Laura Keene

Laura Keene was a British stage actress and theatre manager. In her twentyyear career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is most famous for being the lead actress in the play Our American Cousin, which was attended by President Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theater in Washington, D.C., on the evening of his assassination.

Keene was born Mary Frances Moss in Winchester, England. She was the fourth and final child of Tomas and Jane Moss . Her aunt was British actress Elizabeth Yates. At the age of 18, she married British Army officer Henry Wellington Taylor . Taylor was reportedly the nephew and godson of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The couple had two daughters, Emma and Clara Marie Stella . After being discharged from the army, Taylor opened his own tavern. Around 1850, Taylor was arrested though the nature of his crime is now unknown. After being convicted, he was reportedly sent from England to Australia on a prison ship. Keene would later travel to Australia in order to locate Taylor to divorce him but could never determine his whereabouts. . They remained married until Taylors death in 1860.

Source: Wikipedia