as Old Manly, the latter in August 1792. His last roles at the Haymarket Theatre occurred in June 1792 where he played Toby Thatch in London Hermit and as Lope Tocho in Mountaineers (which also was Parson's last original part). After Parsons appeared in the Confederacy as Moneytrap, he played his last role: Sir Fretful Plagiary in The Critic. Style While Parsons's rivals possessed singing talent that eluded him, Parsons relied on his mental talents as seen in his role in Peeping Tom and his exclaiming abilities as seen in Volpone (one of his most notable roles), The Confederacy and The Village Lawyer to get ahead. Parsons's niche was playing elderly men like Whittle in Irish Widow, and Colonel Oldboy in Lionel and Clarissa or playing country clowns like Scrub in The Stratagem. In 1812, the author of Biographia Dramatica, called Parsons "a comic actor of superlative merit", and added, "In the conception and execution of such characters as Foresight, in Love for Love; Corbaccio in Volpone; Sir Fretful Plagiary in The Critic, &c. we never expect to see his equal". Painting career Besides being an actor, Parsons was also a painter and a painting judge. Parsons contributed some of his pictures to the Society of Artists and the Free Society of Artists. Some of Parsons's subjects were architectural displays and landscapes such as views of Richmond. Parsons's paintings included the Spaniards Inn St Paul's, Hampstead, St George Fields's Frog Hall amongst other subjects. Parsons's painting style was inspired by Richard Wilson. Parsons was acquainted with several prominent painters of the late eighteenth century. Parsons bought many paintings of first masters at brokers shops which he would later sell for large sums of money. Personal life and death On 21 September 1762, Parsons married Mary Price, who was in the play The Beggar's Opera with him. After Parsons's first wife died in 1787, he remarried Dorothy or Dorthea. Parsons had one child, a son named Stewart. On 3 February 1795, Parsons died, partially due to his asthma at his home in Mead's Row Lambeth. His tomb in Lee, Kent currently has a rhymed epitaph over it. Parsons left his leasehold estate Stangate and his small Bearsted freehold to his son Stewart. Parsons left 591 per annum and leasehold houses in London Road and his leasehold estate in Mead's to his wife. References 1736 births 1795 deaths 18th-century English male actors