Fechter

Fechter, Charles Albert (1823-1879), a well known actor, was born of an English mother, his father being a Frenchman. He went when a child to France, where he was trained as a sculptor, but took to the stage. He made his debut in 1840, and in 1860 he made his first appearance upon the English stage, where he played Ruy Bias. He then played Shakespeare, and his Hamlet and Othello attracted much attention, partly from his departure from the old traditions as to how the parts should be handled, and partly owing to his foreign accent, which pleased some and displeased others. He became for a time lessee of the Lyceum, and in 1872 he went to America. His managerial career in America was not a success. He died in Pennsylvania.