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Lot 270
An interesting English library timepiece presented by the Actor William Terriss to Edmund Owen at the Adelphi Theatre
22 November – 9 December 2024, 12:00 GMT
Online, London, New Bond Street£800 - £1,000
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James Stratton
Director
An interesting English library timepiece presented by the Actor William Terriss to Edmund Owen at the Adelphi Theatre
The mahogany case with pineapple finial on a stepped top over glazed sides and rear door to a moulded plinth raised on button feet. The plinth set with a silver presentation plaque WILLIAM TERRISS ADELPHI THEATRE TO EDMUND OWEN. The 4 inch square silvered Roman dial with minute track and off-set winding square with blued steel hands, the single fusee movement with shaped plates united by four unusual turned and ringed pillars, with anchor escapement. Ticking. Sold together with two case keys and one winding key. 28cms (11ins) high.
Footnotes
William Terriss, born William Charles James Lewin in 1847, was a popular English actor known for his swashbuckling roles, Shakespearean performances, and his charming presence on stage. He debuted on stage in 1868 and quickly rose to fame in roles such as Robin Hood and parts in Shakespeare plays at London's West End. His career blossomed further when he joined Henry Irving's company at the Lyceum Theatre in 1880, where he played a variety of significant roles, including Cassio in *Othello* and Mercutio in *Romeo and Juliet*. Terriss was admired for his gallant and heroic style, earning the nickname "Breezy Bill." He also gained fame in melodramas at the Adelphi Theatre, where he often starred alongside Jessie Millward, a frequent collaborator and rumoured lover.
Terriss's life was tragically cut short in 1897 when he was murdered by a disgruntled actor, Richard Archer Prince, outside the stage door of the Adelphi Theatre. Despite his attempts to help Prince find work, the actor, who struggled with alcohol and mental health issues, fatally stabbed Terriss in a fit of rage. The murder shocked London, leading to Prince's conviction of insanity and his committal to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Terriss's legacy lives on through memorials, including a plaque at the Adelphi Theatre and a lifeboat house in Eastbourne. Additionally, his ghost is rumoured to haunt both the Adelphi Theatre and Covent Garden tube station, adding a supernatural layer to his enduring fame.