Altogether, Mrs. Betterton's title to honour as the
first English actress seems defective; and as much may be said of the
pretensions of another actress, Mrs. Norris, although she has met with
support from Tom Davies in his "Dramatic Miscellanies," and from Curl
in his "History of the Stage," a very unworthy production. Mrs. Norris
was an actress of small note attached to Davenant's company; she was
the mother of Henry Norris, a popular comedian, surnamed "Jubilee
Dicky," from his performance of the part of Dicky in Farquhar's
"Constant Couple." Chetwood correctly describes her as "ONE of the
first women that came on the stage as an actress." To her, as to Mrs.
Betterton, the objection applies that she was a member of Davenant's
company--not of Killigrew's--and therefore could not have appeared in
Vere Street. Moreover, she never attained such a position in her
profession as would have entitled her to assume a part of the
importance of Desdemona.
On the whole, the case of Mrs. Hughes seems to have the support of
more probabilities than any other. But even if it is to be accepted as
a fact that she was in truth the first actress, there the matter
remains.
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