J. S. Grimaldi

[3] His father introduced Grimaldi to the eccentric atmosphere at both Drury Lane and Sadler's Wells from the age of 18 months.

[4] Although eager to have Joseph Samuel follow him onto the stage, his father felt that it was important for the boy to have an education, and so he enrolled him at Mr Ford's Academy, a boarding-school in Putney, which taught the children of theatrical performers.

[6] Young Grimaldi made his professional debut, shortly before his 12th birthday, on 10 October 1814, as Friday in a pantomime version of Robinson Crusoe at the Sadler's Wells Theatre opposite his father, who played the title character.

[9] The following year, Grimaldi and his father played together in Harlequin and Fortunio; or, Shing-Moo and Thun-Ton, the first pantomime known to have featured a principal boy.

In 1818 his father took over the running of Sadler's Wells and offered Grimaldi the role of Clown in The Fates; or, Harlequin's Holy Day, opposite his parents and the comedian Jack Bologna.

[17] During the 1821 pantomime Harlequin and Mother Bunch, Grimaldi caused a scandal and was censured for threatening and verbally abusing an audience member who criticised his performance.

JS turned to alcohol and became increasingly unreliable; his professional engagements became rare as theatre managers were reluctant to hire him.

[19] Fortunes at Sadler's Wells were also dwindling, with lessees failing to mount new engagements, thus leaving Grimaldi out of work.

"[22] Grimaldi finally returned home in 1827, when his parents were awakened one night to discover their son standing in the street, feverish, emaciated and dishevelled.

[28] Grimaldi soon reverted to his old ways and often abused his parents' charitable nature by bringing home prostitutes and fighting with his alcoholic friends within the house.

[30][31] His final performance was at the Tottenham Street Theatre in a production of Don Juan, in 1832, playing the part of Scaramouche.

Although he had been an alcoholic and had suffered from epilepsy and bouts of mental illness for many years, there were suspicions that he had been poisoned[34] or had died as a result of injuries sustained in a drunken brawl.