in 1772 the theatrical biography said that jane poitier who was an actress who worked in the same summer company as him from 1770 to 1774 was his mistress. in 1774 he was the original tom tug in dibdin's lasting work, "the waterman", at its first presentation at the haymarket. he appeared in the first production of "the cobbler", and in 1777 was the first mr. steady in "the quaker" at drury lane. 'steady, in "the quaker", has never, except in him, found an adequate representative.' he was in the premiere of "the chelsea pensioner" in 1779, and was sergeant (opposite charles dibdin as countryman, and mrs wrighten as wife) in dibdin and isaac bickerstaffe's musical entertainment of "the recruiting serjeant" at the royalty theatre in 1789. as tom tug, mr steady and the recruiting serjeant he was succeeded (at covent garden) by charles incledon, and by charles dignum, who were his friends, and adopted them for tenor voice instead of bass or baritone.