FITZBALL

fitzball, edward (1792-1873), english dramatist, whose real patronymic was ball, was born at burwell, cambridgeshire, in 1792. his father was a well-to-do farmer, and fitzball, after receiving his schooling at newmarket, was apprenticed to a norwich printer in 1809. he produced some dramatic pieces at the local theatre, and eventually the marked success of his _innkeeper of abbeville, or the ostler and the robber_ (1820), together with the friendly acceptance of one of his pieces at the surrey theatre by thomas dibdin, induced him to settle in london. during the next twenty-five years he produced a great number of plays, most of which were highly successful. he had a special talent for nautical drama. his _floating beacon_ (surrey theatre, 19th of april 1824) ran for 140 nights, and his _pilot_ (adelphi, 1825) for 200 nights. his greatest triumph in melodrama was perhaps _jonathan bradford, or the murder at the roadside inn_ (surrey theatre, 12th of june 1833). he was at one time stock dramatist and reader of plays at covent garden, and afterwards at drury lane. he had a considerable reputation as a song-writer and as a librettist in opera. the last years of his life were spent in retirement at chatham, where he died on the 27th of october 1873. his autobiography, _thirty-five years of a dramatic author's life_ (2 vol., 1859), is a naive record of his career. numbers of his plays are printed in _cumberland's minor british theatre, dick's standard plays_ and _lacy's acting edition of plays_.