Nannette Johnston (born 1782) was a British

stage actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

and

dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...

active during the

Regency era The Regency era of British history officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, though the term is commonly applied to the longer period between and 1837. George III of the United Kingdom, King George III succumbed to mental illness in late 18 ...

. She was born in

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 ...

as the daughter the actor William Parker, but educated in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

where her father was working and began her career as a dancer. In 1796 she married the actor

Henry Erskine Johnston Henry Erskine Johnston (1777–1838?) was a Scottish actor given the sobriquet The Edinburgh Roscius. . Early life Born in Edinburgh in May 1777 the son of a former barber on the High Street, his father was allegedly shaving Henry Erskine ...

, with whom she had six children, and the then went to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

for a season before heading to

where she acted at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

and the

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

. They both moved to

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 ...

for two seasons, before returning to Covent Garden. During a spell in

in 1811 she abandoned her husband, who had been employed by the Peter Street Theatre, and began living with

Thomas Harris William Thomas Harris III (born 1940/1941) is an American writer, best known for a series of suspense novels about his most famous character, Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, the most notab ...

, the manager of Covent Garden. She in turn left Harris in 1814 for a

banker A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

Harry Drummond, after which Harris released her from Covent Garden. She seems to have effectively retired apart from a benefit for the actor William A. Conway in 1816. In 1820 she was granted a divorce from Johnston and was still alive in 1826, but little is known about her later life. Highfill, Burnim & Langhans p.202-3

Selected roles

* Miss Blandford in ''

Speed the Plough ''Speed the Plough'' is a five-act comedy by Thomas Morton, first performed in 1798 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden to great acclaim. It is mostly remembered today for the sake of the unseen character, Mrs Grundy. The play may have been in ...

'' by Thomas Morton (1798) * Amelia Wildenhaim in ''

Lovers' Vows ''Lovers' Vows'' (1798), a play by Elizabeth Inchbald arguably best known now for having been featured in Jane Austen's novel ''Mansfield Park'' (1814), is one of at least four adaptations of August von Kotzebue's ''Das Kind der Liebe'' (1780; lit ...

'' by

Elizabeth Inchbald Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention. Life Bo ...

(1798) * Aurelia in ''

Five Thousand a Year ''Five Thousand a Year'' is a 1799 comedy play by the British writer Thomas John Dibdin. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as George Fervid, Alexander Pope as Frederick Fervid, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Sir Matthew Max ...

'' by

Thomas John Dibdin Thomas John Dibdin (21 March 1771 – 16 September 1841) was an English dramatist and songwriter. Life Dibdin was the son of Charles Dibdin, a songwriter and theatre manager, and of "Mrs Davenet", an actress whose real name was Harriett Pitt ...

(1799) * Gangica in ''

The Votary of Wealth ''The Votary of Wealth'' is a 1799 comedy play by the British writer Joseph George Holman. The original Covent Garden Theatre, Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Drooply, Alexander Pope (actor), Alexander Pope as Leonard Vizorly, ...

'' by

Joseph George Holman Joseph George Holman (1764–1817) was an English actor, dramatist and actor-manager. Early life Born in August 1764, he was son of John Major Holman of St. Giles's, Middlesex, an ensign and adjutant in the British service, who died when his so ...

(1799) * Ruth Starch in ''

The Wise Man of the East ''The Wise Man of the East'' is a 1799 comedy play by the British writer Elizabeth Inchbald, inspired by an earlier German work by August von Kotzebue. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London on 30 November 1799 and was perform ...

'' by

(1799) * Amelrosa in ''

Alfonso, King of Castile ''Alfonso, King of Castile'' is a historical tragedy by the English writer Matthew Lewis. It was published in November 1801, and was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden the following year. It is set during the reign of Alfonso XI ...

'' by Matthew Lewis (1802) * Lady Caroline Braymore in ''

John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...

'' by

George Colman the Younger George Colman (21 October 1762 – 17 October 1836), known as "the Younger", was an English dramatist and miscellaneous writer. He was the son of George Colman the Elder. Life He passed from Westminster School to Christ Church, Oxford, and ...

(1803) * Rosara in '' The Venetian Outlaw'' by

Robert William Elliston Robert William Elliston (7 April 1774 – 7 July 1831) was an English actor and theatre manager. Life He was born in London, the son of a watchmaker. He was educated at St Paul's School, but ran away from home and made his first appearance on ...

(1805) *Zorilda in ''

Timour the Tartar ''Timour the Tartar'' is an 1811 hippodrama play by English dramatist Matthew Lewis. The equestrian drama was a popular success.Gamer, MichaelA Matter of Turf: Romanticism, Hippodrama, and Satire in ''Nineteenth-Century Contexts'', Vol. 28, No ...

'' by Matthew Lewis (1811) * Lady Julia Sandford in '' The Gazette Extraordinary'' by

(1811) * Almeyda in '' The Renegade'' by

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 ...

(1812)

References

Bibliography

* Highfill, Philip H, Burnim, Kalman A. & Langhans, Edward A. ''A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800: Hough to Keyse''. SIU Press, 1975. 18th-century British people 19th-century British people English stage actresses 18th-century British actresses 18th-century English actresses 19th-century British actresses 19th-century English actresses Actresses from London 1782 births Year of death unknown {{UK-actor-stub