Harriet Siddons

Harriet Siddons, before her marriage Harriet Murray, sometimes Mrs. Henry Siddons (16 April 1783 – 2 November 1844) was a Scottish actress and theatre manager.

Harriet Siddons, portrait by John Wood

Life

She was the daughter of actor Charles Murray and his second wife Ann Murray born at Norwich, Norfolk on 16 April 1783.^[1] As a young child she appeared at Bath as Prince Arthur on 1 July 1793. She married first to Joseph Leathley Cowell (1792-1863).^[1] Her first London appearance was at Covent Garden Theatre as Perdita in The Winter's Tale, 12 May 1798. She remained at the theatre until the summer of 1805, when she joined the Drury Lane company, together with her second husband Henry Siddons. She left it with him in 1809.^[2] At Drury Lane on 24 September 1805 she was Juliet to Robert William Elliston's Romeo.^[3]

After moving to Edinburgh, Siddons devoted herself to helping her husband in his managerial work. In 1814 the Drury Lane management made her a tempting offer to play leading female parts to Edmund Kean, but she declined. When Siddons died the affairs of the Edinburgh Theatre were in a bad state, but, with her brother William Henry Murray, she continued to steer clear of all difficulties, and eventually was able to retire at the end of her 21 years' lease of the theatre. The turning point in the fortunes of the house had been the production on 15 February 1819 of Rob Roy, in which Charles Mackay made a hit as the Bailie. When the same piece was played by royal command before George IV, on the occasion of his visit to Scotland, Siddons played, for that night only, the part of Diana Vernon.^[3]

Siddons's farewell benefit took place on 29 March 1830, and Sir Walter Scott wrote for the occasion an address which she delivered. She died on 2 November 1844.^[3]

Notes

1. Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1991, p. 391.
2. At Covent Garden she played a range of parts, such as Rosalind, Viola, Lady Townly, Lucy Ashton, Desdemona, Beatrice, Portia, Lady Teazle, and Miss Hardcastle.
3.  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Siddons, Henry". Dictionary of National Biography 52. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Bibliography

• Highfill, Philip H.; Burnim, Kalman A.; Langhans, Edward A. (1991). A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers & Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800. SIU Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-1525-3.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Siddons, Henry". Dictionary of National Biography 52. London: Smith, Elder & Co.