Sir Lumley Skeffington, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Lumley St. George Skeffington, 2nd Baronet, (23 March 1771 - 10 November 1850) was a British
nobleman, fop
and playwright
.
He attended Newcome's School in Hackney, where he acquired a taste for drama; in May 1802 he presented a five-act comedy at Covent Garden
entitled The Word of Honour, followed the next season by another at Drury Lane
entitled The High Road to Marriage; both were moderately successful, with his first major achievement being a "grand legendary melodrama", The Sleeping Beauty, presented at Drury Lane in May 1805.
Later plays included Maids and Bachelors (1806), The Mysterious Bride (1808), Bombastes Furioso (?), Ethelinde (an opera, circa 1810 at Drury Lane), and Lose No Time, a comedy. None are believed to have been printed, bar some portions of Sleeping Beauty.
He succeeded to the baronetcy on 26 January 1815, as the only surviving son of his father, William Charles Farrell-Skeffington, 1st Baronet of Skeffington Hall, Leicestershire
. However, he had never married, and the title became extinct on his death for lack of an heir.
He was a noted dandy
and was consulted on dress and style by the Prince Regent. He invented the colour Skeffington brown. He was caricatured by Gillray and satirised by Byron and Moore.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
nobleman, fop
Fop
Fop became a pejorative term for a foolish man over-concerned with his appearance and clothes in 17th century England. Some of the very many similar alternative terms are: "coxcomb", fribble, "popinjay" , fashion-monger, and "ninny"...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
He attended Newcome's School in Hackney, where he acquired a taste for drama; in May 1802 he presented a five-act comedy at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
entitled The Word of Honour, followed the next season by another 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....
entitled The High Road to Marriage; both were moderately successful, with his first major achievement being a "grand legendary melodrama", The Sleeping Beauty, presented at Drury Lane in May 1805.
Later plays included Maids and Bachelors (1806), The Mysterious Bride (1808), Bombastes Furioso (?), Ethelinde (an opera, circa 1810 at Drury Lane), and Lose No Time, a comedy. None are believed to have been printed, bar some portions of Sleeping Beauty.
He succeeded to the baronetcy on 26 January 1815, as the only surviving son of his father, William Charles Farrell-Skeffington, 1st Baronet of Skeffington Hall, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. However, he had never married, and the title became extinct on his death for lack of an heir.
He was a noted dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
and was consulted on dress and style by the Prince Regent. He invented the colour Skeffington brown. He was caricatured by Gillray and satirised by Byron and Moore.