SEDLEY, William Henry, actor, born in Meritgomery, Wales, 4 December, 1806; died in San Francisco, California, 17 January, 1872. He was the son of a British army officer, who was killed in the peninsular war. The boy left home when he was fourteen years old, joined a company of strolling players, and, assuming the name of W. H. Smith, began to play minor parts in the Shrewsbury theatre. In 1822 he obtained his first regular engagement at the Theatre royal, Lancaster, and, coming to this country in 1827, made his first appearance at the Walnut street theatre, Philadelphia. He won his highest reputation in 1828 at the Tremont theatre, Boston, as Rolando in "The Honeymoon." In 1836 he managed the National theatre, Boston, and from 1843 till 1860 he was stage-manager of the Boston museum. His first appearance in New York was at the old Chatham street theatre, 3 November, 1840, when he acted Edgar to tile Lear of Junius Brutus Booth. He also appeared acceptably as Laertes, Gratiano, and Marc Antony. His last professional appearance in New York was made at the Winter garden, 6 May, 1865. During the few years preceding his death he had been employed at the California theatre, San Francisco, as actor and manager.--His wife, formerly a Miss Riddle, born in Philadelphia in 1811; died in New York, 27 September, 1861, made her debut at the Walnut street theatre, in her native city, in 1823, and first appeared in New York at the old Chatham street theatre as Virginia in " Virginius." She was very popular for many years.--Their son, Henry, author, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 4 April, 1835, was educated in his native place, studied civil engineering at Rensselaer polytechnic institute, Troy, New York, and afterward practised his profession in San Francisco. He subsequently engaged in journalism, was one of the editors of the New York "Times," and the "Evening Post," and for some time was an editor of the "Commercial Advertiser." He is the author of "Dangerfield's Rest, a Romance" (New York, 1864), and "Marion Rooke, or the Quest for Fortune" (1865), and has also contributed to English and American magazines.