Robert William Elliston.

He was one of Jane Austen’s favourite actors. We can presume that, as his time at the Orchard Street Theatre in Bath coincided with JA’s residency there, that she saw him perform in Bath. Certainly she seems to have taken a lively interest in his life;

In 1807 she wrote to Cassandra;

Elliston she (Aunt Leigh Perrot) tells us has just succeeded to a considerable fortune on the death of an uncle. I would not have it enough to take him from the stage; she (Mrs Elliston) should quit her business, & live with him in London.

She was referring to the fact that Mrs Elliston was in a partnership in Bath running a dance and deportment academy, and remained in Bath, even though her husband had moved to London to further his career. She did provide him with songs she had written for the stage when he performed at his theatre in Manchester.

Let’s go back to the beginning of Ellliston’s career.

At the age of 17 he ran away to Bath where he began to perform at the Orchard Street Theatre Royal. He had obviously been affected with the “itch for acting” at school- he had performed in “private “ theatricals at the Lyceum theatre while at school.

He moved to London to further his career as we have found out from Aunt Leigh Perrot's gossip, in 1807.He was very successful and had no rival as a comedian.
Hazlitt wrote of him;

There is a joyousness in his look, his voice and manner; he…writes himself comedian in any book, warrant of acquaintance; hits the town between wind and water, between farce and tragedy; touches the string and a mock heroic sentiment with due pathos and vivacity; and makes the best strolling gentleman, or needy poet, on the stage

The London Magazine, January 1820.

He was also a rather successful actor manager. He began as a manager of minor un-patented London Theatres –The Royal Circus and the Olympic Pavilion-, and by his efforts paved the way for the repeal of the harsh 1737 Licensing Act (drafting a bill for parliament himself and trying to promote them) in order to try and end the monopoly of the two great patent theatres-Dury Lane and Covent garden (and the summer monopoly of the Little Theatre in the Haymarket.)

Elliston's problem was drink. He became less and less able to display his talent to the full, as JA, that perceptive critic of acting performances noted;

"We were too tired to stay for the whole of Illusion {Nourjahad}, which has 3 acts;-there was a great deal of finery & dancing in it, but I think little merit. Elliston was Nourjahad but it is a solemn sort of part, not at all calculated for his powers. There was nothing of the best Elliston about him. I might not have known him but for his voice."
Letter pp257-58.

He eventually became the manager of the Birmingham theatre Royal and eventually, the Theatre Royal Dury Lane.

However, sadly he became less and less able to carry on successfully in the theatre business and in 1826 he retired ,bankrupt ,through his addiction to drinking and gambling.