Elizabeth Griffith (October 11, 1727 – 5 January 1793)[1] was an 18th-century Welsh-born dramatist, fiction writer, essayist and actress, who lived and worked in Ireland.
Queer Places:
Millicent House, Millicent Demesne, Sallins, Co.
Kildare, W91 D2F3
Elizabeth Griffith (October 11, 1727 – 5 January 1793)[1] was an 18th-century Welsh-born dramatist, fiction writer, essayist and actress, who lived and worked in Ireland.
Elizabeth Griffith was born in Glamorgan, Wales, to Dublin theater manager Thomas Griffith and Jane Foxcroft Griffith on 11 October 1727.[2] “The family settled in Dublin, where they brought up Elizabeth to be a sociable child, cheerful and at ease among the theatrical community”.[2] In addition to giving her access to the theatre-world, Thomas Griffith educated Elizabeth in French and English literature. Her father died in 1744, which led to economic hardship for the family. Her Dublin acting debut took place on 13 October 1749, when she played Juliet to a considerably older Romeo played by Thomas Sheridan at the Smock Alley Theatre. Griffith specialized in tragic roles, such as Jane Shore in Nicholas Rowe's The Tragedy of Jane Shore and Cordelia in King Lear. Elizabeth met her kinsman and future husband, Richard Griffith, in 1746.[2] On May 12,[3] 1751, they married in secret. Elizabeth gave birth to two children, Catherine and Richard. Through her son, her descendants included Australian politician Arthur Hill Griffith, who was her grandson, and French-Canadian actress Jessica Paré.[3] Elizabeth and Richard's five year courtship provided the basis for her first publication, A Series of Genuine Letters Between Henry and Frances, published in six volumes between 1757 and 1770. The letters include many references to “literary and philosophical subjects of mutual interest, like the letters of Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope or Cicero's Offices"; Griffith valued the opportunity to build upon her education.[4] Letters between Henry and Frances was an immediate success that generated fame but not wealth for both writers. Richard traveled after the couple married and was absent for extended periods. He borrowed a large sum of money to develop a linen manufactory, which went bankrupt in 1756. During this time, and while Richard was avoiding debtor's court, income generated by Griffith's writing sustained the family. Griffith continued her acting career at Covent Garden, in London, from 1753 to 1755,[5] though she never played more than minor characters. Capitalizing on the initial success of the Letters, Elizabeth translated many French works and plays. Between 1764 and 1769, she wrote four plays with varying degrees of success. Griffith's third play, The Double Mistake (1766) was well received at Covent Garden, which emboldened her to approach David Garrick for help staging her next play. Griffith collaborated with Garrick to produce her most successful comedy, The School for Rakes, in 1769.[3] While the two had a tumultuous relationship, Garrick's influence on Griffith was clear. After his death, in the advertisement for the print publication for The Times, Griffith attributed the “first idea of this piece” to the late Garrick.
Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo
by Richard Samuel
oil on canvas, 1778
52 in. x 61 in. (1321 mm x 1549 mm)
Purchased, 1972
Primary Collection
NPG 4905. Included: Anna Letitia Barbauld (née Aikin) (1743-1825), Poet and writer.
Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806), Scholar and writer. Elizabeth Griffith (1727-1793), Playwright and novelist. Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807), Painter. Charlotte Lennox (née Ramsay) (1720-1804), Writer. Catharine Macaulay (née Sawbridge) (1731-1791), Historian and political polemicist. Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson) (1718-1800), Writer and leader of society. Hannah More (1745-1833), Religious writer. Elizabeth Ann Sheridan (née Linley) (1754-1792), Singer and writer.
While she praised Garrick as a primary influence, the connections she made at Smock Alley Theater in Dublin contributed more to the play's production. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the son of her acting mentor Thomas Sheridan, produced The Times, at Drury Lane. While her fame was not the direct result of her acting career, Griffith's theatrical connections were invaluable to her success. Elizabeth Griffith's literary production was steady from 1760 to 1779, garnering her significant notoriety in the literary circles of London. She published essays, epistolary novels, novelettes, translations, and literary criticism. As a hard-working professional writer she produced a large body of diverse works. The last decade of her life was free of the financial struggles she and her husband had endured throughout their marriage. Griffith's son worked for the East India Company as an accountant, and returned to Ireland in 1786 a wealthy man. He settled at Millicent House in Kildare, and Griffith and her husband lived out the rest of their days at this residence. Griffith died at Millicent House in 1793.[2]
My published books:
