Mary Ann Wrighten Pownall, née Mary Matthews, (b. 1751, d. 12 August 1796) was an English singer, actress and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Life

Mary Ann Matthews was born in England of a jeweler father and shop-keeper mother. She was apprenticed to organist Charley Griffith where she learned music, and made her debut on the stage at about age 15. She married actor

James Wrighten James Wrighten (b. 1745 - d. 1793) was an English actor. He trained to work as a copperplate printer, but left that occupation for the stage. He moved from Birmingham to London and made his debut at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 21 February 1779. ...

in about 1769 in Birmingham, and the couple came to London to work in

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

, where she quickly became successful as a singer and actress with Garrick and Sheridan at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. The couple had two daughters, Mary and Charlotte. They divorced in 1786 in a public scandal, and Mary Ann Wrighten emigrated to the United States to work for theater manager John Henry. Her first American appearance was at the Southwark Theater in Philadelphia in 1792, billed as Mrs. (Hugh) Pownall. She also appeared in New York City, and settled in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, where she died during a yellow fever epidemic in 1796. She wrote an autobiography entitled ''An Apology for the Life and Conduct of Mrs Mary Wrighten, Late a Favourite Actress and Singer, of Drury Lane Theatre, and Vauxhall Gardens.''

Works

In 1784 Wrighten published ''Four Ballads'': *''I Could Not Help Laughing at That'' *''Kiss Me Now or Never'' *''Twas Yes, Kind Sir and Thank You, Too'' *''Young Willy'' She is also credited with: *''Jemmy of the Glen'' (ca. 1790)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wrighten, Mary Ann 1751 births 1796 deaths British classical composers Women classical composers English women singers English stage actresses 18th-century English actresses 18th-century classical composers 18th-century women composers