Mary Frances Scott-Siddons

by Beth Roberts

Mary Frances Scott-Siddons. Image sourced through Wikimedia Commons.

Perhaps overshadowed by the success of her great-grandmother, Sarah Siddons, Mary Frances Scott-Siddons managed to make a name for herself in her ancestor’s profession: acting. Whilst Siddons is known as one of the first ‘celebrities’ in history, Scott-Siddons’ talent was far more subtle and understated.

Born in Bengal Presidency, British India, in 1844 to Capt. William Young Siddons and Susan Mary Earle, Scott-Siddons travelled to England with her mother and siblings upon her father’s death. From an early age, she demonstrated a knack for performing and made her professional debut on the stage in Nottingham where she took on the role of Portia in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Scott-Siddons was a prolific actress, known for her natural ability, but she lacked the emotionality and strength of her famous great-grandmother. Whilst Sarah Siddons was known for her captivating performances as Lady Macbeth, Scott-Siddons’ performance of the same character was criticised for not demonstrating the proper physique and neglecting to exhibit the essential acting training needed to do the role justice.

Mary Frances Scott-Siddons. Image sourced through Wikimedia Commons.

This does not mean that Scott-Siddons was an unsuccessful actress. Indeed, she overcame the comparisons to her great-grandmother and made a name for herself globally. She toured the United States, Australia and New Zealand from 1875 to 1877, before returning to England to briefly assume the management of London’s Haymarket Theatre. Whilst Sarah Siddons had little control over her roles, Scott-Siddons was able to perform some of her favourites, such as the character of Iolanthe in Henrik Hertz’s King René’s Daughter (1845).

Numerous sources from the late nineteenth century discuss Scott-Siddons’ talents. In an edition of the Daily Telegraph published on April 10, 1867, her delivery of Shakespeare’s Rosalind’s lines (from As You Like It) was described as “characterized by earnestness and intelligence” (Pascoe, 1880: 299). Meanwhile, The Daily News reported on April 9, 1867, that “her ease, confidence, and freedom of gesture showed that she had an aptitude for acting” but that “she lacked the grand air of the tragedienne” (Pascoe, 1880: 299). Scott-Siddons’ talent lay in her thoughtful reading of the texts she performed but she was unable to convey the heightened tragic emotions necessary for some of the more challenging roles.

Whilst Scott-Siddons is not remembered as a celebrity behemoth like her great-grandmother, she is memorialised as a well-spoken recitalist who was able to give professional and intelligent readings of theatrical texts. Her global success was strong and she was the “starring” actress (Pascoe, 1880: 300) of her international tours.

After her death in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1896, Mary Frances Scott-Siddons was buried in Brookwood Cemetery. You can find her site of burial at grave number 131961 on St Matthew’s Avenue in the Anglican section of Brookwood. She was buried on Wednesday 18th November 1896. A global success and a powerful recitalist, Scott-Siddons was a studious character. In death, she finds herself woven into the rolling, green hills of Surrey.

Mary Frances Scott-Siddons’ grave. Photo by Beth Roberts

Mary Frances Scott-Siddons’ grave. Photo by Beth Roberts