John Bedford Leno - Theatre, Singing, Poetry & Gambling

Theatre, Singing, Poetry & Gambling

During this time, Uxbridge was regularly visited by theatre groups and John Bedford Leno watched numerous actors perform with admiration. When one of the visiting theatre companies hit some bad luck, and was on the verge of bankruptcy, John Bedford Leno was spurred into action. Despite never having acted before, he and three friends decided to put on an amateur performance of "Roundheads and Cavaliers", with the proceeds going to the manager of the impoverished theatre company. John Bedford Leno played the lead character and also arranged for billings to be distributed around the town. The identities of the actors were not revealed and rumours were circulated that they were persons of "the highest social position". The performance was a sell out and was followed by one of the bankrupt theatre company's own plays. This proved so successful that it then played in Uxbridge for the next nine months and saved the company from ruin. The manager of the company later became wealthy and attributed much of his success to John Bedford Leno and his three enterprising friends.

John Bedford Leno's father bought a malthouse with an inheritance gained from his recently deceased brother, Mathew Leno, who had won the grand prize in a government lottery a few years earlier. John Bedford Leno had bad memories of this place and some of the rogues that filled it. He was often called upon to sing to customers, having a good voice, and to take part in singing competitions which he usually won. However, his interest in poetry was sparked here by a customer leaving a copy of "Lives of The Poets" by Samuel Johnson. John Bedford Leno read and re-read it and decided to become a poet.

His oratory skills were further honed by attending "Falcon Harmonic Meetings" in which attendees sang songs and debated their merits. John Bedford Leno was given post of honour in three successive years. Unfortunately he could not finance his attendance at these evenings, as well as eat, so he had to supplement his income somehow. He did this by taking up gambling, which he found he had a talent for and ensured that he became a master at whatever game he played.