Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 54.djvu/389

 ‘Richelieu,’ and Mercury in a fantasy called ‘The Ruins of Athens.’ In April she was the first Ernestine in the piece so named, in May was Cora in ‘Pizarro,’ played Mrs. Ford in the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor,’ and was the original Madeleine Weir in White's once famous ‘King of the Commons.’ On 4 Sept. 1848 she was, at the Olympic, the original Laura Leeson in ‘Time tries All.’ She was also seen as Juliana in the ‘Honeymoon,’ Katharine in ‘Taming of the Shrew,’ and Cousin Cherry in the piece so named. After the burning of the Olympic on 29 March 1849, she joined the Strand under Henry Farren, and was on 10 Oct. the original Adrienne of the ‘Reigning Favourite,’ Oxenford's adaptation of ‘Adrienne Lecouvreur.’ Other original parts were Iolanthe in [Sir] Theodore Martin's ‘King René's Daughter,’ and Olivia in Tom Taylor's adaptation of the ‘Vicar of Wakefield.’ At the rebuilt Olympic, under William Farren, she played, on 14 Oct. 1850, the heroine of Stirling Coyne's ‘My Wife's Daughter’ (‘La Femme de quarante Ans’), and on 13 Jan. 1851 Martha Gibbs in ‘All that glitters is not Gold;’ the Widow, in an adaptation of Sir Roger de Coverley, followed. Back at the Haymarket, she was on 21 April 1852 the first Fanny Morrison in Mark Lemon's ‘Mind your own Business.’ On 20 Nov., at the Haymarket, she obtained her greatest success as Peg Woffington in ‘Masks and Faces,’ by Taylor and Reade. Mrs. Trotter Southdown, in ‘To oblige Benson,’ was seen at the Olympic on 6 March 1854. At the height of her powers she played at the Olympic Lady Teazle, Miss Dorrillon in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Wives as they were, and Maids as they are,’ and some original parts, among which were: Mrs. Metcalfe in ‘Stay at Home,’ an adaptation by Slingsby Lawrence (G. H. Lewes); Mrs. Levenson in Troughton's ‘Leading Strings,’ and Madam Bergmann in Wilkie Collins's ‘Red Veil.’ In February 1857, at the Lyceum, she had been the heroine in Taylor's ‘Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.’ At the Haymarket she was, 6 March 1861, the first Joconde in Taylor's ‘A Duke in Difficulties;’ her daughter Fanny—who had on 25 July 1860 played at Drury Lane Miranda in the burlesque of the ‘Enchanted Isle’ for a benefit—making as Colombe her first regular appearance on the stage, which she soon quitted.

After the season of 1860–61 Mrs. Stirling seems to have temporarily retired from the stage. On 24 Aug. 1863, however, she was, at the Adelphi, the heroine of a drama called ‘Hen and Chickens;’ on 29 Aug. 1864 the first Mrs. Hall in ‘A Woman of Business,’ attributed to Webster; and on 30 Nov. the first Marguerite in the ‘Workman of Paris’ (‘Les Drames du Cabaret’). At the Princess's, 2 July 1866, as the Duchess, she supported Miss Neilson in Watts Phillips's ‘Huguenot Captain.’ In Coyne's ‘Woman of the World,’ Olympic, 18 Feb. 1868, she was the first Mrs. Eddystone. Her last original part was Lady Caryll in Pinero's ‘Lords and Commons,’ 24 Nov. 1883. On 23 April 1869 she gave at the St. James's Hall a reading of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream.’ At Webster's farewell benefit, Drury Lane, 2 March 1874, she played Mrs. Candour, repeating the performance at the same house for Buckstone's benefit, 8 June 1876. At the Imperial (Aquarium), 22 Sept. 1879, she was Lady Bountiful in Miss Litton's revival of the ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ where also she was seen as Mrs. Hardcastle. In 1880, at the Haymarket, she was Mrs. Malaprop, and on 8 March 1882, at the Lyceum revival of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ was the Nurse, a part she repeated on 1 Nov. 1884 at the same house to Miss Mary Anderson's Juliet. At the Haymarket, 6 Feb. 1883, she played the Marquise de Saint-Maur in a revival of ‘Caste.’ On 25 March 1885 she and Mrs. Keeley spoke an address at the Criterion, and on 29 Oct. she recited for Creswick's benefit a ballad called ‘Our Whaling Fleet.’ On 19 Dec. 1885 she was Martha in Wills's Lyceum version of ‘Faust,’ the last part in which she was seen. Her husband, from whom she had long been separated, died in August 1894, and in the same year she married Sir Charles Hutton Gregory, K.C.M.G., consulting engineer to the crown agents for the colonies, who was one year younger than herself, and with whom she had long been on terms of close intimacy. She died on 31 Dec. 1895. In her will, made in 1891, she speaks of herself as Mary Anne, otherwise Fanny Stirling or Lambert, wife of Edward Stirling or Lambert, formerly of Drury Lane Theatre. Her personal estate sworn under 11,556l., was left by codicil to her second husband.

Mrs. Stirling was an excellent actress, with a breadth of style in her late years drawing close to extravagance. She was almost the last actress to exhibit the grand style in comedy. Her method of receiving a call from the public was in itself a lesson in art. Peg Woffington was her greatest part, and was indeed a fine creation. In later years she had no equal in rôles such as Mrs. Candour, Mrs. Malaprop, and the Nurse. From 1870 her impersonations, though masterly, were rare, and she devoted herself principally to reciting and teaching