Anne Marshall ( fl. 1661 – 1682), also Mrs. Anne Quin, was a leading English actress of the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

era, one of the first generation of women performers to appear on the public stage in England. John Downes, in his ''Roscius Anglicanus'' (

1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing th ...

), reported that Anne Marshall was among the initial group of actresses employed by manager

Thomas Killigrew Thomas Killigrew (7 February 1612 – 19 March 1683) was an English dramatist and theatre manager. He was a witty, dissolute figure at the court of King Charles II of England. Life Killigrew was one of twelve children of Sir Robert Killigrew ...

with his

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 1660 to 1682, when it merged wit ...

when the company made the move to Gibbon's Tennis Court in 1660. Anne was revered for her roles in tragedies but was also known to play in breeches roles, wherein she would be playing a woman dressed as a boy. She had been nominated as possibly the "first English actress," the

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

in the performance of ''

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 Cypru ...

'' on 8 December

1660 Events January–March * January 1 ** At daybreak, English Army Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops from his Scottish occupational force, fords the River Tweed at Coldstream in Scotland to cross the border into England ...

. ee:_Margaret_Hughes;_Katherine_Corey.html" ;"title="Margaret_Hughes.html" ;"title="ee: Margaret Hughes">ee: Margaret Hughes; Katherine Corey">Margaret_Hughes.html" ;"title="ee: Margaret Hughes">ee: Margaret Hughes; Katherine Corey.] Marshall certainly played Desdemona in later performances. She excelled in rhymed heroic tragedy, creating “excessively grandiose heroines which so delighted Restoration audiences.” Marshall is thought to have played Zempoalla in the

Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the peri ...

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

collaboration '' The Indian Queen'' in

1664 It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral exactly once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+50(L)+10(X)+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1664). Events January–March * January 5 – In the Battle of Surat in India, the Maratha leader, Chhat ...

. Reportedly, she did wonderfully but her voice was not as sweet as Mary Betteron's. She is known to have played the following roles with the King's Company: * Celia in Jonson's ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perform ...

'' * the Lady in

Beaumont and Fletcher Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I (1603–25). They became known as a team early in their association, so much so that their jo ...

's ''

The Scornful Lady ''The Scornful Lady'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, and first published in 1616, the year of Beaumont's death. It was one of the pair's most popular, often revived, and frequently reprin ...

'' * Evadne in ''

The Maid's Tragedy ''The Maid's Tragedy'' is a play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. It was first published in 1619. The play has provoked divided responses from critics. Date The play's date of origin is not known with certainty. In 1611, Sir George Buck, ...

'' * Margarita in Fletcher's ''

Rule a Wife and Have a Wife ''Rule a Wife and Have a Wife'' is a late Jacobean stage comedy written by John Fletcher. It was first performed in 1624 and first published in 1640. It is a comedy with intrigue that tells the story of two couples that get married with false p ...

'' * Edith in ''

Rollo Duke of Normandy ''Rollo Duke of Normandy'', also known as ''The Bloody Brother'', is a play written in collaboration by John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, Ben Jonson and George Chapman. The title character is the historical Viking duke of Normandy, Rollo (lived ...

'' * Celia in ''

The Humorous Lieutenant ''The Humorous Lieutenant'', also known as ''The Noble Enemies'', ''Demetrius and Enanthe'', or ''Alexander's Successors'', is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher. Highly praised by critics, it has been called "Fl ...

'' * Almeria in Dryden's ''

The Indian Emperour ''The Indian Emperour, or the Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards, being the Sequel of The Indian Queen'' is an English Restoration era stage play, a heroic drama written by John Dryden that was first performed in the Spring of 1665. The play ha ...

'' * Mrs. Double-Diligence in Wilson's ''

The Cheats ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' * Celestina in Sir William Killigrew's ''

The Siege of Urbin ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. Anne Marshall married an actor named Peter Quin, or Gwyn, sometime after June 1665. Peter Quin was wanted by the police for acting without a warrant. She resumed her stage career as Mrs. Quin once the theatres re-opened after the plague epidemic and the Great Fire of 1665–66. When she returned in November 1666 she was treated as a newcomer. She quarreled with the management about her private dressing room with a chimney, which had been taken from her, and she got it back in May 1667. She played: * Candiope in Dryden's ''

The Maiden Queen ''Secret Love, or The Maiden Queen'' is a 1667 tragicomedy written by John Dryden. The play, commonly known by its more distinctive subtitle, was acted by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (which had escaped the Great Fire of ...

'' * Aurelia in ''

An Evening's Love ''An Evening's Love, or The Mock Astrologer'' is a comedy in prose by John Dryden. It was first performed before Charles II and Queen Catherine by the King's Company at the Theatre Royal on Bridges Street, London, on Friday, 12 June 1668. S ...

'' * Alizia Pearce in Boyle's ''

The Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, suc ...

''. Marshall retired from the stage in 1668; but she resumed her career nine years later, this time with the rival

Duke's Company The Duke's Company was a theatre company chartered by King Charles II at the start of the Restoration era, 1660. Sir William Davenant was manager of the company under the patronage of Prince James, Duke of York. During hats period, theatres b ...

under

Thomas Betterton Thomas Patrick Betterton (August 1635 – 28 April 1710), the leading male actor and theatre manager during Restoration England, son of an under-cook to King Charles I, was born in London. Apprentice and actor Betterton was born in August 16 ...

. With that troupe, her first role was Angelica Bianca in

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...

's '' The Rover'' in March 1677. (Coincidentally, Marshall had been cast in the same role in the abortive all-female production of Thomas Killigrew's ''

Thomaso ''Thomaso, or the Wanderer'' is mid-seventeenth-century stage play, a two-part comedy written by Thomas Killigrew, The work was composed in Madrid, c. 1654. ''Thomaso'' is based on Killigrew's personal experiences as a Royalist exile during the e ...

'' in 1664.) She also played: * Lady Knowell in Behn's ''

Sir Patient Fancy ''Sir Patient Fancy: A Comedy,'' is a comedic play written by Aphra Behn, first performed in 1678. It is Behn's first overtly political play. It was staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre in London with a cast that included Nel ...

'' * Lady Squeamish in Otway's '' Friendship in Fashion'' * Queen Elizabeth in

Banks's Marston's plc is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Marston's disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Ca ...

'' The Unhappy Favourite'' * Sunamira in Southerne's '' The Loyal Brother'' — and other parts. Anne Marshall had a younger sister,

Rebecca Marshall Rebecca Marshall ( fl. 1663 – 1677) was a noted English actress of the Restoration era, one of the first generation of women performers on the public stage in Britain. She was the younger sister of Anne Marshall, another prominent actress of ...

, who joined her sister in the King's Company a few years after and was also a noted actress. Their father, Stephen Marshall, was a clergyman, the chaplain of Lord Gerard.Deborah Payne Fisk, "The Restoration Actress," in: ''A Companion to Restoration Drama'', Susan Owen, ed., London, Blackwell, 2001; p. 75.

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

mentions both Marshalls frequently in his Diary. The sisters played together at least once, in ''The Maiden Queen''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Anne English stage actresses 17th-century English actresses Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

See also

References