York in September 1764. Although neither husband nor wife were happy there, they travelled widely, sailing up the Hudson, travelling west to Niagara Falls, and then north to Quebec where O'Brien briefly served as a barrack master. In 1768, he was gazetted Secretary and Provost-Master-General of the Bermudas. </p><p>On their return to England in 1770, the O'Briens lived for a time in London where O'Brien entered a brief but unsuccessful career as a playwright. He was the author of two plays, <i>Cross-Purposes</i> (1772) and <i>The Duel</i> (1773). The diarist <a href="/wiki/James_Boswell" title="James Boswell">James Boswell</a> described O'Brien as "a lively little fellow, but priggish" and "quite the fine man about town".<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Lady Susan O'Brien (1743 – 1827), wife of William O'Brien, ca. 1761." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg/220px-Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="292" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg/330px-Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Lady_Susan_Fox-Strangways.jpg 2x" data-file-width="342" data-file-height="454" /></a><figcaption>Lady Susan O'Brien (1743 – 1827), ca. 1761.</figcaption></figure> <p>The O'Briens later moved to live at a Strangways family property, Stinsford House, in <a href="/wiki/Dorset" title="Dorset">Dorset</a>. The couple had no children. O'Brien served as Receiver-General of Dorset until shortly before his death in 1815. O'Brien and Lady Susan were buried together at the church of St Michael's at <a href="/wiki/Stinsford" title="Stinsford">Stinsford</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="In_popular_culture">In popular culture</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: In popular culture"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Nicholas Irons portrayed O'Brien in the 1999 TV miniseries <i><a href="/wiki/Aristocrats_(TV_series)" title="Aristocrats (TV series)">Aristocrats</a></i>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/ecco/004802880.0001.000?view=toc">Cross purposes: a farce of two acts, as it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden</a></i> (1772).</li> <li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=AFJiAAAAcAAJ">The Duel</a></i> (1773).</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output 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.citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Media,4249,en.pdf">"The Worthies of Thomond, II"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>www.limerickcity.ie</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">23 December</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.limerickcity.ie&rft.atitle=The+Worthies+of+Thomond%2C+II&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.limerickcity.ie%2Fmedia%2FMedia%2C4249%2Cen.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+O%27Brien+%28actor%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRands2001" class="citation journal cs1">Rands, Susan (2001). "<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'Publicity perpetuates the mortification': the marriage of William O'Brien and Lady Susan Fox-Strangways". <i>Studies in Theatre and Performance</i>. <b>21</b> (1): 52–56. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1386%2Fstap.21.1.52">10.1386/stap.21.1.52</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1468-2761">1468-2761</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:191582008">191582008</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Studies+in+Theatre+and+Performance&rft.atitle=%27Publicity+perpetuates+the+mortification%27%3A+the+marriage+of+William+O%27Brien+and+Lady+Susan+Fox-Strangways&rft.volume=21&rft.issue=1&rft.pages=52-56&rft.date=2001&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A191582008%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.issn=1468-2761&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1386%2Fstap.21.1.52&rft.aulast=Rands&rft.aufirst=Susan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+O%27Brien+%28actor%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Joanna Martin <i>Wives and Daughters: Women and Children in the Georgian Country House</i> 1852852712 <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=mlhWVheyS-0C&pg=PA38">p.38</a> "For she was in love with William O'Brien, an actor of whom no member of her family could possibly be expected to approve. William O'Brien's origins are, to say the least, obscure. The best evidence that we have is a biographical note written .. Their only child, William, had been born in London, circa 1740, and his mother had died two days later."</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jamesboswell.info/biography/william-obrien-actor-and-provost-master-general-bermudas">"William O'Brien - Actor and Provost-Master-General of the Bermudas | James Boswell .info"</a>. <i>www.jamesboswell.info</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">23 December</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.jamesboswell.info&rft.atitle=William+O%27Brien+-+Actor+and+Provost-Master-General+of+the+Bermudas+%7C+James+Boswell+.info&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jamesboswell.info%2Fbiography%2Fwilliam-obrien-actor-and-provost-master-general-bermudas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+O%27Brien+%28actor%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHyams1970" class="citation book cs1">Hyams, John (1970). <i>Dorset</i>. B T Batsford Ltd. pp. 156–7. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7134-0066-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-7134-0066-8"><bdi>0-7134-0066-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Dorset&rft.pages=156-7&rft.pub=B+T+Batsford+Ltd&rft.date=1970&rft.isbn=0-7134-0066-8&rft.aulast=Hyams&rft.aufirst=John&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWilliam+O%27Brien+%28actor%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline 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style="width:1%">National</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/105519262X">Germany</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n83066939">United States</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb14312323d">France</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb14312323d">BnF data</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="O'Brien, William <ca. 1740-1815>"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://opac.sbn.it/nome/BCTV014528">Italy</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dbn.bn.org.pl/descriptor-details/9810535805905606">Poland</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&oldid=1244953621">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_O%27Brien_(actor)&oldid=1244953621</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:1740s_births" title="Category:1740s births">1740s births</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:18th-century_Irish_male_actors" title="Category:18th-century Irish male actors">18th-century Irish male 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