She was born Harriet Murray, the daughter of actor
Charles Murray and his second wife Ann Murray born at
Norwich, Norfolk on 16April 1783. As a young child she appeared at
Bath as Prince Arthur on 1July 1793. Her first London appearance was at
Covent Garden Theatre as Perdita in ''
The Winter's Tale'', 12 May 1798. It was at Covent Garden in 1801 that she and
Henry Siddons first appeared on stage together. They married the following year. The two remained at the theatre until the summer of 1805, when they joined the
Drury Lane Theatre Company together. She left it with him in 1809. At Covent Garden she played a range of parts, such as Rosalind, Viola, Lady Townly, Lucy Ashton, Desdemona, Beatrice, Portia, Lady Teazle, and Miss Hardcastle. At Drury Lane on 24 September 1805 she was Juliet to
Robert William Elliston's Romeo. After moving to
Edinburgh in 1809 with Henry, to take over the
Theatre Royal at the east end of
Princes Street she helped her husband in his managerial work, and also appeared alongside him on stage. Her first Edinburgh role was on 9 November 1809 in the play "
The Honey Moon" in which she played Juliana. Together they first lived at 3 Maitland Street then at 3 Forth Street. In 1814 the Drury Lane management made her a tempting offer to play leading female parts to
Edmund Kean, but she declined. When Henry Siddons died in 1815 the affairs of the Edinburgh Theatre were in a bad state, but, with her brother
William Henry Murray, she continued to steer clear of all difficulties, and eventually was able to retire at the end of her 21 years' lease of the theatre. The turning point in the fortunes of the house had been the production on 15 February 1819 of
Isaac Pocock's
Rob Roy, in which Charles Mackay made a hit in the role of Bailie Nicol Jarvie. When the same piece was played by royal command before
George IV, on the occasion of his visit to Scotland, Siddons played, for that night only, the part of Diana Vernon. a handsome Georgian townhouse designed by
William Henry Playfair. The house lies around ten minutes walk from the site of the Theatre. In 1830 Mrs Siddons paid the final of 21 annual rental payments of £2000 to the trustees of the owner of the Theatre Royal, Mr John Jackson, and thereafter became outright owner of the theatre. Siddons' farewell benefit took place on 29 March 1830, and
Sir Walter Scott wrote for the occasion an address which she delivered. Her final role on this night was as Lady Townley in the play "
The Provoked Husband". Mrs Siddons continued to live in Edinburgh for the rest of her life and became a popular figure in Edinburgh society. The city was very proud of her and referred to her as "Our Mrs Siddons". She moved to 29 Abercromby Place in her final years - a more central location for society affairs. She died at home on Abercromby Place on 2 November 1844 aged 61. She is buried with her husband in
Greyfriars Kirkyard in
Edinburgh. The grave lies in the south-west corner next to the entrance to the "Covenanters Prison". ==Epilogue==