Pownall, Mary Ann
Pownall, Mary Ann
Pownall, Mary Ann , English actress, singer, and composer; b. London, Feb. 1751; d. Charleston, S.C., Aug. 11, 1796. She was known first as Mrs. James Wrightson (her first husband was a prompter in a London theater), and she made her debut in 1770 in The Recruiting Officer in London. From 1776 to 1788 she was a Vauxhall favorite. In 1792 she first appeared in Boston with the Old American Co., of which she was a leading artist; later sang in subscription concerts in N.Y., and joined John Henry’s N.Y. Co. She composed the text and music of numerous songs, including Advice to the Ladies of Boston, Washington (in honor of George Washington), and Primroses. Some of her songs were publ. in Six Songs for the Harpsichord (in collaboration with J. Hewitt; 1794) and Kisses Sued For (1795).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire