Mary Ann Duff

Mary Ann Duff as Mary inSuperstition(1824) byJames Nelson Barker.Engraved byJames Barton Longacrefrom a portrait byJohn Neagle

Mary Ann Duff(born Mary Ann Dyke; 1794 – 5 September 1857) was an Englishtragedienne,in her time regarded as the greatest upon the American stage.She was born in London, England, and died in New York City, United States.

Biography

Mary Ann Dyke and her younger sisters Elizabeth and Ann were all born in London. Their father was anEnglishman,employed in the service of theBritish East India Company,and he died abroad while they were children. Their mother prepared them for the stage underJames Harvey D'Egville,a ballet-master of theKing's Theatre, London.

Early career

The Dyke sisters made their first appearance in 1809, at aDublintheatre and were described as "remarkable for their beauty and winning disposition."While Mary was performing in Dublin, she met Irish poetThomas Moorewho proposed to her but was rejected as Mary had already formed an attachment to the man who became her husband. Moore turned his attention to her sister Elizabeth whom he married soon after.Mary Ann married in her sixteenth year John R. Duff (1787–1831),an Irish actor. (The youngest sister Ann marriedWilliam Murray,the brother ofHarriet Murray), but died soon after the marriage.)John Duff had been a classmate of Moore atTrinity College,where he had read law, but was drawn to the stage. He was seen in Dublin by actorThomas Apthorpe Cooperwho recommended him to Powell and Dickson of theBoston Theatre.He was immediately engaged and he and Mary, barely sixteen, moved toAmericain 1810.In 1817, John became a partner in the Boston Theatre but relinquished his share after three years.

American career

Mary Ann Duff first appeared inBostonasJulieton 31 December 1810 with her husband as Romeo. The part ofMercutiowas played byJohn Bernard.Although one critic remarked on her attractiveness, he felt that her youth made her lack experience and conception.

Her next performance was on 3 January 1811, where she played Lady Anne inRichard IIIwithGeorge Frederick Cookein the title rôle. She followed it with Lady Rodolpha Lumbercourt to his Sir Pertinax MacSycophant inCharles Macklin'sMan of the World;Charlotte to his Sir Archy MacSarcasm inLove a la Modeby the same author; and Lady Percy to his Falstaff inHenry IV, Part 1.Other roles she played at this time were Miranda, with her husband as Marplot, inThe Busy BodiebySusanna Centlivre;and Eliza Ratcliff, with John Bernard as Sheva, inThe JewbyRichard Cumberland.She also appeared in the pantomimesOscar and MalvinabyWilliam Reeve,in which she also danced; andBrazen MaskbyJames Hewitt.On 29 April 1811 the Duffs appeared at a benefit in which Mary danced a solo while her husband performed inThe Three and the DeucebyPrince Hoare.The latter was so popular that he would go on to repeat this triple-role performance more than eighty times over the course of his career. Mary's first season in Boston ended with her playing Victoria inHannah Cowley'sA Bold Stroke for a Husband.

In July, the company made its annual migration toProvidence, Rhode Island.Ellen Darley (néeWestwray) retired as leading "juvenile lady"; as a result, Mary stepped up and succeeded to most of her characters.

Other tragic rôles includedOphelia,Desdemona,andLady Macbeth.In 1821, also in Boston, she playedHermioneinThe Distrest Mother,byAmbrose Philips,an adaptation ofRacine'sAndromaque.So powerful was her performance thatEdmund Keanfeared it might be forgotten that he was the "star." She first appeared in New York City in 1823, asHermione,to theOrestesof the elderBooth.

In 1828, she played atDrury Lane,London, but soon returned to America where Mr. Duff died in 1831. He had been for some time in poor health and had declined in professional popularity, while his wife, at first viewed as inferior to him in ability, had surpassed and eclipsed him. After her husband's death, Mary had a hard struggle with poverty, as she was the mother of ten children and actors, even of the best order, were poorly paid in those days. In 1826, in New York, Mr. and Mrs. Duff received jointly, during ten weeks, a salary of only $55 a week, together with the net proceeds of onebenefit.In 1835, she played for the last time in New York and was married to Joel G. Sevier, ofNew Orleansin 1836. Her farewell to the stage in 1838 occurred there.

Final years

She lived in New Orleans, renounced the Stage, left theCatholicfaith, and became aMethodist.For many years her life was devoted to works ofpietyand benevolence. About 1854, the once great and renowned actress, took up her abode with her youngest daughter, Mrs. I. Reillieux, at 36 West Ninth Street, New York City, where, on 5 September 1857, she died. Although she suffered from cancer, the immediate cause of death was an internalhaemorrhage.

An article inThe Philadelphia Sunday Mercury,9 August 1874, written by James Rees, relates the strange circumstances of her burial. According to that authority, the body of Mrs. Duff-Sevier was laid in the receiving tomb atGreenwood,6 September 1857, and shortly afterward that of her daughter, Mrs. Reillieux, was likewise laid there; but on 15 April 1858, both those bodies were thence removed and were finally buried in the same grave, which is No. 805, in Lot 8,999, in that part of the cemetery known as "The Hill of Graves," – the certificate describing them as "Mrs. Matilda I. Reillieux & Co." The grave was then marked with a headstone, inscribed with the words, "My Mother and Grandmother." There seems to have been a purpose to conceal the identity of Mrs. Sevier with Mrs. Duff, and to hide the fact that the mother of Mrs. Reillieux had ever been on the stage, – but the grave of the actress was finally discovered and restored.

Bibliography

• The Wallet of Time
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Gilman, D. C.;Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905).New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)