LACY, John William or William. b. about 1780; first sang at concerts in London about 1798; studied in Italy several years; sang frequently at the Lenten oratorio and other important concerts in London; sang at Willis’s rooms 1809 and at Hanover sq. rooms 1810; sang in Calcutta 1818–26; considered to be the most legitimate English bass singer; retired about 1826. d. Devonshire about 1865.
LACY, Michael Rophino (son of an Englishman by a Spanish mother). b. Bilbao, Spain 19 July 1795; made his début as a violinist at Bilbao 1801; ed. at Bordeaux 1802 and at Paris 1803; arrived in England Oct. 1805 and as a violinist was known as the Young Spaniard until May 1807; played light comedy parts in Edinburgh, Dublin and Glasgow about 1808–18; first violin and director of the Liverpool concerts 1818–20 and 1823–4; directed the ballets and composed music for Italian opera London 1820–3 and 1824 etc.; made the first English adaptations of the operas Semiramide 1829, William Tell 1830, Fra Diavolo 1831 and others; visited America, New Zealand and Australia; author of Love and reason; Doing for the best, and other dramas. d. Pentonville, London 20 Sep. 1867. Grove’s Dict. of music, ii 82–3 (1880).
Note.—In his sacred melodramatic opera The Israelites in Egypt produced at Covent Garden theatre 22 Feb. 1833 he combined the choruses of Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the solos from Rossini’s Moise, and illustrated the melange in action with a mise en scene; this was the first and last attempt of the kind and was suppressed by the intervention of the Bishop of London.
LACY, Richard John James. b. 1780; 2 lieut. R.A. 8 Aug. 1796. col. 23 June 1837 to 9 Nov. 1846; director general of field train department R.A. 1 Jany. 1849; col. commandant of 6th battalion 8 July 1851 to death; M.G. 9 Nov. 1846. d. royal arsenal, Woolwich 9 March 1852.
LACY, Richard Walter. b. 5 Oct. 1810; ensign 84 foot 23 March 1832; lieut. 56 foot 1837, lieut.-col. 16 May 1856 to 12 June 1869 when placed on h.p.; lieut.-col. brigade depôt 1 April 1873; L.G. 29 Sep. 1878; placed on retired list 5 Oct. 1880; hon. general 1 July 1881. d. Reichenhall, Bavaria 23 Sep. 1886.
LACY, Sara. b. 1822; played soubrette and character parts with Frederick Robson at Grecian theatre 1844–9; associated with Braham, Macready, Mrs. Nisbett and Mrs. Glover; as Mrs. Valentine Roberts wrote the words of On the broad bosom of the deep 1854; As I roved through the meadows in May, 1855; A stalwart lad is the blacksmith’s son 1860; Come sit old friend beneath the porch 1862; O give me back my happy home 1863 and the words of many other songs. (m. Valentine Roberts). d. 5 April 1881.
LACY, Thomas Edgar. b. 1803; ensign 72 foot 8 April 1825, captain 11 July 1834 to 8 Oct. 1847 when placed on h.p.; commandant of staff college Sandhurst 1 Jany. 1865 to 1 July 1870; L.G. 1 Oct. 1877. d. 18 Sussex place, Kensington 22 Feb. 1880.
LACY, Thomas Hailes. b. 1809; appeared at Olympic theatre, London as Lenoir in The Foundling of the Forest 7 April 1828; acted in the provinces; stage manager at Windsor theatre; manager of theatre royal Sheffield 1841; acted at Covent Garden 1842, at the Pavilion, Victoria and Sadler’s Wells 1844; played at Manchester 1844–5; active promoter of General theatrical fund instituted 16 Feb. 1839; theatrical publisher at 17 Wellington st. Strand, London 1849, removed to 89 Strand 1857, retired from business 1872; published Lacy’s Acting edition of plays, 99 volumes containing 1485 pieces 1848–73; author of 3 dramas, The Pickwickians 1837, The tower of London 1840 and The school for daughters 1843; (His wife was Frances Lacy 1819–72). d. Benhill st. Sutton, Surrey 1 Aug. 1873. I.L.N. lxii 279 (1873); Era 10 Aug. 1873 p. 11, 30 Nov. 1873 p. 7.
Note.—Tinsley the publisher obtained a perpetual injunction against him 30 June 1863 for publishing two plays dramatised from Miss Braddon’s novels Aurora Floyd and Lady Audley’s Secret. His library was sold for £2650, 24–29 Nov. 1873; his theatrical portraits were sold for £1970, 8 Dec. 1873. He left £8000 to the General theatrical fund.
LADBROOKE, Henry (2 son of Robert Ladbrooke, landscape-painter 1768–1842). b. Norwich 20 April 1800; landscape-painter; exhibited 3 pictures at B.I. and 10 at Suffolk st. 1834–65. d. North Walsham 18 Nov. 1870.