Elizabeth Inchbald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Inchbald
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Portrait of Elizabeth Inchbald, c. 1796
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| Born | Elizabeth Simpson 15 October 1753 Stanningfield, England |
| Died | 1 August 1821 (aged 67) Kensington, England |
| Occupation | Novelist, actress, dramatist, translator |
| Period | 1784–1810 |
| Notable works | A Simple Story; Nature and Art |
Elizabeth Inchbald (born Elizabeth Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was a talented English writer, actress, and playwright. She also translated plays from other languages. Her two most famous novels are A Simple Story and Nature and Art.
Contents
About Elizabeth Inchbald
Early Life and Acting Career
Elizabeth was born on October 15, 1753, in Stanningfield, England. She was the eighth of nine children in her family. Her father, John Simpson, was a farmer. Her family was Roman Catholic, and Elizabeth and her sisters were taught at home.
From a young age, Elizabeth wanted to be an actress. She had a speech impediment, which means she had a stammer. She worked very hard to control it. Her family did not support her dream at first. However, her brother George became an actor in 1770.
In April 1772, when she was 18, Elizabeth moved to London to become an actress. It was tough at first because her stammer sometimes affected her performances. Two months later, she married Joseph Inchbald, who was also an actor. He was older than her. They acted together for the first time in September 1772 in Shakespeare's King Lear.
The Inchbalds toured Scotland for almost four years. In 1776, they went to France, but they quickly ran out of money. They returned to Britain and moved to Liverpool. There, Elizabeth met famous actors Sarah Siddons and her brother John Philip Kemble, who became important friends.
Elizabeth Inchbald continued acting for several years after her husband Joseph died suddenly in June 1779. Her acting career lasted seventeen years, and she performed in many classic plays.
Later Life and Legacy
Elizabeth Inchbald passed away on August 1, 1821, in Kensington. She was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Abbots. Her gravestone says her writings will be loved because they show truth, simplicity, and feeling.
Her Written Work
Even though she was not widely known as an actress, Elizabeth Inchbald became a very successful writer after her husband died. Her success meant she could support herself and did not need to remarry.
Her writing career began with articles in magazines like The Artist. Between 1784 and 1805, many of her plays were performed in London. These included comedies, dramas, and farces. Many of them were translations from French or German plays. Her first play to be performed was A Mogul Tale. She wrote between 21 and 23 plays in total, and 18 of them were published.
Elizabeth Inchbald is best known today for her two novels: A Simple Story (published in 1791) and Nature and Art (published in 1796). She was friends with writers like William Godwin and Thomas Holcroft. Her strong beliefs were often clearer in her novels than in her plays. This was because there were rules about what could be shown in plays at the time.
Elizabeth also did a lot of editing and critical writing. She wrote a four-volume autobiography, but it was destroyed before she died. However, some of her diaries were saved. These diaries are now kept at the Folger Shakespeare Library.
List of Works
Plays
- Mogul Tale; or, The Descent of the Balloon, 1784
- Appearance is against Them, 1785
- I'll Tell you What, 1785
- The Widow's Vow, 1786
- The Midnight Hour, 1787
- Such Things Are, 1787
- All on a Summer's Day, 1787
- Animal Magnetism, 1788?
- The Child of Nature, 1788
- The Married Man, 1789
- Next Door Neighbours, 1791
- Everyone has his Fault, 1793
- To Marry, or not to Marry, 1793
- The Wedding Day, 1794
- Wives as They Were and Maids as They Are, 1797
- Lovers' Vows, 1798
- The Wise Man of the East, 1799
- The Massacre, 1792 (not performed)
- A Case of Conscience, published 1833
- The Ancient Law (not performed)
- The Hue and Cry (unpublished)
- Young Men and Old Women (Lovers No Conjurers) (unpublished adaptation)
Novels
- A Simple Story, 1791
- Nature and Art, 1796
Critical and Editorial Work
- The British Theatre. 25 volumes, 1806–1809
- Collection of Farces and Afterpieces. 7 volumes, 1809
- The Modern Theatre. 10 volumes, 1811
Online Texts
- Elizabeth Inchbald at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)
- Lovers' Vows at Project Gutenberg
- Nature and Art at Project Gutenberg
Play Adaptations
- 'The Massacre' (part of the 'Restoring The Repertoire' series)
- 'Wives as they Were, and Maids as they Are' (part of the 'Restoring The Repertoire' series)
