Edward Litt Laman Blanchard
Edward Litt Laman Blanchard, often referred to as E. L. Blanchard , was an English writer who is best known for his contributions to the Drury Lane pantomime. He began writing plays and other literature to support himself as a teenager after his father died. He soon became a prolific creator of dramas and eventually gained critical acclaim for his works. He also served as a newspaper drama critic and mentored other writers.
Edward Blanchard was born atGreat Queen Street, London, the second son of the actor William Blanchard. He was educated at Brixton, Ealing and Lichfield, and accompanied his father to New York in 1831. William died in 1835 when Edward was onlyyears old Shortly afterwards, he dropped out of school and joined a travelling oxyhydrogen microscope exhibition, even giving the lectures to the public himself on occasions. However, it did not pay well and he was eventually left stranded in the west of England fortunately he managed to borrow half a crown from a scenepainter he had met in Bristol, and walked back to London indays.
Source: Wikipedia