Elizabeth+Younger

Wiki Entry: Elizabeth Younger, Singer, Dancer & Actress


 * Early History & Background**

Elizabeth Younger, born to James and Margaret Younger, is said to have been born in September of 1699, although some speculation regarding her exact birthdate exists (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans). She was rumored to have spoken an epilogue at Drury-Lane Theatre in June of 1703, when she would have been four years old, leading to some confusion regarding the plausibility of her performance and her birthdate. However, it has generally been accepted that she was born September 2nd, 1699 (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).

Both James and Margaret Younger were born in Scotland. While Margaret was a “Keith”, meaning she was closely related to Keith the Earl Marshal of Scotland, James had been a soldier in the Third Troop of Guards and had served under Flanders III (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans). The family relocated to England, however, some time before the birth of their first child Margaret in 1680. Margaret grew up to become an actress as well, although she did not begin acting until she was already married, sometime around 1702 (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans). By contrast, Elizabeth made her first appearance playing Princess Elizabeth at Drury-Lane at only seven years old (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans), and continued to act, sing and dance for most of her adult life, sometimes even with her sister.

Throughout her career, Elizabeth played a variety of different roles; although very little is documented regarding her personal life outside of the theatre. It is known, however, that she had a natural daughter named Charlotte, which was first documented when Margaret died in May of 1723 and included Charlotte in her will. After having drawn up her will only twenty days before her death, Margaret left £10 to Elizabeth for mourning and left her house on Poland Street to Charlotte, who was probably around four years old at the time. Although Charlotte’s birthdate is, like her mother’s, not exactly determined, in addition to her father’s identity being unknown, it is speculated that she was born either between December of 1718 and April of 1719, or between May and September 1719. During these time periods, Elizabeth’s name was not featured in any playbills, indicating she may have been pregnant with Charlotte at the time (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).

She did eventually marry, but only after she had decided to retire from acting following her last performance in 1734. She was married shortly after to the Honorable John Finch, who was the fourth son of Daniel Finch, the Earl of Nottingham. Finch served as a member of Parliament from 1734 to 1744. Interestingly, Finch had actually almost died twenty years earlier, after being stabbed by a woman named Sally Salisbury; fortunately, he survived and had a daughter with Elizabeth, whom they named Elizabeth. She then grew up to marry John Mason of Greenwich in 1757. Later, Elizabeth and John Finch died within a year of each other, as Elizabeth died November 24th, 1762 and John died on February 12th, 1763 (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).




 * Stage Career**

As aforementioned, Elizabeth’s career was unique in that it began (most likely) when she was seven years old. Her first role was playing Princess Elizabeth, as well as performing the epilogue, in a performance of //Virtue Betray’d// at the Drury-Lane Theatre in March of 1706. Following her debut, the first time Elizabeth’s name was included in a playbill was on January 29th, 1711, in the role of Lightning in //The Rehearsal//, at Drury-Lane. Following these roles, she went on to play, as a child, parts such as the Page in //The Orphan//, the Countess of Rutland in //The Unhappy Favorite//, Cherry in //The Strategem//, and June Miranda in //The Busy Body//, most of which were either with troupes of child actors or with other child actors involved. Between 1710 and 1711, Elizabeth earned £10 for her work. Her first time acting entirely with adults, however, was in the 1712-1713 season, during which she played Rose in //The Recruiting Officer//, Clara in //The Humours of the Army//, and Prue in //Love for Love// (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).



In addition to acting as a child, Elizabeth began to develop her talents as a dancer very early on in her career. While her name did not appear in any playbills from 1713-1714, in May of 1714 she was first credited as a saraband and a jig dancer in her first time dancing alone on stage. The saraband was a relatively new dance at the time, as a dance in triple metre which had Spanish, Mexican and Arab influences, while the jig was an energetic, Irish-influenced folk dance. During her career, the influence of dance in theatre (entr’acte dance in particular) grew more and more prominent, as dancing became “indispensable to the commercial success of [the] theatres” (Goff 1). Of Elizabeth’s dancing career, scholar Moira Goff notes that it was successful and varied, as “Her dancing repertory at Drury Lane had encompassed dances as varied as The Peasants duet and a solo Saraband, and Anthony L'Abbe had created a Turkish Dance' for her” (Goff 218). This kind of prosperous dancing career, which her sister Margaret shared, was both unique and impressive for the time period, in which “…For women…at all levels of society, the long-term options seem to have been marriage into a moneyed family, living with relatives or in charitable institutions, or prostitution” (Macintosh 182). As a result, the success Margaret and Elizabeth were able to obtain, as Margaret especially was praised for her “agreeable looks and winning expressiveness” (Macintosh 182), was a novel and important accomplishment. And while the trajectory of their careers may have been ultimately very different - Elizabeth transitioned from role to role as a successful actress, dancer, and pantomime, whereas Margaret’s career became an “increasing struggle” (Macintosh 182) – both women were considered highly regarded examples of female success in a male-focused society.

In that same year, Elizabeth further developed her acting skills, as she went on to play Betty in //The Cautious Coxcomb//, Prue in //Love for Love//, Cydaria in //The Indian Emperor//, Molly in //The Puritan//, and Peggy in The //London Cuckolds//. In the following year at Drury-Lane, she was seen as Philadelphia in //The Amorous Widow//, Joyce in //The What D’Ye Call It//, Mrs. Fidget in //The Country Wife//, Flora in //She Wou’d and She Wou’d Not//, and the Queen in //Don Carlos//. In addition to her work in major roles like these, Elizabeth often performed as a prologue and epilogue speaker; including being chosen personally by Sir Richard Steele, a prominent politician, to speak the prologue of his //Censorium// at the York Buildings in 1715 (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).

Later in her career, Elizabeth maintained a relationship with the Drury-Lane theatre and continued to act prolifically in their seasons. During the 1723-1724 season at Drury-Lane alone, she played Miss Notable in //The Lady’s Last Stake//, Valeria in //The Rover//, Sylvia in //The Recruiting Officer//, Dol Mavis in //Epicoene//, Lucy and Charlotte in //Oroonoko//, Amie, Rachel, and Meriel in //The Jovial Crew//, Alithea in //The Country Wife//, Florella in //Greenwich Park//, Emilia and Belinda in //The Man of Mode//, Thalia in //The Loves of Mars and Venus//, Sylvius in //Lucius//, Lady Woudbe and Caelia in //Volpone//, Angelica in //The Constant Couple//, Angelina and Elvira in //Love Makes a Man//, and Dorinda in //The Tempest.// In that same season, she also played Victoria in //The Fatal Marriage//, Violante in //Sir Courtly Nice//, Serina in //The Orphan//, Dorinda in //The Stratagem//, Isabinda in //The Busy Body,// Graciana in //The Comical Revenge//, Constantia in //The Chances//, Tiresia in //The Squire of Alsatia//, Ariana in //She Wou’d If She Cou’d//, Araminta in //The Old Bachelor//, Clarinda in //The Double Gallant//, Melesinda in //Aureng-Zebe//, Louisa in //The Artifice//, Phyllis in //The Conscious Lovers//, Mlle D’Epingle in //The Funeral,// Fidelia in //The Plain Dealer//, Hoyden in //The Relapse//, Edging in //The Careless Husband,// and Ceres in //Harlequin Doctor Faustus// (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans). Clearly, as she grew older and more accomplished in her acting, Elizabeth was able to make a name for herself in comedic roles in particular; as she returned to play comedic female ingénues in plays she’d previously performed in as minor characters. Also obvious was her dedication to acting and acting, in particular, with the Drury-Lane Theatre, as her involvement with the theatre was fairly regular since her first role at seven years old.

Elizabeth did eventually depart from Drury-Lane, and began acting at Lincoln’s Inn Field’s Theatre instead, citing a more “advantageous income” as her reason for leaving. With this company, she was thrown a benefit on March 10th, 1726, which brought it over £216 alone. In October of 1725, she made her first appearance there in a play she had already performed in, as Margery in //The Country Wife//. In the duration of the 1725-1726 season, Elizabeth played both new and familiar roles as Sylvia in //The Recruiting Officer,// Charlotte in //Oroonoko//, a Mezzetin Woman in //The Necromancer//, Hellena in //The Rover,// Teresia in //The Squire of Alsatia//, Desdemona in //Othello,// Euphronia in //Aesop//, Graciana in //The Capricious Lovers//, Flippana in //The Confederacy//, Scuttle in //The Female Fortune Teller,// Columbine and a French woman in //Apollo and Daphne//, Mariana in //Money the Mistress//, Lady Fanciful in //The Provok’d Wife//, Gatty in //She Wou’d if She Cou’d//, Prince Massina in //Sophonisba//, Dorinda in //The Stratagem//, Juletta in //The Pilgrim,// Belinda in //The Old Bachelor//, Cordelia in //King Lear//, and Miranda in //The Busy Body//. She also, on occasion, continued to perform as an entr’acte dancer, although she eventually stopped (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans).

Her career, overall, was extremely prolific and successful, spanning from the time she was seven to her retirement at around 35 years old. In particular, Elizabeth was known for her roles in classic Restoration comedies, as her performances in leading roles in plays such as //The Country Wife//, //The Rover//, and //The Plain Dealer// suggest.


 * Personal Life and Critical Reception: Who Was Elizabeth Younger?**

Although very little is compiled regarding her personality or her reception as both an actress and as a person, there are a few circulating stories from her life which paint a picture of the kind of person she was. On stage, she seemed to be well-received and respected by her peers; as the first known documentation of this was included in a letter written by a Mr. Saunders, who worked with Elizabeth in her first role at Drury-Lane. Of Elizabeth, he wrote, “I being conversant with her many Years, can give you a just Account of her Family, and as for her merit on the Stage, you are a much better Judge than myself. It was the Opinion of the Town that both she and her Sister were excellent in their Way” (Betterton 162). He went on to say that at only seven years old and while playing Princess Elizabeth, she “…ever behaved with the greatest Prudence” (Betterton 162). Another indication of her status within the community is the benefits which were given in her name which raised money for her, primarily at Drury-Lane where she spent a great deal of her acting career. These benefits, as well as her long and prolific relationship with Drury-Lane itself, suggest she was a talented, well-trained, and well-liked actress and person.Furthermore, when her sister Margaret (who was also an actress) died in May of 1723, the Daily Journal commented on Elizabeth’s talent in an article which reads, “[Margaret’s] Parts will be very well supply'd by her Sister Mrs Younger, a Person of a very promising Genius” (Highfill, Kalman & Langhans 363).

However, she was not immune to criticism of her acting, as shown by a review in a 1732 publication of //The Comedian//, at which point Elizabeth had moved from Drury-Lane to the Lincoln’s Inn’s Field Theatre. The review wrote, “The Theatre in Lincoln's-inn-fields is most famous for that, the Encouragement of which is a Satire on the Audience: the Master himself is the principal Actor: and, while Harlequin can gain Spectators, he should let Quin, Ryan, Mrs. Younger, and Mrs. Eggleton, go to another House: these are the only Players in that House which deserve any Applause; and I wish I could say that they are not liable to Objections” (Cooke 40). Other conflicting reviews exist, however, such as one from the //Theatrical Magazine// which details how Elizabeth’s performance in //The Way of the World// had “…given the public so much entertainment in that part” (Cross 81) that she stole the spotlight from another famous actress in the production, a Mrs. Horton, who instead was discouraged and heckled because Elizabeth’s performance was so highly regarded. Furthermore, another article published in the //Universal Spectator and Weekly Journal// in April of 1732 gave high praise to the Lincoln’s Inn Field’s production of //The Married Philosopher,// in which Elizabeth played Violetta. Of the performance, the author known only as “L.T.” wrote, “I was on Tuesday night last at the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn Fields to see the new Comedy, call’d The Married Philosopher; with which I must own I was extremely delighted, and observ’d it was receiv’d with a general Applause by the Audience” (L.T. 273). He then went on to describe the epilogue of the play, which was spoken by Elizabeth herself, as he writes, “The Epilogue also pleased very much” (L.T. 273).

Of her personal character, there is little official documentation, but we can presume Elizabeth was well-liked and prominent in society. Indication of this is presented in another article published on January 3rd, 1730 in the Universal Spectator and Weekly Journal, which detailed an occurrence where Elizabeth, upon leaving the Lincoln’s Inn Field’s theatre one evening, left her “…Diamond necklace, cross, and stay-buckles, with a Part of a Play she was to get, in her Handkerchief” (Baker 75) in a coach she took home. After the coachman realized her mistake and returned her things the next morning, she was so “agreeably surprised” (Baker 75) by his act that she “…gave him for his honesty, five Guineas” (Baker 75). From this anecdote, we can conclude that Mrs. Younger may have been well-liked because of her generosity and friendly nature as well; as she was both prominent enough to appear in the local newspaper and generous enough to reward an honest coachman.

In addition to being a respected member of the London theatre and wider community, Mrs. Younger was a close friend of celebrated English poet and satirist Alexander Pope. We see this when he mentions her and her sister in his poem “A Farewell to London: In the Year 1715”. In the poem, he laments Mrs. Younger’s financial status and lack of affluence while working at Drury-Lane, as he writes, “My friends, by turns, my friends confound/Betray, and are betray’d: /Poor Younger’s sold for fifty pounds/And Bicknell is a jade” (Pope 29-32). As aforementioned, Elizabeth did take notice of her somewhat meager pay at Drury-Lane (despite the few benefits which raised additional funds for her), as she eventually cited income as the reason for her departure from the theatre and work at Lincoln’s Inn’s Field’s Theatre instead. Thus, we can conclude that Elizabeth may have been very well-aware of her own talent and popularity as an actress, and used this to negotiate a better salary with a different company when she was dissatisfied with Drury-Lane’s. Overall, her presence in her community seemed to be very well-respected and appreciated, both as a result of her extremely successful acting career and her personal benevolence and friendliness.

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