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.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Ellen Terry
Commemorated ati
Queen's Theatre - Long Acre
Queen's Theatre The old Queen's Theatre occupied this site for just eleven y...
Other Subjects
Tommy Trinder
Actor and comedian. Born Thomas Edward Trinder at 54 Wellfield Road, Streatham. His career started in music halls and graduated to West End theatres, films and television. He was the first compere ...
Bonnie Greer
Playwright and novelist. Born in Chicago. She visited Britain as part of a production at the Edinburgh Festival in 1986 and has remained here ever since. She has written many plays for radio and ha...
Ruthie Henshall
Actor, dancer and singer. Born in Bromley as Valentine Ruth Henshall. She has appeared in many west end productions, including 'Cats', 'Chicago' and 'Les Miserables'. Nominated five times for an Ol...
John Wright
Puppeteer. Born in South Africa. He started work as a farmer in Cape Town, before moving to England in 1935 where he became assistant stage manager for the Ballet Rambert. He toured Europe and Sout...
Lillie Langtry
Actress. Born as Emilie Charlotte Le Breton at St Saviour's rectory, Jersey. She married Edward Langtry in 1874 and they moved to England, where they became established in London society. She had a...
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Bow Church
The parish church of St Mary and Holy Trinity, Stratford, Bow. In spite of the sign at the nearby Bow Bells public house, this is not the church with the bells that true Cockneys have to be born wi...
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