Agnes Kelly Robertson (25 December 1833 – 6 November 1916) was born in Edinburgh and became a popular actress on the American stage.

Early years

Robertson was the ward of

Charles Kean Charles John Kean (18 January 181122 January 1868), was an English actor and theatre manager, best known for his revivals of Shakespearean plays. Life Kean was born at Waterford, Ireland, a son of actor Edmund Kean and actress Mary Kean (''ne ...

, and the juvenile lead in his theatre company. There she met the actor and dramatist

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

, a collaborator of Kean's. In 1853, she and Boucicault left for America without Kean's permission and married in New York, creating a scandal.

Career

Robertson made her North American debut on 19 September 1853 at Montreal's Theatre Royal as Maria in Boucicault's ''The Young Actress''. She also acted in ''Jessie Brown; or, The Siege of Lucknow'' (1858), ''

The Octoroon ''The Octoroon'' is a play by Dion Boucicault that opened in 1859 at The Winter Garden Theatre, New York City. Extremely popular, the play was kept running continuously for years by seven road companies. Among antebellum melodramas, it was con ...

'' (1859), and ''

The Colleen Bawn ''The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen'' is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault p ...

'' (1860). She was billed as The Pocket Venus. Three photographic portraits of Robertson are held in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Family

Robertson became Boucicault's second wife in 1853 and divorced him on 21 June 1888 by reason of "bigamy with adultery" after it was discovered that he had married another woman, Louise Thorndyke, bigamously. During the time of their marriage, they had 6 children: Dion William; Eva (or Eve) Boucicault; Darley George ("Dot") Boucicault, later known as Dion Boucicault the Younger (an actor, manager and stage director who married actress

Irene Vanbrugh Dame Irene Vanbrugh DBE ( Barnes; 2 December 1872 – 30 November 1949) was an English actress. The daughter of a clergyman, Vanbrugh followed her elder sister Violet into the theatrical profession and sustained a career for more than 50 years ...

); Patrice Boucicault;

Nina Boucicault Nina Boucicault (27 February 1867 – 2 August 1950) was an English actress born to playwright Dion Boucicault and his wife, actress Agnes Kelly Robertson. She had three brothers, Dion William (1855–1876), Dion Boucicault Jr. and Aubrey Bouc ...

(an actress); and

Aubrey Boucicault Aubrey Boucicault (23 June 1868 or '6910 July 1913) was a British born stage actor, playwright and matinee idol. He came from a famous family of actors and playwrights, his father being Dion Boucicault. Aubrey Boucicault was born in London to ...

(an actor and writer).

References

External links

contemporary portrait
North American Theatre Online)
Agnes Robertson c.1870s
AlexanderStreet, North American Theatre Online) {{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Agnes Kelly Scottish stage actresses 1833 births 1916 deaths