Ann Maria Thorne (''

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

'' Mestayer; 1813

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

– 20 June 1881

Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Cornwall-on-Hudson is a riverfront Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the town of Cornwall, New York, Cornwall, Orange County, New York, Orange County, New York, United States. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River, a ...

) more widely known as Mrs. French, was an early American concert singer and actress from Philadelphia. As "Mrs. French," she was among the most famous singers in America during the 1820s.

Career

According to an 1896 publication, ''Annals of Music in Philadelphia and History of the Musical Fund Society,'' another singer, Mrs. Burke, had been the most famous American singer until she was outrivaled by Mrs. French. Mrs. French had studied music with

Benjamin Carr Benjamin Carr (September 12, 1768 – May 24, 1831) was an American composer, singer, teacher, and music publisher.Stephen Siek, "Benjamin Carr", Grove Music Online Biography Born in London, he was the son of Joseph Carr (music publisher), Jose ...

, an early American composer, music publisher, and music teacher from Philadelphia. She also studied with a Henri-Noel Gilles (1778–1834), a French-born and musically educated guitarist, oboist, and composer of Philadelphia. She first appeared as a child in Philadelphia at the

Chestnut Street Theatre The Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first theater in the United States built by entrepreneurs solely as a venue for paying audiences.The Chestnut Street Theatre Project The New Theatre (First Chestnut Street Theatre) ...

Family

Thorne was born Ann Maria Mestayer in a family of well-known American actors that included her parents, grandparents, siblings, husband, and children. Her parents, John Mestayer and Maria ''(née'' French; 1786–1860), were well-known Philadelphia stage and circus professionals. She married young, and before marriage, took a stage surname of "Mrs. French", borrowing her mother's maiden name. In December 1830, in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, Mestayer married Charles Robert Thorne (1814–1893), an actor. She and Charles had four sons and a daughter: # Neil Thorne # Thomas Thorne # Charles Robert Thorne, Jr. (1840–1883), actor # Edwin F. Thorne (1845–1897) # Emily Thorne (1850–1912), actress A maternal aunt of Thorne, Rosalie Pelby ''(née'' French; 1792–1855) was an actress married to

William Pelby William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

(1793–1850), who, in Boston, in 1827, became the manager of the Tremont Theatre, and in 1832, built the Warren Street Theatre, and in 1836, built, founded, and managed the National Theatre.

Selected theatres and stock companies

, Philadelphia *

Burton's Theatre Palmo's Opera House (later Burton's Theater and the Chambers Street Theatre) was a 19th-century theatre in Manhattan, New York, that was located on Chambers Street between Broadway and Centre Street. It was one of the earliest opera houses in ...

, New York City

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorne, Ann Maria 1813 births 1881 deaths Singers from Philadelphia People from Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York 19th-century American women singers 19th-century American singers