ENGLAND MOURNS

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1928, Page 7

ENGLAND MOURNS

A GREAT ACTRESS.

Ellen Terry's Death In Her 81st Year. SYMPATHY FROM THE THRONE. (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) LONDON, July 22. The famous English actress, Dame Ellen Terry, died yesterday in her 81st year. Death came to her peacefully at her simple cottage home near Tenterden, in Kent.

Quite recently Dame Terry lad been seen enjoying the sunshine in the tiny garden she loved. Then she had a heart attack on Tuesday and gradually grew weaker.

The whole nation pays her tributes as one who represented all that was be3t in English womanhood. But there is to be no mourning, for this was her own wish, expressed on th© fly-leaf of Thomas A'Kempis' "Imitation of Christ" —the last book she read.

Here. too. were found a few touching little sentences in her own writing. "No funeral gloom, my dears," she wrote, "when I am gone think of rue as withdrawn into tne 'dimness, your's still and yon mine. Kemember all my best and forget the rest."

A very simple service is being arranged to be held in the village church

on Tuesday. Tiie remains will be cremated and tne ashes will be laid in St. * Paul's Church, I nvent Garden, where Dame Terry had often worshipped.

King George and Queen Mary sent a message to Miss Edith Craig, the actress' daughter, saying they were grieved to hear of the death of Dame Terry, who would be mourned bv thousands who had known her and loved her art.

Commenting on the death of Dame Ellen Terry, Miss Ethel Barrymore, the American actress, says: —"The one great light on the English-speaking stage has gone out." Many other American stage stars add their tributes.

Ellen Alicia Terry, the most famous English actress of the nineteenth century, was born at Coventry in IS4B. She lirst appeared on the stage as Mamilius 111 the '"Winter's Tale"' in 18o(j. and then in 1856 as Prince Arthur in "King John." When quite young, she married G. H. Watts, the famous artist, but the marriage was soon dissolved. Her first appearance with Henry Irving was in 1867. when she played Katharine to his Petrucio. In 1868 she married E. A. Warded, who was the great actor Charles Kelly. She tirst appeared in her famous role of Portia in 1875, and this was followed by the part' of Olivia in the "Vicar of Wakefield." From then on her career was settled, and she entered into partnership with Irving. In addition to taking many Shakespearean parts,. she played the queen in "Charles 1.," Margaret in "Faust," Rosamund in Tennyson's "Becket," and Mme. Sans Gene in Sardou's~.play. After tlie death of Irving she continued to act. particularly at the Court, where she appeared in Bernard Shaw s plays. Her stage jubilee was celebrated in 100 C. when she received a gift of £8000. In the follow ing year she again married, this time the American actor James Carew. In 1911 she played Mistress I Page in "lhe Merry Wives of Windsor," tand was seen for the last time 011 the stage in 1919. as the nurse in Doris Keane s production of "Romeo and Juliet." Some years ago she visited New Zealand and gave recitals. In 1923 Ellen Terry was created a Dame Grand Cross of the British Empire. She was considered at her best in comedy, where her great charm, womanliness and humour had full scope. With Henry Irving she lifted the acting profession to its highest point, bringing to itrich stoics of experience and association with some of the world's greatest, which enabled her to give breadth and intensity of feeling an<l understanding to her interpretations of the famous characters of I literature.