KEMBLE, GEORGE STEPHEN

born April 21, 1758, Kingston, Herefordshire, Eng. died June 5, 1822, near Durham, Durham original name Stephen Kemble English actor and theatrical manager. Kemble's mother, the actress Sarah Kemble, acted the role of [the pregnant] Anne Boleyn in King Henry VIII on the night of his birth, then was rushed off to deliver him. His parents hoped he would be a chemist, but young Kemble rejected his apprenticeship and joined a travelling company of actors. The fame of his great sister Sarah Siddons aided him in finding engagements. In 1783 Kemble married Elizabeth Satchell, an actress who clearly outshone him. They played together, she billed as Mrs. Elizabeth Kemble. For a time he virtually abandoned acting in favour of theatre management. He was stage manager at the Drury Lane when his son Henry Stephen Kemble made his debut as Romeo. A daughter was a successful actress until she left the stage for marriage.