Frances Brett Hodgkinson

Hodgkinson was born in 1771 in England to a family of performers. Her parents, William and Hannah, also referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Brett, were both stage actors and were prominent performers of the Bath-Bristol company and Foote's Haymarket. In 1790, English actor John Hodgkinson moved from Exeter to join the Bath-Bristol company and eventually became the lead actor of the troupe. This is where he met the then Frances Brett. Hodgkinson was married to his first wife and for this reason, he emigrated to the United States to marry Frances Brett. According to Dunlap, those around her had the impression that she was compelled to perform. She died in Philadelphia on September 27, 1803, due to tuberculosis and was buried at New York's Saint John's Cemetery. == Career ==

Hodgkinson and her four siblings started performing on stage at an early age. She performed at Bath and Bristol from 1781 to 1783, playing juvenile roles. The Hodgkinsons sailed to America in 1792 An account by William Dunlap described Frances Hodgkinson as a versatile actress, who "surpassed all her contemporaries in rustic comedy and singing parts, in chambermaids and soubrettes." By 1800, the pair became the highest-paid performers in American stage history. One of Hodgkinson's notable performances in America was Manana, a part in Ann Hatton's opera ''Tammany. == References ==