Crouch, Anna Maria (1763-1805)

Crouch, Anna Maria

ACTOR, SINGER (ENGLAND)

BORN 20 Apr 1763, London: Grays Inn Road - DIED 2 Oct 1805, Brighton, East Sussex
BIRTH NAME Phillips, Anna Maria
GRAVE LOCATION Brighton, East Sussex: St. Nicholas' Churchyard (under the north wall behind the church (urn and plaque))

Anna Maria Phillips was a child performer. She sang in the drawing room of Lady Lewes, the wife of the Lord Mayor of London. When she was sixteen years old she appeared at Drury Lane. In 1784 she married a naval lieutenant named Crouch. In 1790 she performed at the opening of the Duke Street Theatre in Brighton.

In 1787 she met Michael Kelly, a baritone from Ireland. They appeared together in Drury Lane. They also had an affair and it seems that by 1791 her marriage was over. She had a brief liaison with the Prince of Wales who rewarded her with a bond of 10,000 pounds. She returned to Kelly and they had houses in London as well as Brighton. In 1805 she suddenly died in Brighton. Some said that she died from a carriage accident but others referred to heavy drinking as the cause of death.

Images
The grave of Anna Crouch at St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Brighton. Picture by Androom (07 Feb 2012)	The grave of Anna Crouch at St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Brighton. Picture by Androom (07 Feb 2012)