Adeline Billington (3 January 1826 – 23 January 1917), was an English actress and teacher.

Biography

Adeline Mortimer was born 3 January 1826, in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. She married

John Billington John Billington (also spelled as Billinton; c. 1580September 30, 1630) was an Englishman who travelled to the Americas on the ''Mayflower'' and was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. He was also the first citizen of the Plymouth Colony ...

, a fellow actor. Billington made her London debut in ''Cupid and Psyche'' at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

. She worked in that theatre for 16 years. She often worked with her husband. Billington was popular with

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

for several of her performances in the theatrical performances of his works. Billington was friends with Vaughan Williams as well. Billington also worked as an acting teacher, knowns as "Mother of the stage". She died in London on 23 January 1917 and was buried with her husband in

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

. The grave, which is unmarked, is immediately behind the grave of the comedian

George Honey George Honey (25 May 1822 – 28 May 1880) was a British actor, comedian and singer. He was in the original productions of ''Caste (play), Caste'' by T. W. Robertson, and ''Engaged (play), Engaged'' by W. S. Gilbert. Opera Honey's acting career be ...

Sources

1826 births 1917 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery 19th-century English actresses {{England-actor-stub