Louisa, Countess of Craven, originally Louisa Brunton (1785?–1860) was an English actress. Louisa Brunton Stamp

Birth and background

Her father, John Brunton (1741-1819), son of a soap dealer 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 ...

, was at one time a grocer in Drury Lane. He became an actor, and appeared at Covent Garden Theatre, 11 April 1774, as Cyrus, and, 3 May 1774, as Hamlet. He then played at Norwich and at Bath, Somerset, becoming ultimately manager of the Norwich theatre. Louisa Brunton was the one of seven sisters,

Ann Brunton Merry Ann Brunton Merry (30 March 1769 – 28 June 1808) was an English actress popular in the United Kingdom and later America. Life Ann (or Anne) Brunton was born 30 May 1769 in Covent Garden, England, one of 14 children of John Brunton (b. 1741) ...

, an actress, married

Robert Merry Robert Merry (1755–1798) was an English poet and dilettante. He was born in London. Both his father and grandfather were involved in the governance of the Hudson's Bay Company. His mother was the eldest daughter of Sir John Willes, Lord Chie ...

, Elizabeth (1771-1799) also an actress married Peter Columbine. Her eldest brother, John Brunton (1775–1849), also became an

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 ...

; he married Anna Ross, the sister of Frances Mary Ross. John and Anna's eldest daughter was the actress Elizabeth Yates. According to some biographers, she was born in February 1785; but the date may have been two or three years earlier.

Stage career

In September 1803 it was reported that Brunton had been engaged by Covent Garden Theatre for the season on £10 per week. Her brother, who appeared at Covent Garden 22 September 1800 as Brunton the younger, was with her during her entire time at the theatre. On 5 October 1803 Brunton made her first stage appearance, at Covent Garden, playing Lady Townley in ''

The Provoked Husband ''The Provoked Husband'' is a 1728 comedy play by the British writer and actor Colley Cibber, based on a fragment of play written by John Vanbrugh. It is also known by the longer title ''The Provok'd Husband: or, a Journey to London''. Vanbrugh ...

'' to the Lord Townley of Kemble and Lady Grace of Mrs Siddons. On 2 November she played Beatrice in ''

Much Ado about Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' and it was said 'her archness, vivacity, and spirit of the part, were well depicted. She was the original creator of some roles in pieces of Thomas Morton, and

William Dimond William Fisher Peach Dimond (11 December 1781 – c1837) was a playwright of the early 19th-century who wrote about thirty works for the theatre, including plays, operas, musical entertainments and melodramas. Life He was born in Bath in S ...

. On 21 October 1807 she played Clara Sedley in

Frederic Reynolds Frederic Reynolds (1 November 1764 – 16 April 1841) was an English dramatist. During his literary career he composed nearly one hundred tragedies and comedies, many of which were printed, and about twenty of them obtained temporary popularit ...

's comedy ''The Rage''. This is the last appearance recorded by

John Genest John Genest (1764–1839) was an English clergyman and theatre historian. Life He was the son of John Genest of Dunker's Hill, Devon. He was educated at Westminster School, entered 9 May 1780 as a pensioner at Trinity College, Cambridge, and gra ...

Marriage

Brunton left the stage aged 22–25 in December 1807, and married, 12 December 1807, William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven at his house in Berkeley Square, London. After the death of her husband, 30 July 1825, she lived in privacy, and died, almost forgotten, 27 August 1860.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, Louisa, Countess of 1780s births 1860 deaths British countesses English stage actresses 19th-century English actresses 19th-century British actresses

Birth and background

Stage career

Marriage

See also

Notes