Anna Ross Brunton (1773 – ?) was an English actress and dramatist and part of an extended family of actors. She began writing for the stage at the age of fifteen and was acting by that time, sometimes in London, but mostly in the English provinces. She continued to perform until at least 1820.

Early life

Anna Ross was born in 1773 to the actor William Ross (died 1781) and his wife Elizabeth Mills, later Mrs John Brown (died 1823). She had an elder sister, Frances Mary Ross (later

Fanny Robertson Fanny Robertson (1765 – 18 December 1855), born Frances Mary Ross, was an actress and later the manager of the provincial theatres of the Lincoln Circuit. Family Robertson's parents were the actors William Ross (died 1781) and his wife Eli ...

), and a younger half-brother, American John Mills Brown, both actors. She married the

actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...

John Brunton on 6 September 1792, and they had at least four children. Two of their daughters were actors; the eldest was Elizabeth Yates. One son joined the

British Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. John's sister

Louisa Brunton Louisa, Countess of Craven, originally Louisa Brunton (1785?–1860) was an English actress. Birth and background Her father, John Brunton (1741-1819), son of a soap dealer in Norwich, was at one time a grocer in Drury Lane. He became an actor, ...

, an actress, married Major-General William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven. Ross wrote the

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

''The Cottagers'' when she was fifteen. It was published in 1788 and was performed at the Theatre

Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...

, as a benefit performance for Ross, on 24 October 1788 with a cast that included Ross, her mother and stepfather, and at the

Crow Street Theatre Crow Street Theatre was a theatre in Dublin, Ireland, originally opened in 1758 by the actor Spranger Barry. From 1788 until 1818 it was a patent theatre. History Spranger Barry and Henry Woodward The actor Spranger Barry (1719–1777), born i ...

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

on 19 May 1789, starring her mother. The piece was never again performed on stage in Britain, but it has been anthologized and praised in studies of 18th-century dramatic writing. Ross began acting in the 1780s with her mother and stepfather, John Brown (died 1818). She acted in London at

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

as Sylvia in '' Cymon'' in 1788 alongside her stepfather, who on that date also performed an "Occasional Epiloque" written by Ross, but she performed mostly in the British provinces. In 1792, in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, she played Amaranth in John O'Keeffe's '' Wild Oats''.

Later years

After her 1792 marriage, Ross performed as Mrs Brunton, including a season with the company managed by her brother-in-law,

Thomas Shaftoe Robertson Thomas Shaftoe Robertson (1765 – September 1831) was a British actor who became the manager of a circuit of theatres in and around Lincolnshire that he carried on for nearly half a century. He was able to attract well-known London actors to t ...

, in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

in 1802, in ''

The Padlock ''The Padlock'' is a two-act 'afterpiece' opera by Charles Dibdin. The text was by Isaac Bickerstaffe. It debuted in 1768 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London as a companion piece to '' The Earl of Warwick''. It partnered other plays before a run ...

'' as Leonora and ''The Cabinet'' as Floretta, among other plays. The same year, she played Margaretta in '' No Song, No Supper'' at the Robertson and Franklin company's Peterborough theatre. She performed extensively in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

during her career. She appeared at the Georgian Wisbech Theatre, as Rosabelle in ''Foundling of the Forest'' from 27 April 1810 until her benefit night on 25 May (her credit states: "Her first appearance these 3 years"), followed by

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

's ''

The Jubilee ''The Jubilee'' is a 1769 play by the British playwright and actor-manager David Garrick, with music by Charles Dibdin. It was based on his ''Shakespeare Pageant'' which he had originally planned to stage during the Shakespeare Jubilee in S ...

'' on each date, as 1st country girl.Handbills held by the

Wisbech & Fenland Museum The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The museum logo is W&F. History Initially a member-based organisation ...

At Wisbech, in May 1820, she appeared as Miss Nancy in ''Killing No Murder'', as Rosabelle in ''Foundling of the Forest'', played together with ''Bluebeard'', in which she played Fatima, as Agnes in ''The Mountaineers'', in ''Pizarro; or, The Conquror of Peru'', together with the Browns, and as Maria in ''Of Age Tomorrow'' on the same bill as ''Pizarro''. The Wisbech Theatre was managed by her brother-in-law,

, and later by her sister Fanny.

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Anna 1773 births Date of death missing Date of death unknown 18th-century English actresses English stage actresses 18th-century English dramatists and playwrights

Early life

Later years

Further reading

References and sources