Priscilla Kemble

Bertie Greatheed, Priscilla Kemble, 1830, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

Priscilla Kemble (1756 – May 1845) was an English actress. The English actor John Philip Kemble was her third and last husband.

Family

Kemble was born Priscilla Hopkins in 1756, the daughter of a prompter named Hopkins, who was employed for many years at Drury Lane. Her mother (died September 1801) was a respected actress in David Garrick's company. An elder sister appeared as Miss Hopkins at Drury Lane on November 14, 1771, playing Cupid, a postilion, in A Trip to Scotland; on April 19, 1773 she made "her first appearance on any stage" as Celia in As You Like It; and acted with success for a few seasons, then married a wealthy man, and retired from the stage. She eventually returned to acting, as Mrs. Sharp, in 1779 and 1780.

Early acting career

Priscilla Hopkins is first heard of as a member of Garrick's company at Drury Lane, playing Mildred in Old City Manners, an adaptation of Eastward Hoe! on November 9, 1775. She had probably been previously seen as Fanny in the Clandestine Marriage on November 20, and Maria in the Maid of the Oaks on the 28th. On February 15, 1776, she was the original Harriet in Hannah Cowley's Runaway, and on March 7, the original Eliza in Colman's Spleen, or Islington Spa. During the following season she played Sylvia in the Old Bachelor at Drury Lane. She was the original Kitty Sprightly in Isaac Jackman's All the World's a Stage, and, May 8, 1777, the original Maria in the School for Scandal. Other parts followed: Bridget in Every Man in his Humour, Arabella in the Committee, Mademoiselle in the Provoked Wife, and Fanny in the Clandestine Marriage, played for the benefit of the Miss Hopkins's, May 1, 1778. She was at this time very pretty and piquante, and married, apparently at Bath, William Brereton (1751 – 1787), an actor of some position, who had played for some years at Drury Lane, where he appeared on November 10, 1768 in Douglas. Her marriage to Brereton was not a happy one.

Later acting career

On October 8, 1778, as Louisa Dudley in the West Indian, she appeared for the first time at Drury Lane as Mrs. Brereton, late Miss P. Hopkins. Her married life was reputable, and she occupied in a satisfactory fashion a secondary part on the stage, playing Lady Constant in the Way to Keep Him, Charlotte in the Gamester, Sylvia in the Double Gallant, Elizabeth (an original part) in Mrs. Cowley's Who's the Dupe? Mariana in the Miser, Perdita, Amanda in the Trip to Scarborough, Fidelia in the Foundling, Angelina in Love makes a Man, Rose in the Recruiting Officer, Maria in Twelfth Night, Donna Viola (an original part) on November 25, 1786 in Mrs. Cowley's School for Greybeards, Margaret in A New Way to Pay Old Debts, and many other parts, original and other, chiefly secondary. Brereton, her husband, went in 1785 to Dublin, where he attempted suicide; it is hinted through a passion for Mrs. Siddons. A partial recovery was effected, but he was kept in charge at Hoxton. "He died February 17, 1787, and was buried in Shoreditch churchyard, in which a stone is erected to his memory." His widow appeared at Drury Lane on March 12, 1787 as the original Emily in Holcroft's Seduction. On the opening night of the next season, September 20, 1787, she was Dorinda in the Stratagem. On December 8, 1787 she married John Philip Kemble, and as Mrs. Kemble appeared on December 10, as Lady Anne in Richard III. Hero in Much Ado about Nothing was her next part. She was the original Aurora in Kemble's Pannel, and Flora in his Farm House. On December 2, 1788 she was Lady Lambert in the Hypocrite, and on January 15, 1790 Sylvia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, and March 8, 1790 the original Valeria in her husband's Love in many Masks. With the company she went to the Haymarket Opera House, where she was, April 20, 1792, the original Miss Manly in Richardson's Fugitive.

Personal life

Her position as wife to Kemble seems to have in no way aided her career. Important parts, as well as those in which she had won acceptance, had been withheld from her. On May 23, 1796 accordingly, as Flavia in Kemble's Celadon and Florimel, or the Happy Counterplot, then first performed, she delivered an address, and retired from acting. She accompanied her husband in his travels after his retirement, and after his death retired to Leamington, where she lived happily until May 1845 when she died at the age of 90. She retained her faculties, and was popular until she passed. Since she had no children, her property and possessions went to members of the Kemble and Siddons family. Genest speaks of her as pretty, but not very capable, and says she was seen to perform the best in parts like Maria in the School for Scandal.

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Knight, John Joseph (1892). "Kemble, Priscilla". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Further reading

• Priscilla Kemble; Alexander Murray; Edward Willes; John Somers Cocks Somers, Earl; Mr. Brandon (1811). Autograph Letters Signed and Unsigned from Priscilla (Hopkins) Brereton Kemble to Various People. OCLC 281841156.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)