James Henry Marriott | |
|---|---|
 Marriott in Odd Fellows' costume | |
| Born | 1799 London, England |
| Died | 25 August 1886 (aged 86–87) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Theatre manager, playwright, optician etc. |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Children | Alice Marriott |
James Henry Marriott (1799 – 25 August 1886) was a New Zealand theatre manager, actor, entertainer, playwright, songwriter, engraver, optician and bookseller. He was born in London, England, and arrived in New Zealand three years after the Wellington area was first settled. In Wellington he was involved with theatrical production at the Ship Hotel, Olympic Theatre, Britannia Saloon and Royal Lyceum. He made himself useful in the early days of the settlement by engraving tombstones, engraving illustrations for newspapers, and grinding lenses for telescopes. He ran a bookshop and sold sheet music, and contributed to the organised social and civic life of Wellington. In New Zealand he was the first regular producer of plays, a playwright (his play Marcilina premiered in 1848), and the first optics professional in that country to make a telescope. He was the father of Alice Marriott and the great-grandfather of Marriott Edgar and Edgar Wallace.