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Laura Keene




Laura Keene ( 1826November 4 , 1873 ) was an Anglo-American actress and manager, whose real name was '''Mary Frances Moss'''. She was a niece of the British actress Elizabeth Yates .

She was born in Winchester , England . She married, in 1844 , Henry Wellington Taylor , by whom she had two children, Emma Elija and Clara Stella, before her husband abandoned the family.

In 1851 , in London , she was playing Pauline in ''The Lady of Lyons''. She made her first appearance in New York on September 20 , 1852 , on her way to Australia . She returned in 1855 and managed Laura Keene's Theatre until 1863 , in which was produced, in 1859 , '' Our American Cousin ''. It was her company that was playing at Ford's Theatre , Washington , on the night of Abraham Lincoln 's assassination. Keene was a successful melodramatic actress, and an admirable manager. She died at Montclair, New Jersey .


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