Elizabeth and Maria Pope
Two actresses, the first and second wives of tragic actor Alexander Pope (d.1835), are buried together in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey but they seem not to have had any inscribed gravestone.
Elizabeth was buried on 22nd March 1797 aged 52, between the graves of Sir Richard Jebb and Dr Dupuis according to the burial register. She was born in Southwark daughter of Samuel and Margaret Young and became a leading actress of her day, performing at Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres and David Garrick praised her work. In 1785 in Dublin she married Alexander and died in Piccadilly in London.
Maria Ann Pope (nee Campion) was born in Waterford in Ireland and buried on 25th June 1803 aged 28. She appeared on stage as Mrs Spencer in Dublin and London and suffered a stroke while playing Desdemona and died not long afterwards. She left a daughter.
Further reading
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