William Bullock (actor)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

William Bullock (c.1657–c.1740) was an English actor known for his lively humor and comic energy. He performed at London theatres and even acted in a Bartholomew Fair booth during summers.

Life
Bullock first appears on stage in 1696 as Sly in Love's Last Shift, a production by the Drury Lane and Dorset Garden companies (he had joined the company the previous year). He originated several original parts, including Sir Tunbelly Clumsy in The Relapse (1697) and Soto in She Would and She Would Not (1702). He also acted in plays by Dryden, Wycherley, and Shadwell, staying at Drury Lane until 1706. He then moved to the Haymarket, returned to Drury Lane in 1708, went back to the Haymarket, and finally settled at Lincoln's Inn Fields from 1715 to 1726. His original roles include Clincher in The Constant Couple (1699), Boniface in The Beaux' Stratagem (1707), Twang the turn-key in A City Ramble, and Sir Francis Courtall in Tavener's The Artful Wife (1717). In 1719 he appeared in Kensington Gardens, and in 1728 he played Jemmy Twitcher in the premiere of The Beggar's Opera at Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Death and later years
Bullock’s death is reported as 18 June 1733, but records show he gave a benefit at Covent Garden on 6 January 1739, described as his first appearance on the stage for six years. He performed again on 25 April 1739 as Host in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and he also had a booth at Bartholomew Fair that summer. After this, there are no further records of him.

Family
William Bullock had three sons, all actors. The eldest, Christopher Bullock (c.1690–1724), appeared at Drury Lane, the Haymarket, and Lincoln's Inn Fields and wrote or adapted several works, including A Woman's Revenge (1715), The Cobbler of Preston, The Traitor (1718), and others.