 Grimaldi 's association with Sadler 's Wells came to an end in 1820 , chiefly as a result of his deteriorating relationship with the theatre 's management . After numerous injuries over the years from his energetic clowning , his health was also declining rapidly , and he retired in 1823 . He appeared occasionally on stage for a few years thereafter , but his performances were restricted by his worsening physical disabilities . In his last years , Grimaldi lived in relative obscurity and became a depressed , impoverished alcoholic . He outlived both his wife and his actor son , Joseph Samuel , dying at home in Islington in 1837 , aged 58 . 
