Elizabeth Kemble (née Satchell; 1763 – 20 January 1841) was an English actress. From her marriage she was billed as Mrs. Kemble on playbills.

Life

Elizabeth Satchell was born in London, and she was a talented performer when she married

Stephen Kemble George Stephen Kemble (21 April 1758 – 5 June 1822) was a successful English theatre manager, actor, and writer, and a member of the famous Kemble family. He was described as "the best Sir John Falstaff which the British stage ever saw" th ...

, of the

Kemble family Kemble is the name of a family of English actors, who reigned over the English stage for many decades. The most famous were Sarah Siddons (1755–1831) and her brother John Philip Kemble (1757–1823), the two eldest of the twelve children of ...

, in 1783. They acted together for several years both in London and in the provincial circuits. She also wrote a pastoral, ''Philander and Rose; or, the Bridal Day'', which was produced in Manchester on 25 April 1785). Satchell outlived her husband by 19 years. Her most famous role was Yarico from the opera ''

Inkle and Yarico ''Inkle and Yarico'' is a comic opera first staged in London, England, in August 1787, with music by Samuel Arnold and a libretto by George Colman the Younger. Plot Inkle, an English trader, is shipwrecked in the West Indies, and survives ...

'', for which she was considered "universally" to be the best "ever seen". She died near

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...

Reputation

Theatre manager

Tate Wilkinson Tate Wilkinson (27 October 173916 November 1803) was an English actor and manager. Life He was the son of a clergyman and was sent to Harrow. His first attempts at acting were badly received, and it was to his wonderful gift of mimicry that h ...

declared that next to

Susannah Maria Cibber Susannah Maria Cibber (née Arne; February 1714 – 30 January 1766) was a celebrated English singer and actress. She was the sister of the composer Thomas Arne. Although she began her career as a soprano, her voice lowered in the early part of h ...

, Elizabeth Satchell was the best

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

he ever saw. The editor of ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by publisher William Blackwood and originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine'', but quickly relaunched as ''Blackwood's Edinb ...

'' reported:

"In all the parts she played she was impassioned; and all good judges who remember her will agree with us in thinking that she was an actress, not only of talent but of genius."

James Boaden James Boaden (23 May 1762 – 16 February 1839) was an English biographer, dramatist, and journalist. Biographer He was the son of William Boaden, a merchant in the Russia trade. He was born at Whitehaven, Cumberland, on 23 May 1762, and at an ...

was enthusiastic in her praise. In 1792, the ''Thespian Magazine'' reported that " atchellsummons the resistless tear of compassion into the eyes of the most rugged and insensible – and while sympathy and feeling shall hold a place in the human heart, her representation of Yarrico icwill be attended with delight, and remembered with the most unbounded admiration.”''Thespian Magazine'', 1792, p. 94. ElizabethSatchell2

Selected roles

* Adelaide in '' The Count of Narbonne'' by

Robert Jephson Robert Jephson (1736 – 31 May 1803) was an Irish dramatist and politician. Life He was born in Ireland, a younger son of John Jephson, Archdeacon of Cloyne. He entered Trinity College, Dublin in 1751, but left without a degree. He then jo ...

(1781) * Agnes in ''

The Walloons ''The Walloons'' is a comedy play by the British writer Richard Cumberland. It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London in April 1782. The original cast included John Henderson as Father Sullivan, Richard Wroughton as Mo ...

'' by

Richard Cumberland Richard Cumberland may refer to: * Richard Cumberland (philosopher) Richard Cumberland (15 July 1631 (or 1632) – 9 October 1718) was an English philosopher, and Bishop of Peterborough from 1691. In 1672, he published his major work, ''De leg ...

(1782) * Julia in '' Which is the Man?'' by Hannah Cowley (1782) * Marianne in '' The Mysterious Husband'' by

(1783) * Yarico in ''

'' by George Colman the Younger (1787) * Vimonda in '' Vimonda'' by Andrew Macdonald (1787) * Adelaide in ''

The Prisoner at Large ''The Prisoner at Large'' is a 1788 comedy play by the Irish John O'Keeffe. A farce, it premiered as an afterpiece at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 2 July 1788. The original cast included James Brown Williamson as Lord Esmond, Willia ...

'' by John O'Keeffe (1788) * Harriet in ''

Ways and Means A ways and means committee is a government body that is charged with reviewing and making recommendations for government budgets. Because the raising of revenue is vital to carrying out governmental operations, such a committee is tasked with fi ...

'' by George Colman the Younger (1788) * Lady Classick in ''

The Married Man ''The Married Man'' is a 1789 comedy play by the English writer Elizabeth Inchbald, inspired by the 1727 French play ''Le Philosophe Marié'' by Philippe Néricault Destouches. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London London ...

'' by

Elizabeth Inchbald Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention. Life B ...

(1789) * Julia in ''

The Surrender of Calais ''The Surrender of Calais'' is a 1791 historical play by the British playwright George Colman the Younger with elements of tragedy and comedy. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London on 30 July 1791. The original cast included J ...

'' by George Colman the Younger (1791) * Eleanor in '' Next Door Neighbours'' by

(1791) * Kitty Barleycorn in '' The London Hermit'' by John O'Keeffe (1793) * Rosolia in '' Zorinski'' by Thomas Morton (1795) * Celestina in '' Don Pedro'' by

(1796)

References

Links

*''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' *''Encyclopædia Britannica'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Satchell, Elizabeth 1763 births 1841 deaths 18th-century English actresses 19th-century English actresses English stage actresses Actresses from London