Eliza O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Eliza O'Neill was an Irish
actress, later baronetess
.
Born in Drogheda
, she was the daughter of an actor and stage manager. Her first appearance on the stage was made at the Crow Street theatre in 1811 as the Widow Cheerly in Andrew Cherry
's The Soldier's Daughter, and after several years in Ireland she came to London
and made an immediate success as Juliet
at Covent Garden
in 1814. For five years she was the favorite of London town in comedy as well as tragedy, but in the latter she particularly excelled, being frequently compared, not to her disadvantage, with the great Sarah Siddons
.
In 1819 she married William Wrixon Becher, an Irish M.P., who was to be created a baronet in 1831. She never returned to the stage, and died in 1872.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actress, later baronetess
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
.
Born in Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
, she was the daughter of an actor and stage manager. Her first appearance on the stage was made at the Crow Street theatre in 1811 as the Widow Cheerly in Andrew Cherry
Andrew Cherry
Andrew Cherry was an Irish dramatist, songwriter, actor and theatre manager.The son of a bookseller at Limerick, Ireland, Cherry was a successful actor, and managed theatres in the provinces. He also wrote some plays, of which The Soldier's Daughter is the best...
's The Soldier's Daughter, and after several years in Ireland she came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and made an immediate success as Juliet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
at Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
in 1814. For five years she was the favorite of London town in comedy as well as tragedy, but in the latter she particularly excelled, being frequently compared, not to her disadvantage, with the great Sarah Siddons
Sarah Siddons
Sarah Siddons was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. She was the elder sister of John Philip Kemble, Charles Kemble, Stephen Kemble, Ann Hatton and Elizabeth Whitlock, and the aunt of Fanny Kemble. She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespearean character,...
.
In 1819 she married William Wrixon Becher, an Irish M.P., who was to be created a baronet in 1831. She never returned to the stage, and died in 1872.