Elizabeth Fitzhenry (died 1790?), original name Elizabeth Flannigan, was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

actress.

Biography

The daughter of the keeper of the old Ferry Boat tavern,

Abbey Street Abbey Street () is located on Dublin's Northside, running from the Customs House and Store Street in the east to Capel Street in the west. The street is served by two Luas light rail stops, one at the Jervis shopping centre and the other ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, she married a lodger in his house, Captain Gregory, commander of a vessel engaged in the trade between Dublin and

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture ...

. After the death by drowning of her husband, followed by the death of her father, she went to London in 1753. She became an actress first under the name of Mrs Gregory, and then as Mrs Fitzhenry after her second marriage to Edward Fitzhenry, an Irish barrister, with whom she had two children. Edward practiced law at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and W ...

, London. He died in 1772. Around 1774, she retired from acting to live with her children. She may have returned to the stage about 1782-3 and acted successfully in many of her old parts. She then finally retired and is said to have died at Bath, Somerset in 1790. The date and place are doubted by

John Genest John Genest (1764–1839) was an English clergyman and theatre historian. Life He was the son of John Genest of Dunker's Hill, Devon. He was educated at Westminster School, entered 9 May 1780 as a pensioner at Trinity College, Cambridge, and ...

, a resident in Bath, who thinks there is confusion between her and Mrs. Fitzmaurice, who died in Bath about the same time. The monthly obituary of the '

European Magazine ''The European Magazine'' (sometimes referred to as ''European Magazine'') was a monthly magazine published in London. Eighty-nine semi-annual volumes were published from 1782 until 1826. It was launched as the ''European Magazine, and London Re ...

' for November and December 1790 says : '11 Dec. Lately in Ireland, Mrs. Fitzhenry, a celebrated actress.'

Stage career

As Mrs Gregory

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house An opera house is a theater (structure), theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a Stage (theatre), stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facili ...

, London *10 January 1754 - Hermione in the ' Distressed Mother','her first appearance upon any stage.' *23 March 1754 Alicia in '

Jane Shore Elizabeth "Jane" Shore (née Lambert) (c. 1445 – c. 1527) was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England. She became the best-known to history through being later accused of conspiracy by the future King Richard III, and compelle ...

' Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, under Sowdon and Victor at a salary of 300l., soon raised to 400l. *January 1755 - Hermione *14 March 1755 - Zara in the ''

Mourning Bride ''The Mourning Bride'' is a tragedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1697 at Betterton's Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. The play centers on Zara, a queen held captive by Manuel, King of Granada, and a web of love and ...

'' *2 February 1756 - Zaphira in ''

Barbarossa Barbarossa, a name meaning "red beard" in Italian, primarily refers to: * Frederick Barbarossa (1122–1190), Holy Roman Emperor * Hayreddin Barbarossa (c. 1478–1546), Ottoman admiral * Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Uni ...

'' *Volumnia in '

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ye ...

' Covent Garden, London *5 January 1757 - Hermione *Calista (

The Fair Penitent ''The Fair Penitent'' is Nicholas Rowe's stage adaptation of the tragedy '' The Fatal Dowry,'' the Philip Massinger and Nathan Field collaboration first published in 1632. Rowe's adaptation, premiered onstage in 1702 and first published in 1703, ...

) *

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes que ...

(

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

) - benefit performance As Mrs Fitzhenry Dublin *October 1757 - Calista (The Fair Penitent) -

Smock Alley Theatre Since the 17th century, there have been numerous theatres in Dublin with the name Smock Alley. The current Smock Alley Theatre () is a 21st-century theatre in Dublin, converted from a 19th-century church building, incorporating structural mat ...

, *1759–1764 - Isabella (

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

), Emilia (

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

), Cleopatra ( All For Love), the Queen (

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

), Madane (

Orphan of China An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

), Queen Katharine. *15 October 1765 - Calista (The Fair Penitent) -

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

, London *9 April 1766 - Roxanna (

Rival Queens A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

) *1773-4 - Mrs. Belleville (

The School for Wives ''The School for Wives'' (french: L'école des femmes; ) is a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Molière and considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. It was first staged at the Palai ...

) - Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin. Her last recorded appearance

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzhenry, Mrs. 1716 births 1790 deaths 18th-century Irish actresses Actresses from Dublin (city) Irish emigrants to Kingdom of Great Britain