▁children , ▁eight ▁girls ▁and ▁two ▁boys , ▁but ▁one ▁girl ▁and ▁both ▁boys ▁died ▁in ▁inf ancy . ▁ ▁Early ▁stage ▁career ▁He ▁began ▁his ▁independent ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁com ic ▁actor , ▁at ▁first ▁as ▁an ▁amateur , ▁st aging ▁plays ▁at ▁" The ▁George ▁and ▁Dragon ", ▁a ▁public ▁house ▁in ▁G ates head , ▁and ▁in ▁other ▁ven ues . ▁Even ▁in ▁straight ▁plays , ▁he ▁would ▁add ▁com ic ▁business , ▁for ▁instance ▁ ▁once ▁making ▁his ▁character ▁ref using ▁to ▁die ▁when ▁the ▁script ▁required ▁it ; ▁such ▁ant ics ▁got ▁a ▁good ▁reaction , ▁and ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁c low n ▁developed ▁from ▁this . ▁About ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 4 , ▁he ▁succeeded ▁his ▁father , ▁as ▁door keeper ▁at ▁the ▁Assembly ▁Ro oms ▁in ▁New castle , ▁where ▁he ▁learned ▁the ▁fashion able ▁d ances ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁But ▁among ▁his ▁friends , ▁he ▁was ▁performing ▁com ic ▁d ances ▁and ▁horn pip es . ▁Also ▁about ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁began ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁dan cing ▁master , ▁first ▁teaching ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁but ch ers , ▁who ▁planned ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁ball , ▁then ▁subsequently ▁running ▁three ▁classes ▁a ▁night , ▁in ▁a ▁room ▁attached ▁to ▁a ▁public ▁house . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁keeping ▁on ▁with ▁his ▁trade ▁as ▁a ▁car p enter , ▁though ▁he ▁believed ▁he ▁could ▁by ▁then ▁have ▁lived ▁off ▁his ▁income ▁from ▁the ▁dan cing ▁classes . ▁He ▁also ▁began ▁appearing