3-002-855 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Ann Brunton, the actress (Mrs. Rob Merry), c1795. Ann Brunton (1769-1808) was the first actress of eminence to cross the Atlantic. She acted first in Bath and London where she attained great distinction, and was rated by many as second only to Mrs. Siddons. In 1792 she married Robert Merry, a socially advantageous match, although her husband, who was an amateur playwright, had soon spent all of his inheritance. She retired from the theatre after her marriage, and the couple lived in Paris, but financial constraints meant that she had to return to the stage. The couple left for the United States, arriving in New York City in 1796. Ann found great success in her new home, and after Robert Merry's death, she married twice more, to Thomas Wignell, who had first offered her a role in America, and finally to William Warren, a fellow actor.