348 



Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 



[^Sept. 



bennaids, &c. ; Eliza was equally success- 

 ful in tlie personation of such characters as 

 Edward the Fifth, in Richard the Third ; 

 and Peggy, the youngest, was, many years 

 afterwards, well known on the London 

 boards as the wife of Mr. Knight, an ex- 

 ceedingly clever actor in light and elegant 

 comedy. 



In the year 1773, Miss Farren, at the 

 early age of fourteen, made her debut on 

 the Liverpool stage, as Rosetta, in the opera 

 of Love in a Village, under the auspices of 

 Mr. Younger, the manager. She became 

 a favourite with the public at Liverpool, 

 Shrewsbury, Chester, &c. Strongly recom- 

 mended by Mr. Younger to the proprietor of 

 the Haymarket Theatre, she came to London 

 in 1777, and made her first appearance as 

 Miss Hardcastle, in Goldsmith's comedy of 

 She Stoops to Conquer ; Edwin, also, mak- 

 ing his first appearance the same night, as 

 Tony Lumpkin. According to the critics 

 of the day, her performance of Miss Hard- 

 castle, though far short of Mrs. Bulkeley's, 

 was highly respectable. Her person was 

 genteel, and above the middle stature ; her 

 countenance full of sensibility, and capable 

 of expression ; her voice clear, but thin, 

 rather sharp, and not sufficiently varied; 

 her action not directly awkward ; her deli- 

 very emphatic and distinct. 



"W^ien The Spanish Barber was first 

 played, in 1777, Miss Farren played the 

 part of Rosina, and contributed greatly to 

 .its success. In the winter of 1777-8, she 

 was engaged at Covent-Garden Theatre, 

 where she performed chiefly in tragedy. 

 Subsequently, at Drury Lane, she also ap. 

 peared as a tragic actress, representing Ju- 

 liet, &c. with great applause. 



It may be said that, throughout life, acci- 

 dental circumstances greatly favoured Bliss 

 Farren. At Bath, Mrs. Siddons had played 

 Almeida, in Pratt's tragedy of The Fair 

 Circassian, with great success. In bring- 

 ing the piece forward at Drury Lane, it was 

 Mr. Sheridan's intention that Blrs. Craw- 

 ford should make her first appearance as the 

 heroine. Through some disagreement, 

 however, that lady was not engaged ; the 

 part of Almeida was consequently given to 

 Miss Farren ; and the piece had a nearly 

 uninterrupted run of three-and-twenty 

 nights. This was in the year 1780. Mrs. 

 Abingdon's desertion of Drury Lane for 

 Covent Garden Theatre, was another for- 

 tunate circumstance which at once placed 

 Miss Farren, who succeeded her, in her 

 own proper sphere. On the suggestion of 

 Parsons, her first character was Lady Town- 

 ley ; and, from that time, she took the 

 whole of Mrs. Abingdon's chai-acters with 

 equal success. 



Amongst her numerous admirers, IMr. 

 Fox was, about this time, very particular 

 in his attentions. The propriety of the 

 lady's conduct, however, not only induced 

 him to relinquish the pursuit, but to intro- 

 duce her to some of the first characters in 



the world of fashion. Lady Dorothea 

 Thompson and Lady Cecilia Johnstone, 

 &c. received her into their coteries ; and thus 

 it was that she first attracted the notice of 

 Lord Derby, who, at that time, was very 

 painfully circumstanced with respect to his 

 Countess. There had been a separation 

 between them, but no divorce. An inti- 

 macy commenced between his I>ordship 

 and Miss Farren ; but to the honour of the 

 parties, Mrs, Farren, who resided with her 

 daughter, was present at all their interviews, 

 and not a whisper of calumny was ever 

 breathed against them. 



The exalted estimation in which Bliss 

 Farren's conduct and character were held, 

 induced Mr. King, when appointed mana- 

 ger of Drury Lane theatre, to pay her all 

 possible respect and attention. ^V'hen the 

 Duke of Richmond became enamoured of 

 private theatricals, Miss Farren was ap- 

 pointed to preside over the stage business, 

 at his house in Privy Gardens. To this 

 employment she devoted much attention, 

 as it introduced her to a wider circle of no- 

 bility ; and she was caressed by numerotis 

 ladies of rank and fashion. At the little 

 theatre which the Duke had caused to be 

 fitted up. Lord Derby, Lord Henry Fitz- 

 Gerald, Charles Fox, General Fitzpatrick, 

 Lord John Townshend, tlie Hon. Mrs. 

 Damer, &c. were accustomed to appear in 

 the principal characters. 



At this time Miss Farren had a house in 

 the vicinity of Grosvenor Square, kept her 

 carriage, and was received in the first cir- 

 cles. Occasionally, she played with great 

 success in Ireland, where, also, she was 

 much noticed by the nobility. On the 

 opening of the new theatre of Drury Lane, 

 in April, 1794, she delivered an amusing 

 epilogue, written by George Colman, the 

 younger. 



It had long been understood that, on the 

 demise of Ivady Derby, should that event 

 occur in the lifetime of the Earl, Miss 

 Farren would be elevated to the rank of a 

 Peeress. Lady Derby died on the 14th of 

 March, 1797 ; and, on the 8th of April, 

 JVIiss Farren took her final leave of the 

 stage, as Lady Teazle, in the School for 

 Scandal. On the 8th of the ensuing month, 

 she was married to Lord Derby by special 

 licence ; soon aftewards slie was introduced 

 at Court ; and, having long been greatly 

 esteemed by their Jlajesties George III. 

 and Queen Charlotte, and also by oiur pre- 

 sent sovereign, her Ladyship made one in 

 the procession at the marriage of the Prin- 

 cess Royal to the Prince of \Yirtemberg. 



TheComitess of Derby had three children 

 by her marriage : Lady Lucy Elizabeth, 

 born in 1799, died in 1809; Lord Henry 

 James, born in 1800, died in 1817 ; and 

 Lady Mary Margaret, bom in 1801, and 

 married, in 1821, the Right Hon. Thomas, 

 Earl of Wilton. 



From the period of their imion, the noble 

 pair spent much of their time at their seat, 



