Elizabeth Farren, Countess of Derby, facing right in white dress with elaborate ruffled collar, blue bow tied at corsage, long powdered curling hair; cloud and sky background

Elizabeth Farren (1759-1829) was the daughter of George Farren, a surgeon and apothecary in Cork and his wife, Miss Wright of Liverpool. Mr Farren joined a company of strolling players and at a very early age, Elizabeth was playing in Bath and in 1774 was acting with her mother and sisters in Wakefield. At the age of fifteen, she played Rosetta in 'Love in a Village' and subsequently the part of Lady Townly. From Liverpool, Farren made her first appearence in London at the Haymarket on 9 June 1777 as Miss Hardcastle and received favourable criticism. It was in London that she made her name as an actress at Drury Lane and the Haymarket in aristocratic roles such as Lady Teazle and Lydia Languish. Farren was much admired by Charles James Fox and John Palmer and Walpole described her as 'the most perfect actress' he had ever seen. A year after retiring from the stage, she married Edward, 12th Earl of Derby in 1798.