ANN BRUNTON MERRY 

BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN BRUNTON MERRY
(May 30, 1769 - June 28, 1808)

"Second only to Sarah Siddons"

The daughter of John Brunton, an actor and manager of the Theatre Royal, Norwich, she first appeared at the theatre in Bath as Euphrasia in The Grecian Daughter and made her debut on October 17, 1785 at Covent Garden Theatre in London as Horatio in The Roman Father. It was not uncommon for actresses to portray male roles in the 18th century.

When she married poet and playwright Robert Merry in 1792, she retired from the theatre (at age 23) and went with him to Paris, but when their means were exhausted she wished to return to the stage. She was able to do that when Thomas Wignell of the New Theatre, Philadelphia made an offer she couldn't refuse.

On December 5, 1796, she played Juliet and until 1808 toured successfully in the larger cities of the U.S.  Widowed twice, she married actor William Warren. Warren was famous for such roles as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal. Together they managed the Chestnut Street Theatre and she continued to star in The Rivals, Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. Her life was cut short in 1808 when at the age of 39, she died after a dangerous and difficult pregnancy and delivery.  

From all accounts the rapidly developing American stage had lost a great contributor. Her reviewers were amazed at her precision and truthful portrayal of subtle sentiments, her elegance, presence and most especially her melodic and correct voice.   William Dunlap, dramatist, diarist, critic and theatre historian observed that the year 1808 was noteworthy in theatrical history, being the year of Anne Merry's death. He believed that at thirty-nine she was still in full possession of those eminent qualifications which made her second only to Sarah Siddons. He argued that Siddons worked a lifetime to achieve those qualities that Merry realized at the outset of her career.