San Francisco Call, Volume 80, Number 173, 20 November 1896 — MARY FRANCES SCOTT SIDDONS. [ARTICLE]

MARY FRANCES SCOTT SIDDONS.

Death of the Accomplished Actress, Who was One of the Most Beautiful Women on the Stage in Her Day

PARIS, France, Nov. 19.— Mrs. Scott Siddons, the celebrated actress, died here to-day. NEW YORK, N. Y., Nov. 19.— Mary Frances Scott Siddons, an accomplished actress and one of the mot beantiful women on the stage in her day, was a lineal descendant of the great "Tragic Muse," Mrs. Siddons' father, William Young Siddons, being the son of George, the eldest son of Mrs. Siddons.

Mrs. Scott Siddons was born in 1844 in India, where her father was a captain in the British military service. Upon the death of her father she returned to England with her mother and settled in Somersetshire, where they remained several years. She was then sent to Bonn, where her education was completed. It was the custom of the institution where she was a pupil to give dramatic performances at the close of the term. The young girl witnessed a performance of "Altholie" on one of these occasions and at the close of tne play asked permission to taue part in the next performance, which was granted. Six months later she made her debut in Germany and her performance was remarkable. On leaving Bonn she took up her residence at Winchester, where, at the age of 17, she met Lieutenant Scott, a young naval officer, to whom she was married in 1862. She made her debut in 1866 at the Theater Royal, Nottingham, in the character of Portia, in which her famous greatgrandmother also appeared on the stage. She made her debut on the London stage as Rosalind and achieved the greatest success of her career.

In 1868 Mrs. Scott Siddons came to this country and made her debut as a reader at Newport, R.I. In October of the same year she gave successful readings at Steinway Hall, New York, and finally made her first appearance on the stage in this country at the Boston Museum as Rosalind. For fifteen years past she has lived in retirement.