Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-17
THE NOBILITY OF THE STAGE
RAv1REAcHED TIE PEgRxoE
From Early Poverty isse the Realm OF
Wealth ard ersa, ussers.
boston Herald.j

Wealth and ersa, Hsnets
boston Herald.l
Continuing our sketches Of the ladies
Of the stage who have been elevated to
ths peerage Of Grca. Britain, We come
next in order TO the
COUNTESS OF CRAVEN.
Louisa Brunton was the daughter Of
. most respected and respectable gentle
man, who for number Of years was
the proprietor Of the Norwich Theatre
in England, and wasa younger sister Of
Che more famous actress, Miss Bruntou,
who became the wife Of Mr.. Merry, the
poet Della Crusca, and who, after the
death Of Mr.. Merry, with whom she
came to this country, became the second
wife Of William Warren, the father OF
our cherished William Warren, whose
retirement from the stage is deeply de-
plored BY every lover Of chaste and re-
fined acting. She was also sister OF
John Brunton, who was the father OF
Mrs. Yates, the mother Of Edmund
Yates, the novelist. Louisa Brunton
was not originally intended for the
stage, although she possessed every
requisite for stage life. But the best
calculations are Outlines upset, and in
many instances accident brings about
result different from what was to be
anticipated from the most wisely
planned deliberations. She was the
sixth daughter Of her father, who
had many more children, and it was
her desire to add to the means
BY which the family was supported
which caused her at length TO adopt
the stage as profession. She made
her first appearance at Convent-Garden
Theatre on the evening Of the 25th Of
October, 1903. in the character OF Lady
Townley in "The Provoked Husband"
and, albeit she was not much more than
anoyice, is said to have sustained the
part with superior judgment and ele-
gsnce. Her next character was Beatrice
in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About
Nothing" which added to the favora-
BILE opinion already formed Of her, and
for four successive seasons she con-
tinued to play various stock characters,
about evenly divided between tragedy
and comedy.
Miss Brunton had not long been
upon the stage when the Earl Of Craven
saw, and, seeing, loved her. A marital
engagement was the result, and with
commendable modesty Miss Brunton, at
the beginning Of the month Of Deem
Der, 1907, made her final courtesy on
the stage without the formality of
regular retirement, and on the Both Of
the same month at ! O'Clock in the
evening, at Craven House, was married
to the Earl, who was then in his
thirty -seventh year, his beautiful
bride being twenty-five. There was
nothing remarkable in Miss Brunton's
life, which was one Of serenity,
and, therefore, there were no anecdotes,
and assuredly no scandals, concerning
her to relate. Her youth had been
trained by tenaciously honorable and
honored parents in we'll -guarded home,
and she knew neither cares nor vicissi-
tudes. She was most beautiful wo-
man, and her beauty has been described
as "of that serene, unexacting quality
which engages even female hearts"
Her youthful vivacity was so femininely
gentle, SO tempered by delicate discre-
ton, and she was, withal, so outwardly
unconscious of her surprising loneliness
that envy itself must have been pleased
to acknowledge it.
1t is said that the Countess Of Ora
ven's first appearance at
THE COURT OF GEORGE III.
was one of the most striking imagina-
BILE. Her exceeding beauty was uni
versally felt, and those who had only
beheld her at stage distance were not
prepared for the real daylight love-
illness which was so charmingly
blended with that first of femi-
nine graces, modesty, for which
her public department had at all
times been distinguished. The dignity
of the peerage suffered no deterioration
or diminution by her exaltation. She
outliyed her husband, and in her widow
hood passed her time in comparative
retirement, beloved by her children
and esteemed by all who knew her.
She died August 90, 1860, aged seven
ty-eight. Some lines here on the sub
ject of wedding an actress, and in
which the Countess of Craven is alluded
to, may not be Inappropriate
IAN actress! well. own It's true,
But why should that yeur love subdue,
or bid you blush for Polly?
When all within Is sense and worth,
To care for modes OF life or birth
Is arrant pride and folly.
"a Polly in former age
Resigned the captain and the stage
To shine as Bottoms duchess;
Derby and Craven since have shown
That virtue builds herself throne,
Ennobling whom she touches.
.she who is srtless, chaste, refined,
Disintfrested, pure In mlnd.
Unsoiled with vices leaven,
Has that nobility within
Which kings can neither give nor win
Her patent Is nom heaven.
.pscara your doubts-your suit prefer;
You dignity yourself, not her.
And IL your noble friends should stare,
Go bid them show happier pair
Among the fools OF fashion!
LADY THURLow.
Mary Catharine Bolton was the cid
est of o family Of five children. He
father was man Of much responsibility
and was originally lawyer, which pro
fession, however, he relinquished ant
engaged in other pursuits, which
brought him into financial difficulties
This occurred when his daughter haC
reached the age Of seventeen years, ant
being . young woman Of considerable
decision Of character she felt called
upon to exert herself by public
display Of those talents, which
originally cultivated for private life
were now needed for the sup
port Of her parents and her brothers
and sisters. She was good musician
had received much vocal instruction
from celebrated teacher by the nam
Of LAMA, and it was through his intiu