Love Lies and Marriage

AUTHOR’S NOTEElizabeth Farren, who was to become one of England’s best-loved actresses, was born in 1759. Her father, a jovial drunk, had been an apothecary in Cork before joining a troupe of players and touring Ireland. He finally ended up in Liverpool where he met and married a barmaid. They had two daughters, Margaret and then Elizabeth, a fair-haired child with blue eyes who played boy roles in Shakespeare. Elizabeth was introduced to the London stage when she was a tall willowy girl. Though not considered particularly beautiful, she possessed a very expressive face that made her stand out from the other young actresses of the time. After playing numerous supporting roles, Elizabeth appeared at Drury Lane in 1778, and her métier was unquestionably comedy. She was known as a very virtuous young woman, unlike other notorious London actresses, but among the many men who vainly sought her favours, Elizabeth liked the Earl of Derby the best. At an entertainment given by the Duke of Richmond the Earl confessed to Elizabeth that his intentions were not merely an improper suggestion, he was deeply in love with her. Unfortunately at the time of his declaration he had a wife, a confirmed invalid he seldom saw and with whom he had no physical or emotional attachments. Even so she was a barrier that stood between them. The Earl accepted that only by marriage could he possess Elizabeth, no matter how they felt about each other. He also knew that it was impossible for him to leave his infirm wife. Instead they agreed to an intimate, but platonic friendship. In effect they became lovers without giving themselves to each other. Despite this strange relationship their love never changed and they continued in this manner for twenty years. Then in March 1797 the Earl’s wife died and at last he was free to marry his adorable virtuous Elizabeth. They at once started to make arrangements for their wedding, which took place by Special Licence on May 1st of that year. On April 7th, 1797 Elizabeth made her last stage appearance playing Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal. As the story of Elizabeth and the Earl and their idealised romance and devotion to each other was well know, the theatre was packed. Elizabeth was thirty-eight when she became the Countess of Derby and they spent their honeymoon at Epsom. But it only lasted for two days, as Elizabeth was so anxious to be presented at Court. She was the first Peeress who had ever been an actress and when she appeared before the Queen she had an overwhelming desire to talk. She told Her Majesty that it was one of the most blissful moments of her life to appear before her in a new ‘character part’. The Queen was not amused and replied, “Cannot your Ladyship forget her breeding?” Feeling rebuffed, the new Countess from that moment never spoke of her connections with the theatre again. She was, however, blissfully happy with her husband and presented him with three children, one son and two daughters. They lived a life of perfect happiness with not a cloud in the sky until Elizabeth died at the age of seventy in 1829 at Knowsley, the county seat of the Earls of Derby. Her husband followed her five years later.