A History of Liverpool Thespians - Marie Rebecca Davison

 

Maria Rebecca Duncan was born in Liverpool in 1783 to actors who had worked there. As a child, she played mostly hobgoblins, fairies and cupids in Dublin, Liverpool and Newcastle. Her first recorded appearance was, according to varying accounts, in 1794–5, as the Duke of York to the Richard III of George Frederick Cooke. She also played Rosella at an early age in 'Love in a Village', and Polly in Bate Dudley's opera 'The Woodman'. Miss Farren, by whom she was noticed in the last-named character, is said to have recognized in her, a talent kindred to her own. Taller than average, with dark hair, and strongly formed with very expressive features, she had a fine voice and a good knowledge of music, sang with much expression, and was in her day unequalled in such Scotch ballads as John Anderson and Roy's Wife. Her singing as Marchioness Mérida in 'The Travellers', which took place at Drury Lane on the 13th of May 1823, proved she was an opera singer. It was said that there was no better exponent of Lady Teazle, Lady Townly, Beatrice, and other similar parts. As Juliana in 'The Honeymoon' she had no rival. Leigh Hunt gave her large amounts of credit in his 'Critical Essays on the Performers of the London Theatres', and speaks of her as 'the best lady our comic stage possesses', and advocates her ability to capture the audience and transform herself into a masculine figure.

as Juliana in 'The Honey Moon'

Her first regular engagement was from Tate Wilkinson, as a member of whose company she appeared in York near the end of last century, playing as her first role, Sophia in Holcroft's 'Road to Ruin', and Gillim in Dibdin's 'The Quaker'. As she became more popular, she acted in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. At Margate in 1804, she was engaged by Wroughton for Drury Lane, where she appeared on the 8th of October, 1804 as Miss Duncan from Edinburgh, playing Lady Teazle to the Sir Peter of Mathews, and the Charles Surface of Elliston. Playing Rosalind in 'As You Like It' followed on the 18th, and Lady Townly on the 27th. Miss Hardcastle, Sylvia in 'The Recruiting Officer', Maria in 'The Way to Keep Him', Miranda in the 'Busy Body', Lydia Languish, Letitia Hardy in 'The Belle's Stratagem' and many other leading characters were taken in the course of her first season. On the 31st of January 1805, she 'created' the role of Juliana in 'The Honeymoon', the character she is most well known for playing. She was with the Drury Lane company for fourteen years, travelling with them to the Lyceum. The presence of Mrs. Jordan was for some time an obstacle. Miss Duncan, however, was loved by audiences everywhere, not only in the characters named, but in parts essentially in Mrs. Jordan's line, such as Nell in the 'Devil to Pay', Peggy in the 'Country Girl', and Priscilla in 'The Romp'.

as Clarinda in 'The Suspicious Husband'

On the 31st of October 1812, she married James Davison and on the 5th of November 1812 she played Belinda, as Mrs.Davison, nee' Miss Duncan, in 'All in the Wrong'. On the 8th of September 1819, she made her first appearance at Covent Garden, as Lady Teazle to Macready's Joseph Surface. The following year, on the 31st of October, she returned to Drury Lane as Julia in 'The Rivals' for one night only. On the 15th of June 1821 she played Lady Teazle for her benefit at Covent Garden, and Marian Ramsay in 'Turn Out'. In 1825, she was at the Haymarket, taking leading business and in the same year she returned to Drury Lane, acting Villetta in 'She Would and She Would Not'. In the season of 1827–8 she was still at Drury Lane, assuming elderly characters and on the13th of June 1829, it is thought to be her last appearance there. She lived for many years in retirement, greatly respected, and died at Brompton on the 30th of May 1858, ten weeks after her husband had died.