Fanny Elizabeth Davenport ( Vining; 17 July 1829 – 20 July 1891) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

actress who emigrated to America. After her marriage to American tragedian

Edward Loomis Davenport Edward Loomis Davenport (1816September 1, 1877) was an American actor. Life and career Born in Boston, he made his first appearance on the stage in Providence, Rhode Island in support of Junius Brutus Booth. Afterwards he went to England, where ...

, she was known as Mrs. E. L. Davenport. Their children included actress

Fanny Davenport Fanny Lily Gipsey Davenport (April 10, 1850 – September 26, 1898) was an English-American stage actress. Life The eldest child of Edward Loomis Davenport and Fanny Elizabeth (Vining) Gill Davenport, Fanny Lily Gypsey Davenport was born on A ...

and actor

Harry Davenport Harry Davenport may refer to: * Harry Davenport (actor) (1866–1949), American film and stage actor * Harry Davenport (footballer) (1900–1984), Australian footballer * Harry J. Davenport (1902–1977), Democratic Party member of the U.S. House ...

; their descendants include actresses

Dorothy Davenport Fannie Dorothy Davenport (March 13, 1895 – October 12, 1977) was an American actress, screenwriter, film director, and producer. Born into a family of film performers, Davenport had her own independent career before her marriage to the film a ...

and Anne Seymour.

Life

Fanny Elizabeth Vining was born in London July 6, 1829, into a large theatrical family. Her father Frederick Vining was an actor and manager of the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

. Her mother was a daughter of Irish actor

John Henry Johnstone John Henry Johnstone (1749–1828), also known as 'Jack' Johnstone or 'Irish' Johnstone, was an Irish actor, comedian and singer. Life Johnstone was born probably on 1 August 1749, in the horse-barracks in Kilkenny, where his father, a quarter ...

. Her cousins included actors Lester Wallack and Matilda Charlotte Vining. She made her first stage appearance at age three. Educated through her experiences with theatre people and a few years at a boarding school, Vining made her stage debut in 1847 at the Haymarket Theatre, in ''Romeo and Juliet''. She starred opposite

Gustavus Vaughan Brooke Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (25 April 1818 – 11 January 1866), commonly referred to as G. V. Brooke, was an Irish stage actor who enjoyed success in Ireland, England and Australia. Early life Brooke was born in Dublin, Ireland, the eldest son of ...

, with her father in the role of Mercutio. She went on to leading roles at London theatres with Charles Kean and

William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the ...

. On January 8, 1849, Vining married American actor

, after they performed together in the play ''Love'' by

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mov ...

. For a time she retained a stage name of Fanny Vining. They immigrated to the United States in 1854. Two of their nine children died in childhood. Seven survived and all became actors. *

, born in London in (1850-1898) * Blanche Maria Davenport, born in London in 1851 * Lily Vining Davenport, born in Glasgow in (1853-1878) * May Marian Caroline Davenport Seymour, born in Boston in (1856-1927) (*note May's actress daughter was also called May Davenport Seymour (1883-1967) later a curator of City Museum of New York..) * Florence Cecilia Davenport, born in (1858-1937) * Edgar Longfellow Davenport, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in (1862-1918) *

, born in New York City in (1866-1949)

Retirement and death

Mrs. E. L. Davenport appeared frequently in leading roles with her husband. After his death September 1, 1877, she retired from the stage. She died July 20, 1891, aged 62, at her daughter Fanny's summer home in

Canton, Pennsylvania Canton is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,723 at the 2020 census. Geography Canton is located in southwestern Bradford County at (41.655805, -76.850706), in ...

, after suffering from cancer for a number of weeks.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davenport, Fanny Vining 1829 births 1891 deaths Actresses from London 19th-century English actresses English stage actresses English people of Irish descent English emigrants to the United States