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This person is mentioned in the diary a total of 30 times, but was not at home (N) 3 times, and was a venue (V) 4 times.
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5 February 1817 22 March 1817 21 April 1817
7 November 1818 11 November 1818
13 February 1823 13 February 1823
2 March 1830 (NV) 25 March 1830 28 March 1830 (V) 11 April 1830 (NV) 2 May 1830 (NV) 2 August 1830
29 August 1831 2 September 1831 12 September 1831 5 October 1831
See DNB.
There is no doubt about the presence of the actor in the diary - the first ref is to seeing him perform: 'Theatre, Kean in Richard; w. M J.' However, Godwin does not appear to have known Edmund Kean very well. They seem to have met in 1817 through the auspices of James Kenney, but there is no evidence of intimacy. There are a couple of calls in 1830 and Godwin writes to him on a few occasions but the spate of calls to Kean in 1824 seem more likely to relate to the solicitor Edward Keane. Godwin appears to have been undecided for some time on whether to denote this man as Kean or Keane but finally settles on the latter. In any case, the intense contact over a couple of months is concerned with Godwin's legal difficulties at the time (being evicted from the Strand and owing back rent on Skinner Street). He was declared bankrupt in March 1825 and the contact ends.
According to the DNB - Edmund Kean sets sail for America 7.10.1820 and left to return to Britain on 7.6.1821; he was in Brighton and France in the summer of 1824, sailed for America again in September 1825, and set out for Britain on 6.12.1826. None of Kean's appearances in the diary are during these periods when he is in America.
The entry on 1 January 1827 to 'Kean jr' refs to his Edmund Kean's son Charles John Kean (1811-68), actor and theatre manager, who has his own DNB entry . Godwin notes him acting in 'Douglas' and the DNB confirms that he was making his debut in that role on that particular night. Godwin records his death.No bibliographic items currently available
This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.
Name | Number of Meetings |
---|---|
Godwin, Mary Jane (Clairmont) (née de Vial) | 1 |
Kenney, James | 1 |
Lamb, Charles | 1 |
Kemble, Maria Theresa (née De Camp) | 1 |