Laura Keene
| Laura Keene | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Mary Frances Moss 20 July 1826 Winchester, England |
| Died | 4 November 1873 (aged 47) Montclair, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Resting place | Green-Wood Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress, theatre manager |
| Spouse(s) |
Harry Wellington Taylor (m. 1844; d. 1860) John Lutz (m. 1860; d. 1869) |
| Children | 2 |
Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in the play Our American Cousin, which was attended by President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., on the evening of his assassination.
Keene was born Mary Frances Moss in Winchester, England. She was the fourth and final child of Tomas and Jane Moss (née King). Her aunt was British actress Elizabeth Yates. At the age of 18, she married British Army officer Henry Wellington Taylor (some sources identify Taylor as "John"). Taylor was reportedly the nephew and godson of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The couple had two daughters, Emma (born 1846) and Clara Marie Stella (born 1849). After being discharged from the army, Taylor opened his own tavern. Around 1850, Taylor was arrested, though the nature of his crime is now unknown. After being convicted, he was reportedly sent from England to Australia on a prison ship. Keene would later travel to Australia in order to locate Taylor to divorce him but could never determine his whereabouts. (Some accounts say that Keene did find Taylor but he refused to consent to a divorce). They remained married until Taylor's death in 1860.
After her husband was sent to prison, Keene was left alone with two children and no money. On the advice of her aunt, actress Elizabeth Yates, she decided to pursue a career as an actress, and would apprentice at her aunt's theatre. As it was then socially unacceptable for a woman with children and no husband to act in the theatre, she changed her name to "Laura Keene". Her now widowed mother Jane took over raising her two daughters.
Keene made her professional debut as Pauline in The Lady of Lyons in London in October 1851. This was followed by performances at London's Royal Olympic Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre, including several months working under Madame Vestris. In 1852, less than a year performing in Britain, Keene accepted an offer from James William Wallack to go to New York City, and serve as the leading lady in the stock company at his successful theater.
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