Frances Abington (; 1737 – 4 March 1815) was an English actress who was also known for her sense of fashion. Writer and politician

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

described her as one of the finest actors of their time, and

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

was said to have written the part of Lady Teazle in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

'' for her to perform.

Early life

She was born Frances Barton (nicknamed "Fanny"), as the daughter of a private soldier. She began her career as a flower girl and a street singer. It was also rumoured that she recited

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

in taverns at the age of 12, along with being a prostitute for a short period to help her family with financial problems. Later, she became a servant to a French milliner. During that time, she learnt about costume and learnt French. Her early nickname, Nosegay Fan, came from her time as a flower girl.

Career

Her first appearance on stage was at Haymarket in 1755 as Miranda in Mrs Centlivre's play, ''Busybody''. She rose to become a principal actor in October 1756 when she was cast as Lady Pliant in ''The Double Dealer''at the

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

. The play's cast also included the stars

Hannah Pritchard Hannah Pritchard (née Vaughan, 1711 – 1768) was an English actress who regularly played opposite David Garrick. She performed many significant Shakespearean roles and created on stage many important female roles by contemporary playwrights. ...

and

Kitty Clive Catherine Clive (née Raftor; 5 November 1711 – 6 December 1785) Catherine ‘Kitty’ Clive (1711–1785, active 1728–1769) was a first songster and star comedienne of British playhouse entertainment. Clive led and created new forms of Engl ...

. She also appeared in Ireland, where her Lady Townley (in '' The Provoked Husband'' by Vanbrugh and Cibber) was a success.

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

convinced her to return to Drury Lane, and they worked together there until his retirement in 1776. From 1759 onwards she appeared in the bills as "Mrs Abington", following her marriage to her music tutor, the royal trumpeter James Abington. They separated shortly after their marriage as he could not cope with her popularity. They lived separately, with Fanny paying James a small annual stipend to stay away from her. She subsequently had affairs with an Irish MP, Needham, who left her a considerable estate, and

William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne William Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (2 May 17377 May 1805), known as the Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Anglo-Irish Whig (British political party), Whig states ...

. The income from her estate and her stage work made her a wealthy woman. She remained at the Drury Lane for 18 years, being the first to play more than 30 important characters, notably

Lady Teazle ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young ...

(1777) in

. In April 1772, when

James Northcote James Northcote (22 October 1746 – 13 July 1831) was a British Painting, painter. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1787, and a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Royal Institute of the Netherlands in 1809 ...

saw her as Miss Notable in Cibber's ''The Lady's Last Stake'', he remarked to his brother Sir_Joshua_Reynolds_-_Mrs

Her wealth and popularity meant she influenced fashion. The press reported on her hair styles: her low hair in ''The School for Scandal'' was praised for changing the fashion. Her performance as Kitty in " High Life Below Stairs" put her in the foremost rank of comic actresses and made the mob cap she wore in the role fashionable. It was soon being referred to as the "Abington Cap" on stage and at hatters' shops across Ireland and England. It was as the last character in Congreve's ''Love for Love'' that Sir

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. The art critic John Russell (art critic), John Russell called him one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy P ...

painted the best-known of his half-dozen or more portraits of her (''illustration, left'')."Mrs Abington" by Sir Joshua Reynolds Yale Center for British Arts
/ref> In 1782 she left Drury Lane for

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

. After an absence from the stage from 1790 until 1797, she reappeared, quitting finally in 1799.

Death

Frances Abington died on 4 March 1815 at her home on Pall Mall, London. She was buried at

St James's Church, Piccadilly St James's Church, Piccadilly, also known as St James's Church, Westminster, and St James-in-the-Fields, is an Anglican church on Piccadilly in the centre of London, England. The church was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren. The churc ...

Notes

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Abington, Frances 1737 births 1815 deaths English stage actresses 18th-century English actresses English buskers