Biography

He was the younger brother of actor Francis Aickin

Francis Aickin

Francis Aickin , Irish actor, first appeared in London in 1765 as Dick Amlet in John Vanbrugh's The Confederacy at Drury Lane. He acted there, and at Covent Garden, until 1792. His repertory consisted of over eighty characters, and among his best parts were the Ghost in Hamlet and Jaques in As...

, and like him brought up to be a weaver. After joining a company strolling through Ireland, and gaining some experience of the stage, he embarked for Scotland, and presently accepted an engagement to appear at the Edinburgh Theatre. He was very favourably received, and gradually, from his merit as an actor and his sensible deportment in private life, became the head of the Canongate company, playing most of the leading parts in tragedy and comedy. But in January 1767 a riot took place in the theatre because of the discharge by the management of one Stanley, an actor of small merit, in whom, however, a section of the public took extraordinary interest. The inside of the building was demolished, the furniture ransacked, and the fixtures destroyed. It was not until troops from the castle had come to the relief of the city guard that the rioters were dispersed, and the theatre saved from further injury. James Aickin, who had particularly offended the rioters, left Edinburgh, and, accepting an engagement at Drury Lane

Drury Lane

Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....

, made his first appearance there in December 1767 as Colonel Camply in Kenrick's comedy of the ‘Widowed Wife.’ He continued a member of the 'Drury Lane company, with occasional appearances at the Haymarket Theatre during the summer months, until his retirement in 1800. He was for some years one of the deputy managers of Drury Lane, and was reputed to be a useful and pleasing actor, easy, graceful, and natural of manner. ‘His forte lay in the representation of an honest steward or an affectionate parent.’ Boaden states that while the tones of his voice were among ‘the sweetest that ever met the ear,’ he was not happy in his temper.

In 1792 he took offence at some of John Kemble

John Kemble

John Kemble may refer to:*John Kemble , Roman Catholic martyr*John Philip Kemble, English actor and manager*John H. Kemble, American maritime historian...

's managerial arrangements, was personally rude to him, and challenged him to a duel. The actors met in ‘some field in Marylebone,’ a third actor, Charles Bannister, undertaking the duties of second to both combatants. Aickin discharged his pistol, but fortunately missed his manager, who declined to fire in return; a reconciliation was then accomplished. Kemble afterwards explained that ‘he saw from his adversary's levelling at him that he was in no danger.’