Vera Beringer (2 March 1878 – 29 January 1964) was a British actress and writer. As a child she became well-known for playing

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in '' St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

on the London stage. Later she was a playwright, sometimes using the byline Henry Seton.

Early life

Vera Beringer was born in London in 1878,Though some sources that give 1879 as the year, Vera Beringer's birth was registered in London in 1878; ''Civil Registration Birth Index'', via Ancestry.com the younger daughter of German-born pianist

Oscar Beringer Oscar Beringer (14 July 1844 – 21 February 1922) was an English pianist and teacher of German descent. He was born in Furtwangen in the Black Forest, but by 1849 he had moved to London when his father became a political refugee. Due to impo ...

and American-born novelist and playwright Aimée Daniell Beringer. Her sister was actress

Esme Beringer Esme Beringer (5 September 1875 – 31 March 1972) was an English actress who was noted for her bartitsu fencing skills. Early life Esme Beringer was born in London, the daughter of pianist Oscar Beringer and novelist and playwright Aimée Dani ...

. Her brother Guy Beringer was a journalist, credited with coining the word "brunch" in 1895.

Career

Beringer became internationally famous in childhood for originating the role of

on the London stage in 1888. She was coached in stagecraft by

Madge Kendal Dame Madge Kendal, (born Margaret Shafto Robertson; 15 March 1848 – 14 September 1935) was an English actress of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, best known for her roles in Shakespeare and English comedies. Together with her husband, W. ...

. As a teen, she played Juliet to her sister's Romeo in a production of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

''. Other stage appearances included roles in ''The Pillars of Society'' (1889), ''The Prince and the Pauper'' (1890), ''That Girl'' (1890), ''On a Doorstep'' (1890), ''Holly Tree Inn'' (1891), ''Richelieu'' (1896), ''Our Boys'' (1896), ''The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1896), ''My Lady's Orchard'' (1897), ''A Warm Member'' (1898), ''Shadows on the Blind'' (1898), ''Alone in London'' (1900), ''The Broken Melody'' (1902)'','' ''Warp and Woof'' (1904), ''Fanny and the Servant Problem'' (1908), ''The Whip'' (1910), ''The Odd Woman'' (1912), ''The Vision of Delight'' (1912), ''The Absent-Minded Husband'' (1913), ''The Morning Post'' (1913), and ''The Man from Blankley's'' (1930). During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she and her sister entertained American and British troops in London. She played Gertrude to her sister's

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in 1938, and the sisters gave further Shakespeare performances during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Beringer wrote at least nineteen plays, often under the pen name "Henry Seton", including ''The Boys'' (1908), ''False Dawn'' (1910, with

Morley Roberts Morley Charles Roberts (29 December 1857 – 8 June 1942) was an English novelist and short story writer, best known for ''The Private Life of Henry Maitland''. Life and work Roberts was born in London, the son of William Henry Roberts (1831-19 ...

), ''Pierrot's Little Joke'' (1912), ''Three Common People'' (1912), ''A Penny Bunch'' (1912-1913), ''The Blue-Stocking'' (1913, with Mesley Down; an adaptation of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's ''

Les Femmes Savantes ''Les Femmes savantes'' (''The Learned Ladies'') is a comedy by Molière in five acts, written in verse. A satire on academic pretension, female education, and préciosité (French for preciousness), it was one of his most popular comedies and ...

''), ''Set a Thief'' (1915), ''Lucky Jim'' (1915), ''Daring'' (1917), ''A Pair'' (1917), ''The Honourable Gertrude'' (1918), ''Biffy'' (1920, with William Ray), ''Beltane Night'' (1923), ''The Painted Lady'' (1924), ''Alice and Thomas and Jane'' (1932), ''House Full'' (1933), and ''It Might Happen to You'' (1937). Her play ''Another Man's Life'' was adapted for television in 1957.

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...

wrote a

limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

titled "To Miss Vera Beringer". In 1933 Vera Beringer and Madge Kendal appeared together as speakers in London, advocating for male teachers and headmasters at boys' schools.

Personal life

Beringer lived in

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

in her later years, and died in 1964, aged 85 years, at a nursing home in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

. She left all her property to her sister, who survived her.

Notes

References

External links

* *The National Portrait Gallery hold
ten portraits of Vera Beringer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beringer, Vera 1878 births 1964 deaths British actresses British dramatists and playwrights Shakespearean actresses 20th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers