Marguerite Merington (1857/60/61 – May 20, 1951) was an English-born American author of short stories, essays, dramatic works, and biographies. For several years, she taught in Greek and Latin at the Normal College in New York before pursuing a career as an author.

Early life and education

Marguerite Merington was born in

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. The ...

, England, in 1857, 1860, or ca. 1861. At an early age, she came with her parents to

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

where was educated at a convent. Even as a girl, she displayed dramatic talent, and often wrote and acted little parlor plays.

Career

For several years, she was instructor in Greek and Latin in the Normal College in New York. After resigning from this position, Merington pursued the career of a dramatic author. About 1889,

E. H. Sothern Edward Hugh Sothern (December 6, 1859 – October 28, 1933) was an American actor who specialized in dashing, romantic leading roles and particularly in Shakespeare roles. Biography Sothern was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of English ...

proposed that Merington should write him a play, the leading character of which should be a captivating Irish gentleman. With a few suggestions from him, the play, ''Captain Lettarblair'' was written. Before it was performed,

Joseph Jefferson Joseph Jefferson III, commonly known as Joe Jefferson (February 20, 1829 – April 23, 1905), was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous 19th century American comedia ...

, saw the manuscript and praised it highly. The play had a trial run at an authors' matinee in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and was first presented August 16, 1892, at the Lyceum Theatre. ''Captain Lettarblair'', produced by

Daniel Frohman Daniel Frohman (August 22, 1851 – December 26, 1940) was an American theatrical producer and manager, and an early film producer. Biography Frohman was born to a American Jews, Jewish family in Sandusky, Ohio. His parents were Henry (1826&nda ...

, brought in large audiences, was financially successful, and held a place in

Sothern Sothern is a surname, and may refer to: * Alan Sothern (born 28 July 1987), Irish field hockey player * Ann Sothern (1909–2001), American film and television actress * Denny Sothern (1904–1977), major league baseball player * E. H. Soth ...

's repertoire. Merington wrote other dramas, including ''Good-Bye'', ''A Lover's Knot'', and the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

of a

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 ...

, ''Daphne, or the Pipes of Arcadia''. Set to music by

Arthur Bird Arthur Homer Bird (23 July 1856 – 22 December 1923) was an American composer, for many years resident in Germany. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he studied organ and composition in Berlin and spent a year at Weimar with Franz Liszt. He c ...

, of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, it gained the prize of from the New York Conservatory of Music. After having served as the private secretary of

Elizabeth Bacon Custer Elizabeth Bacon Custer (née Bacon; April 8, 1842 – April 4, 1933) was an American author and public speaker, and the wife of Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custer, United States Army. She spent most of their marriage in relative proxi ...

, Merington became the editor of ''The Custer Story: The LIfe and Intimate Letters of General

George A. Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

and His Wife Elizabeth''.

Death

Merington died on May 20, 1951, in her Manhattan home. Of her life she said: "There is absolutely nothing about me to be told, and that I never tell."

Selected works

* ''At parting; comedy ...'' * ''The Children's Garden : given in the name of Frances Hodgson Burnett.'' * ''Kindly light; a modern morality play ...'' * ''One life to give; drama in verse founded on the story of Nathan Hale ...'' * ''An everyday man; comedy ...'' * ''

Love Finds the Way ''Love Finds the Way'' (originally titled ''The Right to Happiness'') is a three-act play written by Marguerite Merington and first performed in 1896. Theatrical manager A. M. Palmer acquired the rights to a German play by Olga Wohlbrück, whi ...

'' * ''The island; a drama ...'' * ''That little shabby gentleman; comedy ...'' * ''The court of Ferrara; a dialogue ...'' * ''Pepilia; comedy ...'' * ''"Good-bye!" A story of love and sacrifice ...'' * ''The musical isle ...'' * ''The key to the house; play ...'' * ''Drum and fife parade ...'' * ''"Captain Lettarblair"; a drama in three acts'' * ''Old orchard ... called Rose Valley in Chicago Production.'' * ''Daphne, or, The pipes of Arcadia : three acts of singing nonesense '', 1896 * ''The right ending : one-act sketch in blank verse for three persons, two men and one woman--'', 19?? * ''Late Dyal & Co.; a farce-comedy in three acts.'', 19?? * ''Cranford; a play; a comedy in three acts made from Mrs. Gaskell's famous story.'', 1905 * ''The turn of the tide : a play in four acts'', 1905 * ''The lady in the adjoining room : one-act play'', 1905 * ''Snow-white : a play for children '', 1905 * ''The Gibson play a two-act comedy based on Mr. Charles Dana Gibson's series of cartoons "A widow and her friends" originally printed in "Life,"'', 1901 * ''Scarlett of the Mounted ... Illustrated.'', 1906 * ''Picture plays'', 1911 * ''More fairy tale plays'', 1917 * ''Fairy tale plays'', 1925 * ''Story of the Custer massacre, now fifty years past, is retold by widow of famous Indian fighter '', 1926 * ''A Dish o' Tea Delayed. One-act play for high school girls, etc.'', 1937 * ''Edwin Booth; sketch for a cinema; sequence of scenes and dialogue,'', 194? * ''Booth episodes; play in eight episodes, nine scenes, founded on the life of Edwin Booth. '', 1944 * ''The Custer story : the life and intimate letters of General George A. Custer and his wife Elizabeth'', 1950

Notes

References

Attribution

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merington, Marguerite 1857 births 1951 deaths People from Stoke Newington 19th-century English writers 19th-century British women writers 19th-century American women writers 19th-century English educators 19th-century American educators 20th-century English writers 20th-century British women writers 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century American women educators 19th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights British dramatists and playwrights British biographers American biographers Hunter College faculty American women biographers