in the ‘Hypocrite.’ Accepting from Elliston an engagement at Drury Lane, he appeared on 28 Nov. 1820 as Almagro in ‘Pizarro,’ and at Christmas played Pantaloon. At the end of the season of 1821–2 he joined Bunn's company at Birmingham, where he was seen in low-comedy parts, then acted at Sheffield, Newcastle, and Chester. Returning to Birmingham, he was re-engaged by Elliston for the Drury Lane season of 1823, an action which Elliston had brought against him for previous loss of service having been compromised. On a revival of ‘Measure for Measure’ on 1 May 1824, Harley, who played Pompey, being taken ill, Webster took the part. In this year he was the first Tuditanus in Knowles's ‘Caius Gracchus,’ and in 1825 the first Erni in the ‘William Tell’ of the same author. In spite of obtaining some recognition, he was kept back. Remonstrating with Elliston, he was given on the third night of performance the part of Sadak, originally played on 27 March 1826 by Fitzwilliam in an anonymous adaptation of ‘Oberon,’ and played a few other parts refused by Harley. On 4 Jan. 1827 he was the original Malise in the ‘Lady of the Lake;’ on 16 April the original Domingo, a negro, in Macfarren's ‘Gil Blas and the Robbers of Asturias;’ on 29 Nov. the original Spalatro in ‘Isidore di Merida, or the Devil's Creek;’ on 1 Dec. the original Peter in Howard Payne's ‘Lancers;’ on 18 Feb. 1828 the first Cyrus in ‘Don Juan's Early Days,’ and on 7 April the first Sturmwald in Thompson's ‘Dumb Savoyard and his Monkey.’ He was also seen as Sharpset in the ‘Slave’ and in other slightly better parts.
On 15 June 1829, as Webster from Drury Lane, he made at the Haymarket his first appearance, playing Trusty, an original part, in Poole's ‘Lodgings for Single Gentlemen.’ Here he was assigned leading comic business: Dr. Pangloss in the ‘Heir at Law,’ Risk in ‘Love Laughs at Locksmiths,’ Spatterdash in the ‘Young Quaker,’ Mungo in the ‘Padlock,’ Farmer Ashfield in ‘Speed the Plough,’ Lingo in the ‘Agreeable Surprise,’ Ramilie in the ‘Miser,’ Dougal in ‘Rob Roy,’ Trappanti in ‘She would and she would not,’ Wormwood in the ‘Lottery Ticket,’ and Sir Philip Modelove in ‘A Bold Stroke for a Wife.’ Back at Drury Lane, he was the original Kastro in the ‘Greek Family’ on 22 Oct. 1829, and the original John Thomas in Buckstone's ‘Snakes in the Grass;’ played other unimportant original parts, was seen as Justice Greedy in ‘A New Way to pay Old Debts,’ and Old Gobbo in the ‘Merchant of Venice;’ was the first Sam in Haynes Bayly's ‘Perfection’ on 25 March 1830 and on 1 May the original Herr Stetten in ‘Hofer, the Tell of the Tyrol.’ He was seen in some other parts, and for his benefit (shared with Paul Bedford and Mrs. W. Barrymore) was Jock Robinson in the ‘Cataract of the Ganges.’ The Haymarket in 1830 saw him as Roderigo, Launcelot Gobbo, Oswald in ‘King Lear,’ Robin Roughhead in ‘Fortune's Frolic,’ Jessamy in ‘Bon Ton,’ L'Eclair in the ‘Foundling of the Forest,’ Jocoso in ‘Clari,’ Sir Harry's servant in ‘High Life below Stairs,’ Buskin in ‘Killing no Murder,’ Dandie Dinmont, Marquis in the ‘Cabinet,’ Trudge in ‘Inkle and Yarico,’ and in a few original parts—Popponoff in ‘Separation and Reparation’ on 1 July, Barney O'Cag in ‘Honest Frauds’ on 28 July, and Roughhead in Caroline Boaden's ‘First of April’ on 31 Aug. The ‘Dramatic Magazine’ (1829–30) speaks of him at this time as an eminently useful actor, and asks what the Haymarket would do without him. In 1832 he was with Madame Vestris at the Olympic, where he played in Dance's ‘Kill or Cure,’ and in an adaptation by himself of ‘L'Homme de soixante Ans,’ in which he took the part created by Gabriel Charles Potier. At the Haymarket he was on 17 July 1833 the original Father Olive in Jerrold's ‘Housekeeper;’ played the following October in Buckstone's farce ‘Uncle John,’ then first produced; and was on 2 Jan. 1834 at Drury Lane the original Creamly in Jerrold's ‘Wedding Gown.’ At the same house he played Bardolph in a revival of the second part of ‘King Henry IV;’ in 1834 had an original part in Jerrold's ‘Beau Nash;’ and was the original Samuel Coddle in Buckstone's ‘Married Life.’ On 21 April 1835 he was at Covent Garden the first Sharkshead in Fitzball's ‘Carlmilhan.’ Again at the Haymarket he was the original Serjeant Austerlitz in Mrs. C. Gore's ‘Maid of Croissey.’ Among very many original parts which he played at the Haymarket, of which house he became lessee in 1837, were Frederick II in Tyrone Power's ‘St. Patrick's Eve,’ Mr. Docker in Buckstone's ‘Weak Points,’ Major Hans Mansfeldt in Lover's ‘White Horse of the Peppers,’ Gibolette in Buckstone's ‘Lesson for Ladies,’ Wallop in Thomas Haynes Bayly's ‘Mr. Greenfinch,’ John Niggle in Buckstone's ‘Single Life,’ Wildrake in Knowles's ‘Love Chase,’ and Joseph in Knowles's ‘Maid of Mariendorpt,’ Lionel Varley in Bayle Bernard's ‘Boarding School,’ Baron Ravenspurg in Bernard's ‘Woman Hater,’ Graves in Bulwer's ‘Money,’ Harry Lawless in Boucicault's ‘Love by Proxy,’ Pliant in Boucicault's ‘Alma Mater,’ Bob Lincoln in Mark Lemon's ‘Grandfather
