He was born in 1748, and came to London, followed by a young milliner who had fallen in love with him, who nursed him through a severe illness, and whom he married. His first appearance was made at Covent Garden on 24 September 1768 as Zaphna in ‘
Mahomet,’ and not apparently in Altamont in ‘
The Fair Penitent’ (acted on the 12th), as all his biographers say. He was seen during the season as Tressel in ‘
Richard III,’ Nerestan in ‘Zara,’ Creon in ‘
Medea,’ Altamont, for his benefit, on 4 May 1769, and
George Barnwell. He was slow in ripening, and his early performances gave little promise. By dint of sheer hard work he developed, however, into a good actor. During the seventeen years in which he remained at Covent Garden he played the principal parts in comedy and many important characters in tragedy and romantic drama. These included Dick in the ‘Miller of Mansfield,’ Frederick in ‘
The Miser,’ Polydore in the ‘Orphan,’ Cyrus, Moneses in ‘
Tamerlane,’ Claudio in ‘
Measure for Measure,’ Guiderius, Colonel Briton in the ‘Wonder,’ Marcus in ‘Cato,’ Theodosius, Colonel Tamper in ‘Deuce is in him,’ Florizel in ‘
The Winter's Tale,’ Bonario in ‘Volpone,’ Sebastian in ‘
Twelfth Night,’ Buckingham in ‘
Henry VIII,’ Bellamy in ‘Suspicious Husband,’ Richmond in ‘
Richard III,’ Younger Worthy in ‘
Love's Last Shift,’ Lord Hardy in ‘Funeral,’ Poins, Dolabella in ‘
All for Love,’ Myrtle in ‘
The Conscious Lovers.’
Acting in Liverpool In the summers of 1772, 1773, and subsequent years he was in Liverpool, where he played, with other parts,
Lear, King John, Henry V, Antony in ‘
Love for Love,’ Romeo, Othello, Leontes, and Lord Townly.
Return to Covent Garden Back at Covent Garden, he was seen as Flaminius in ‘
Herod and Mariamne,’ Shore in ‘
Jane Shore,’ Alonzo in the ‘Revenge,’ Phocion in ‘
The Grecian Daughter,’ Laertes, Pedro in ‘
Much Ado About Nothing,’ Oakly in ‘
The Jealous Wife,’ Juba in ‘Cato,’ Aimwell in ‘
The Beaux' Stratagem,’ Lord Randolph in ‘
Douglas,’ Lovemore in ‘Way to keep him,’ Bassanio, Amphitryon, Castalio in the ‘Orphan,’ Fainall in ‘
The Way of the World,’ Romeo, Sir George Airy, Henry V, Hotspur, Kitely, Banquo, Ford, Tancred, Archer, Lear, Young Mirabel, Othello, Charles I, Wellborn in ‘
A New Way to Pay Old Debts,’ Jaffier, Proteus in ‘
The Two Gentlemen of Verona,’ Darnley, Iachimo, Truewit in ‘
Silent Woman,’ Colonel Standard, Evander, Plain Dealer, and Apemantus. Among very many original parts which Wroughton enacted at Covent Garden, only the following call for mention: Prince Henry in ‘Henry II, King of England,’ by
John Bancroft (dramatist) or Mountfort, on 1 May 1773; Lord Lovemore in
William Kenrick's ‘Duellist’ on 20 Nov.; Elidurus in
William Mason's ‘Caractacus’ on 6 December 1776; Earl of Somerset in ‘
Sir Thomas Overbury,’ altered from Savage by Woodfall, 1 February 1777; Douglas in
Hannah More's ‘Percy,’ 10 December. This was one of Wroughton's best parts. About this time he seems to have joined Arnold in the proprietorship of
Sadler's Wells Theatre, but he sold his share some twelve years later in 1790. He continued at Covent Garden as Orlando in
Hannah More's
The Fatal Falsehood, 6 May 1778; Sir George Touchwood in
Mrs. Cowley's ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ 22 February 1780; Raymond in
Robert Jephson's ‘Count of Narbonne,’ 17 November 1781, and Don Carlos in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Bold Stroke for a Husband,’ 25 February 1783. ==Acting at Drury Lane==