Emery, Winifred

1862

1924

Winifred Emery was born at Manchester on 1 August 1862, the daughter of the actor Samuel Anderson Emery. Her grandfather was the excellent comedian John Emery (1777-1822). She made her first appearance as the child Geraldine in “The Green Bushes” at the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, in 1870, and appeared, again as a child, in London at the Princess’s Theatre in a pantomime on 23 December 1874. Her first adult role in London was at the Imperial Theatre in “Man Is Not Perfect” in April 1879. For several years she acted in and out of London and in July 1881 began to play Annette in Henry Irving’s production of “The Bells” at the Lyceum. She made two tours with Irving to the United States and was at Drury Lane and the Vaudeville in 1889-90; at the latter she acted, among other roles, Lady Teazle in “The School for Scandal” (G0200). During the remainder of her busy career on the London stage – interrupted by illness between 1902 and 1905 – she was seen in numerous roles, among which were Beatrice in “Much Ado about Nothing” at Her Majesty’s (January 1905, with Beerbohm Tree), Kate in “She Stoops to Conquer” at the Waldorf (January 1906), Mistress Ford in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at Her Majesty’s (April 1908), Esther in “Caste” at the St James’s (July 1909), Lady Franklin in “Money” at Drury Lane (May 1911), Miss Dyott in “The School Mistress” at the Vaudeville (February 1913) and the Fairy Berylune in “The Betrothal” (her last role) at the Gaiety (January 1921). She was married to the actor Cyril Maude (1862-1951, q.v.). She died on 15 July 1924. Winfred Emery had been one of the most popular actresses of her day.