Abbot, William (1790–1843), actor, was born at Chelsea, London, on 12 June 1790. He made his stage début in 1806 at Bath, and remained a member of the Bath company for some seasons. He appeared at the Haymarket in London in the summer of 1808, on the occasion of the benefit of the tragedian ...
Article
Abbot, William (1790–1843), actor
E. D. Cook
revised by Katharine Cockin
Image
Abington, Frances (1737–1815)
Maker: Sir Joshua Reynolds
In
Frances Abington (1737–1815) by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1771 [as Miss Prue in Love for Love by William Congreve] Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Article
Abington [née Barton], Frances [Fanny] (1737–1815), actress
Alison Oddey
Abington [née Barton], Frances [Fanny] (1737–1815), actress, was born in lowly circumstances and grew up in the slums around Drury Lane. Her mother died when she was fourteen; her father, who according to some accounts was the son of Christopher Barton of ...
Image
Achurch, Janet (1863–1916)
Maker: Barraud
In
Janet Achurch (1863–1916) by Barraud, 1887 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Achurch, Janet [real name Janet Sharp] (1863–1916), actress
Eric Salmon
Achurch, Janet [real name Janet Sharp] (1863–1916), actress, was born at 47 Richmond Grove, Chorlton upon Medlock, Manchester, Lancashire, on 17 January 1863, the third and youngest daughter (there were also three sons) of William Prior Sharp (1824–1897), insurance agent, and his wife, ...
Article
Actresses’ Franchise League
Naomi Paxton
Actresses’ Franchise League [AFL] (act. 1908–1958) was formed in 1908 as ‘a bond of union between all women in the Theatrical profession who are in sympathy with the Woman’s Franchise Movement’. The organization was itself ‘strictly neutral in regard to Suffrage Tactics’ and membership was open to women who were or had been ‘connected with the Theatrical profession in any of its branches’. The constitution of the league declared its objectives as being to convince members of the theatrical profession of the necessity of extending the franchise to women on the same terms as men. It would campaign by using what it called ‘educational methods’ including propaganda meetings, and plays, sale of literature, and lectures (...
Article
Adams, (Wilfred) Robert (c. 1900–1965), actor
Stephen Bourne
Adams, (Wilfred) Robert (c. 1900–1965), actor, was born in Georgetown, British Guiana, the son of Robert Adams, boat builder. He was educated at St Stephen's Scots School, later St Joseph's Intermediate. In 1920 he won a government scholarship to be trained as a teacher at ...
Image
Adams, (Wilfred) Robert (c. 1900–1965)
Maker: Frank Lilley
In
(Wilfred) Robert Adams (c. 1900–1965) by Frank Lilley, 1949 Getty Images – Frank Lilley
Article
Addison [née Wilmshurst], Laura (1822–1852), actress
E. D. Cook
revised by J. Gilliland
Addison [née Wilmshurst], Laura (1822–1852), actress, the daughter of Thomas Wilmshurst, a grocer, was born at Colchester, Essex, on 15 November 1822. Despite family opposition, her lack of training, and the absence of any patronage, she made her stage début in Norwich...
Image
Addison, Laura (1822–1852)
Maker: W.? Hollis
In
Laura Addison (1822–1852) by W.? Hollis, pubd 1851 (after Paine) [as Imogen in Cymbeline] © National Portrait Gallery, London
Article
Adler, Jacob (1855–1926), actor
Joel Berkowitz
Adler, Jacob (1855–1926), actor, was born on 1 January 1855 in Odessa, Ukraine, the son of Feivl Abramovich, an Orthodox Jewish wheat merchant, and his wife, Hesye. Of the twelve children of Hesye and Feivl (she had one son with her first husband, whom she divorced), only ...
Article
Adrian, Max [real name Max Bor] (1903–1973), actor
John Elsom
Adrian, Max [real name Max Bor] (1903–1973), actor, was born on 1 November 1903 in northern Ireland, the son of Edward Norman Cavendish Bor and his wife, Mabel Lloyd, née Thornton. He was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, renowned for its teaching of English, whose past pupils included ...
Article
Aherne, (William) Brian de Lacy (1902–1986), actor
David Parkinson
Aherne, (William) Brian de Lacy (1902–1986), actor, was born on 2 May 1902 at The Pleasaunce, King's Norton, Worcestershire, the son of William Lacy Ahern (1867–1945) (who later amended his name to Willoughby de Lacy Aherne), architect, and his wife, Annie ...
Article
Aickin, Francis (c. 1735–1812), actor
Peter Thomson
Aickin, Francis (c. 1735–1812), actor, was born in Dublin. After a brief period of work in his father's weaving business, in 1754 he followed his younger brother James Aickin into the theatre, and over the next ten years performed in most of Ireland's...
Article
Aickin, James (c. 1736–1803), actor
Peter Thomson
Aickin, James (c. 1736–1803), actor, was born in Dublin, the younger son of a weaver. While still under the age of twenty he joined an Irish theatre company, thus setting a precedent which his older brother Francis Aickin would soon follow. Aickin made a sufficient impression to earn himself a place at the ...
Article
Ainley, Henry Hinchliffe (1879–1945), actor
S. R. Littlewood
revised by K. D. Reynolds
Ainley, Henry Hinchliffe (1879–1945), actor, was born at Morley, near Leeds, on 21 August 1879, the only son and eldest child of Richard Ainley (1851–1919), cloth finisher, and his wife, Ada Hinchliffe (1850–1928). After education at the church school of ...
Article
Albanesi, Margherita Cecilia Brigida Lucia Maria [Meggie] (1899–1923), actress
Kate Dorney
Albanesi, Margherita Cecilia Brigida Lucia Maria [Meggie] (1899–1923), actress, was born at 4 Mandeville Place, Marylebone, London, on 8 October 1899, the second daughter of Carlo Albanesi (1858–1926), pianist, composer, and teacher of music at the Royal Academy of Music...
Article
Aldridge, Ira Frederick (1807?–1867), actor
Heidi J. Holder
Aldridge, Ira Frederick (1807
Image
Aldridge, Ira Frederick (1807?–1867)
Maker: Henry Perronet Briggs
In
Ira Frederick Aldridge (1807?–1867) by Henry Perronet Briggs, c. 1830 [as Othello] National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Article
Alexander, Sir George [real name George Alexander Gibb Samson] (1858–1918), actor and theatre manager
J. P. Wearing
Alexander, Sir George [real name George Alexander Gibb Samson] (1858–1918), actor and theatre manager, was born on 19 June 1858 at 1 Russell Villas, Russell Street, Reading, the eldest son in the family of at least three sons and one daughter of ...
