Frederick Edward Jones

Frederick Edward Jones (1759–1834) was an Irish theatre manager.

Born at Vesington, Co. Meath in Ireland, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He associate of people of rank on a continental tour. With Lord Westmeath he leased the Music Hall in Fishamble Street, Dublin, and opened it, 6 March 1793, with productions of Beggar's Opera and The Irish Girl, with amateur casts. He himself played Sir Lucius O'Trigger in The Rivals—there is no evidence that he himself was a professional actor.

In 1794 Jones obtained permission to open a theatre for seven years in Dublin, and to hire female but not male performers. He was, however, prohibited from taking money at the doors. His aristocratic patrons asked him to apply in 1796 to the Earl of Camden for a patent for a theatre. In the end he leased quite expensively Crow Street Theatre from the manager Richard Daly. Supported by Lord Westmeath, Jones spent heavily on the house, with the interior decorated by Gaetano Marinari and Zaffarini. The new house was opened, but after a few weeks was closed in after the proclamation of martial law and the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Two years later a new patent was granted to Jones, who brought in Thomas Ludford Bellamy as stage manager. He spent further sums, but had again, for political reasons, to close in 1803. In 1807 Richard Brinsley Sheridan invited Jones to purchase a share in the Drury Lane Theatre, and to manage the house on a salary and percentage of profits: the scheme was defeated by the fire that burned down Drury Lane, 24 February 1809. Jones sold in 1808 shares in the Crow Street Theatre to John Crampton and Edward Tuite Dalton. Crampton undertook the management, but fared badly, and Jones had to resume the reins within six months. He once more withdrew from the management in 1814: a series of disturbances had culminated in a riot, in which the theatre was wrecked, and Jones laid the blame on the Tory government.

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