The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-09 00:00:00

DEATH OF MRS. SIDDONS.

This lady, who, at no very distant period, was
'lot less eminent for the splendour of her mental en-
dowments, than for the towering majesty of her
person and demeanour, paid the great debt of na•
cure yesterday morning at nine o'clock, at her late
residence in Upper Baker-street, Portman-square.
The announcement of this melancholy fact the public
was in part prepared for by the recent appearance
of paragraphs, which spoke of her illness and of its
alatm;ng tendency. We hear that her life was
wholly de•pair, d of by her medical attendants on
Saturday last, since which, however, she rallied a
little, and slight hopes were entertained by some of
her friends that she might fora time longer be spared
.o them. The disorder for a very little while mani-
fested signs of abatement, but returned with accu-
mulated force,nnd she sank under its effects at the day

and hour above stated.
To readers in general, and to theatrical readers hi
particular, it may be an object of curiosity when re-
cording the death of an individual so eminent in the
theatrical hemisphere as Mrs. Siddons once con-
fessedly was, to know something concerning her
birth—her parentage—as well as of her career upon
that stage which she rendered so celebrated, and
which since her secession from it, " has never seen
her like again."
Sarah Siddons, say her biographers, was the
eldest daughter of Roger and Sarah Kemble, and
was born at a small public-house, at Brecknock, in
South Wales, on the 14th of July, 1755, wanting
therefore only five weeks to have completed her
76th year. Her father was the manager of a strol-
ling company of comedians, and we have the testi-
mony of Mr. Holcroft, whose words we are about
to quote, that it " was more respectable than many
other companies." As this quotation refers parti-
cularly to the subject of our article, and is very mi-
nute on her first dramatic attempt, it may gratify
those who have not Wore met with it.

" The company of which old Mr. Kernble was the ma-
nager, was more respectable than many other companies
of strolling players ; but it was not in so flourishing a con •
dition as to place the manager beyond the reach of the im-
mediate smiles or frowns of fortune. Of this the fol-
lowing anecdote may be cited as an instance :
" A benefit had been fixed for some of the family, in
which Miss Kemble, then a little girl, was to come for-
ward, in some part, as a juvenile prodigy. The taste of
the audience was not, it seems, so accommodating as in
the present day; and the extreme youth of the performer
disposed the gallery to noise and uproar, instead of ap-
probation. .

" Their turbulent dissatisfaction quite disconcerted the
child, and she was retiring bashfully from the stage when
her mother, who was a woman of high spirit, alarmed for
the success of her little actress, came forward, and leading
the child to the front of the stage, made her repeat the
fable of the Boys and the Frogs, which entirely turned
the tide of popular opinion in her favour.
" What must the feelings of the same soother have been
when this child, afterwards Mrs. Siddons, became the ad.
miration of the whole kingdom ; the first seeing of whom
vas an event in every person's life never to he forgotten ?"
From this period it appears Miss Kemble ptr-
formed regularly in her father's company, but rarely
in tragedy, as she was accounted an excellent singer,
though she knew nothing of the science of music.
At this time, Mr. Siddons, her future husband, was
a member of her father's company, and, though he
was valued for his versatility, and " could do any
thing from Hamlet to Harlequin," yet were not his
attentions to Miss Kemble approved of by her pa-
rents, in consequence, it is pretended, of her extreme
youth, her age being then but fifteen years. She was
therefore, according to Boaden, placed " two years
under the protection of Mrs. Greatheed, equally
rem,,ved from her lover and the stage." Ac-
cording to other biographers, she acted in the
capacity of lady's-maid to the lady above named,
who- resided at Guy's Cliff, near Warwick.—
Here, however, it seems that she panted for the
enjoyment of those plaudits which had encouraged
her early efforts on the stage; but, in all pro-
bability, more ardently for the society of one
from whom absence could not estrange her affec-
tions. In fine, she quitted her situation, and " a
journey to Scotland wai probably averted," as
Boaden says, " by the consent of the parents to
their union. Mr. Kemble himself gave his daugh-
ter's hand to Mr. Siddtns, before she had completed
the eighteenth year of her age." This match, as
our readers may guess, was rather one of affection
than of prudence, for though it may not be dis-
puted that " she was every thing to him., and he
to her was every thing," yet the young couple had
an establishment to form and support, and an at•
tempt was made through some influential persons
who had witnessed her performances at Cheltenham
with great satisfaction, to procure for her an engage-
ment in London, for which purpose Garrick was
applied to, who engaged her, more, it is supposed,
to keep her talent from the rival house than for any
service it was likely to render himself. Garrick has
been accused of acting unhandsomely by Mrs. Sid-
dons, of whose rising talent he is said to have been

jealous. This we disbelieve, but are more inclined to
think, from what we have somewhere read, that her
debut, at that time, was premature, and her talents
required the full ripening which further practice
in the country ultimately gave it. Her first
appearance in London was in Portia, in the Mer-
chant of Venice, at Drury-lane Theatre, on Friday,
the 29th December, 1775. She afterwards appeared
as the Queen to Garrick's Richard, and Mrs. Strick-
land to his Ranger, and other parts. Henderson.
first saw her in 1776, at Birmingham, and was im-
mediately struck with her excellence, and pronounced
that she would never be surpassed. He was at this
time the hero of the Bath stage, and wished for the
support of such talents as he saw in Mrs. Siddons.
He recommended her accordingly in the warmest
manner to the managers, but without success. She
however, in 1777, app axed on the Bath stage, and
was received with mend applause; and in 1782
she took leave of it in a poetical address. On the
10th of October, of that year, she returned to the
metropolis, and appeared at Drury-lane theatre as
Isabella, on which occasion, we are informed, the
house overflowed. So great, indeed, was her suc-
cess that her salary was doubled,and an extra benefit
was granted to her—besides which, the Gentlemen
9f the Bar raised a subscription of 100 guineas,
which was transmitted to her with a complimentary
letter. In 1783 she visited Dublin, and agsin in
the following year, when she also visited Edinburgh.
At both places she received flattering enco-
miums and splendid presents; amongst 'others, a
large silver urn, on which was incribed " A
Reward to Merit." The donor, it is said, was
fora
becomelike
pbteeoa rr, purpose.
dan
perform
lt
ah te rye
never known. In 1785 Mrs. Siddons had first
the. honour of reading a play before their Ma-
jesties, at Buckingham House; and after this
period she and her brother, John Kemble, were
frequently summoned there and to Windsor Castle,
12evi brothersraeiehtoGtcontinuedaGarden
tjhd e
nri oe2h r:81,
theatre,hav-
ing
o2proprietoreluan until
18o;Htfs3:C:etr her
eep t ea occa-
sionallymp
when, in Lady Macbeth, she took her final leave of
the stage. After the dream scene the house rose,
and would not allow the play to proceed to its ter-
mination. After a short pause, the curtains rose,
and Mrs. Siddons delivered an address. At its con-
elusion John Kemble entered, took her by the hand,
and led her off amidst torrents of applause. Not-
withstanding this formal retirement, on the 22d of
June, 1813, Mrs. Siddons performed Lacy jean-
dolph, for the benefit of the Drury-lane Theatrical
Fund ; in the same year she also appeared as Lady
Macbeth, for her brother Charles's ben, fit; and in
1816 she performed Katherine for the same kind
obj,ct. On the Bth of June, 1817, she consented
to appear in the character of Lady Macbeth, to
gratify the Lite Princess Charlotte, whose indispo-
sitionattending.
prevented her from ,
tures beautifully Roncan, and most powerfully ex-
Mrs. Siddons in person was majestic, her fea.
pressi re. Sir Joshua Reynolds painting of her as
the Tragic Muse, several by Lawrence, and the
celebrated " Trial of Katherine, by Harlowe, will
convey a collect idea of her personal dignity; but
the expressive
what pen or pencil can justly impart

power of her flne countenance ? Mrs. Siddons bad
three children, one of whom, Mr. Henry Siddotti,
Appeared at Covent-garden in 1802. He was but
An indifferent actor: lie is known as the author of
" Time's a Tell-yule," and other dramatic pieces,
besides novels. He was latterly, we believe, the
manager of the Edinburgh theatre, and died there.
Mr. Horace Twiss, her nephew, and the children of
her brother Chades, are, it is said, likely to inherit
her property, which is spoken of as considerable.