Muriel Mary Swinstead was born on 10 June 1907 in Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, the daughter of John Howard Swinstead, a clergyman. She attended the
Royal College of Music and in 1923, at 16 years old, made her debut on stage in
Karel Čapek's
The Insect Play. they were divorced in 1941. In 1938 she appeared in various productions: ''A Midsummer's Dream'' at Regent's Park; Helen in
Troilus and Cressida at the Westminster Theatre;
On a Summer Day at the Torch Theatre;
Touchwood at the "Q" & Embassy Theatre;
Alonzo MacTavish at the radio; and as Isolda in the television film
Tristan and Isolda. Ross was a talented amateur artist, making line drawings of friends and colleagues such as Jacob Epstein, the actors
Elsa Lanchester and
Ernest Thesiger, the gallery owner
Arthur Jeffress and the composer
Constant Lambert. Seven of her drawings are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. She died on 20 October 1994 in Hoxne, Suffolk. ==References==