Murray, Henry Leigh

1820

1870

This actor, whose real surname was Wilson, was born in London on 19 October 1820 and acted with amateur players in a theatre in Catherine Street, the Strand, about 1838, playing such roles as Buckingham in “Richard III”, Cassio, Macduff and Iago. In December 1839 he made his professional debut at Hull as Ludovico in “Othello”, and then under the name of Leigh in September 1840 he appeared at the Adelphi Theatre in Edinburgh. He left Edinburgh in 1845, to make his London debut at the Princess’s Theatre on 19 April 1845 as Sir Clifford in “The Hunchback”. Over the next 20 years he acted a wide range of characters at various London theatres: the Lyceum, Strand, Olympic, Adelphi, Drury Lane and St James’s. Because of his ill health, he was given a benefit at Drury Lane on 27 June 1865. He died on 17 January 1870 and was buried in Brompton Cemetery. His wife Elizabeth (d. 1892), an actress, was the daughter of the provincial manager and playwright Henry Lee (1765-1836). His brother Gaston Murray (1826-1869) also acted in London. (DNB)