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Ellen Terry

Dame Alice Ellen Terry (27 February 1847 – 21 July 1928) was an English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and toured throughout the British provinces in her teens. At 16, she married the 46-year-old artist George Frederic Watts, but they separated within a year. She soon returned to the stage but began a relationship with the architect Edward William Godwin and retired from the stage for six years. She resumed acting in 1874 and was immediately acclaimed for her portrayal of roles in Shakespeare and other classics.

In 1878 she joined Henry Irving's company as his leading lady, and for more than the next two decades she was considered the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Two of her most famous roles were Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. She and Irving also toured with great success in America and Britain.

At the urging of George Bernard Shaw, Terry took over management of London's Imperial Theatre in 1903, opening a new play by Henrik Ibsen. The venture was a financial failure, and Terry turned to touring. She continued to find success on stage until 1920 and especial success in lecture tours discussing the Shakespeare heroines, she also appeared in several films from 1916 to 1922. Her career lasted nearly seven decades.

Birth and Death Data: Born Coventry (city in the West Midlands in England, UK), Died July 21, 1928 (Small Hythe (hamlet in Kent, United Kingdom) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1911

Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-9988 10-in. 2/21/1911 Mercy speech : Act IV Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor C-9989 12-in. 2/21/1911 Potion scene : Act 4, scene 3 Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor B-9990 10-in. 2/21/1911 I have brought Claudio : Act II, scene I Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor C-9991 12-in. 2/21/1911 Ophelia's mad scene, part 1 Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor C-9992 12-in. 2/21/1911 Ophelia's mad scene, part 2 Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor B-9993 10-in. 2/21/1911 Mamilius, Hermione, and ladies Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  
Victor B-10017 10-in. 2/28/1911 Death of Falstaff : Act 2, scene 3 Ellen Terry Recitation speaker  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Terry, Ellen," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101916.

Terry, Ellen. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101916.

"Terry, Ellen." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101916

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