Person    | Female  Born 18/3/1847  Died 21/7/1928

Ellen Terry

Categories: Theatre

Born in Coventry. From an acting family her stage career started at age 8. When 17 she retired from the stage to marry artist G.F. Watts, 30 years her senior. Her desire for the stage was greater than that for her husband and they separated after less than a year. She disappeared and her father misidentified a body recovered from the Thames as hers. She resurfaced to reveal that she was, aged 20, having a happy affair with the architect-designer Edward W. Godwin, which produced two children. She went on to have two more marriages, each to actors (Irving and an American 30 years her junior), but her greatest partnership was professional, with the actor/manager Henry Irving. Died at her home in Kent, Smallhythe, which is now a museum. John Gielgud was her great-nephew.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Ellen Terry

Commemorated ati

Ellen Terry - SW3

Ellen Terry, the great actress, lived here from 1904 to 1920.

Read More

Ellen Terry - SW5

London County Council Ellen Terry, 1847-1928, actress, lived here.

Read More

Queen's Theatre - Long Acre

Queen's Theatre The old Queen's Theatre occupied this site for just eleven y...

Read More

Other Subjects

Jessie Matthews, OBE

Jessie Matthews, OBE

Actor, singer and dancer. Born into a large family in Berwick Street.  Made her name in theatre and in the 30's was Britain's favourite musical film star.  Post-war her career flagged but in 1963 s...

Person, Cinema, Dance, Music / songs, Theatre, TV & Radio

2 memorials
Sir David Hare

Sir David Hare

Playwright, screenwriter and director. Born in St Leonards-on-Sea. Best known for his stage plays including 'Plenty', 'Racing Demon' and 'Amy's View'. He has also written the scripts for many telev...

Person, Cinema, Theatre

1 memorial
Fredda Brilliant

Fredda Brilliant

Polish actor and sculptor. 1924 emigrated with her parents to Australia. Moved to New York and then while in Moscow in 1935 married Herbert Marshall and changed her name to his.  1937 they moved to...

Person, Cinema, Sculpture, Theatre, Australia, Poland

1 memorial
Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker

Novelist and theatre manager.  Born Dublin. Came to London in 1878 with his new wife Florence Balcombe, previously Oscar Wilde's squeeze. Wrote Dracula whilst he was Irving’s acting manager at the ...

Person, Literature, Paranormal, Theatre, Ireland

3 memorials
Shakespeare Reading Society

Shakespeare Reading Society

Active in 1909 with Beerbohm Tree as President. 2018: Via Facebook Roger W. Haworth wrote to say that this organisation is active, with Judi Dench as President. We are pleased to hear that and sor...

Group, History, Theatre

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Society of British Artists

Society of British Artists

The following text was copied from the picture source website: The Royal Society of British Artists was established in 1823 by a small group of artists who wished to form an alternative to the Roy...

Group, Art

2 memorials
Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Mary Elizabeth Sumner

Founded the Mothers’ Union in 1876.  Born as Mary Elizabeth Heywood in Lancashire. 1848 she married George Henry Sumner, son of C. R. Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, and a second cousin of William Wi...

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

Wikipedia, our picture source, tell you all you need to know about the Stanley Cup, even the name of the silversmith from whom Lord Stanley bought it, G. R. Collis and Company (now Boodle and Dunth...

Concept, Sport / Games, Canada

1 memorial
Southbank Mosaics / London School of Mosaic

Southbank Mosaics / London School of Mosaic

Southbank Mosaics actively promotes equal opportunities and cross-cultural, inter-generational mosaic art work. The studio aims to draw on the historic roots of local neighbourhoods traversed by Sh...

Group, Art, Community / Clubs, Craft / Design

26 memorials
Watney Market sewer deaths

Watney Market sewer deaths

E1, Commercial Road, Watney Market clock tower

The plaque refers to the men being overcome by fumes while "working in this building" but the tragedy took place in a sewer.  Seems the p...

5 subjects commemorated