The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-17

Following this introduction Aston states that his father was Richard Aston q lawyer. and that he was educated in Staffordshre and was later .'an unlucky. idle clerk" ''instead of copying bills he was prone to making verses, reading plays, and went to see Dogget make com ical faces in the last two acts" Later he became an actor and played many charac- ters in Ireland. and returning to Eng land travelled and played with company of London comedians who acted in the provinces.
 Aston Is believed to have arrived in the American colonies about 170l, although the exact date is not given in his sketch, which states that he landed after many vicissitudes' at Charleston, full Of shame, poverty nakedness and hunger turned player and poet, and wrote one play on the subject of the country
 After leaving Charleston he embarked on ship bound for New York, but when approaching the mouth of the harbor of this city the ship was blown by adverse winds to the Virginia capes. Finally reaching New York. by way of Eliza . beth-rown." he lighted" he tells his readers lon my old acquaintance Jack Charlton, Fencing Master and Counsellor Reignieur some time of Lncoln's Inn, who supply'd me with business till l had the honour of being acquainted with that brave, honest, unfortunate gentle man, Capt. Henry Pullein whose ship dhe Fame) was burnt in the Bermu- das he do the best of his ablitY as sisted me-so that after acting, writing, courting fighting that winter-my kind Captain Davies. in his sloop built at Rhode gave me free passage for Vir- ginia."
 Soon afterward he appears to have left the later colony and. by circuitous route. arrived In London in August of the following year, and married "a Barthole- mew-fair lady"
 Little is known of Aston after his re- turn to England. In 17O9 he was in Dub lin. where he had printed for the au- thor in that year "The Coy Shepardess: A Pastoral, as 1t was acted at the The atre Royal. By Aston: Aston, Comedian" On January 13, 1722. he was announced to play at Lincolns Inn Fields theatre in London.
 Printed In London.
 In 1731. as previously stated, his Pool s Opera was printed in London where four years later he published curious and extremely rare work entitled Tony Aston's Petition and Speech Before the HonDle. H-se of Chs in behalf of Himself and the Actors in Town and Country; to which Is prefix'd his Vision ary Introduction" His only other known work is an answer to Colley Cibber's fam ous "Apology." called "A Brief Supple ment to Colley Cibber Esq. His Lives of the late famous Actors and Actresses. By Anthony. Vulgo Tony Aston" which was "Printed for the Author with no place date stated. but probably in London about 174s. The following year. according to Chet wood's history. Aston WAS travelling ir the country with his company
 The play which Aston wrote in South Carolina "on the subject of the country is not known to have been printed which is to be regretted, 1t was probably the first drama written in the United States His four known books all possess great rarity and value-a copy of The Fools Opera" brought ss1 in this city five years aco-and are as obscure and little known as Is their adventurous author. apparent Iv the earliest actor in America