Retirement and Attempted Comebacks
Betty quit the stage in 1808 to attend Christ's College in Cambridge. After graduation, he lived with his family in the country, financially secure.
He was invited back to Covent Garden in 1812. The critics derided his performance, talking more about his fifteen minutes of fame than his performance at the age of twenty-one. Betty never returned to perform in London again. Nine years later, he once again tried to mount a comeback and failed, resulting in a suicide attempt at the age of thirty.
Betty devoted the remainder of his life to works and theatrical charities. He died on 24 August 1874 in Ampthill Square, London.
Read more about this topic: William Henry West Betty
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