Background
After this, her father leased the Cardiff and Swansea theatres for two years.
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Amy Roselle
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She specialised in Shakespearean roles but also played parts in contemporary dramas. There, they committed suicide together in 1895. Roselle was the youngest of twelve children of the headmaster of the Glastonbury Grammar School.
Her first role, as a juvenile, was Constance in a version of King Arthur.
At these theatres, Roselle played in Shakespeare and other productions. She debuted in London at the Haymarket Theatre.
There, at age 16, she played Lady Teazle and then, opposite Samuel Phelps, numerous leading parts. She replaced Madge Kendal in Diplomacy and played Esther Eccles in Caste, by T. West. Robertson.
She appeared opposite Mary Anderson as Cynisca in Pygmalion and Galatea by West. South. Gilbert and created the other Gilbert roles, including Darine in The Wicked World (1873) and Eve in Charity (1874).
She also performed at the Adelphi Theatre and other London theatres. In 1875, she created the role of Mary Melrose in the sensation Our Boys, which was the longest-running play in history up to that time. Roselle toured the United States with East. A. Sothern, appearing in New York at Niblo"s Garden.
She then returned to England and starred as Lady Macbeth opposite Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre, London, during the illness of Ellen Terry.
She also played Queen Katherine of Aragon in Henry VIII at the Lyceum. Roselle appeared in the title role of Esther Sandraz at the Prince of Wales"s Theatre and created the role of Lillian in Old Love for New.
In 1881, she originated the role of Mistress Blythe in F. C. Burnand"s long-running comedy, The Colonel.
During a long engagement at the Royal Court Theatre, she met doctor-turned-actor Arthur James (stage name Arthur Dacre), and the two eventually married around 1881.
In January, 1885 the couple appeared in Grundy"s The Silver Shield at the Royal Strand Theatre, and for several years toured together in the British provinces, but eventually they had trouble getting a joint engagement and, out of work, ran up debts. A benefit performance was held for Roselle at the Lyceum Theatre on 16 June 1887, at which Trial by Jury was performed. Eventually Roselle and Dacre travelled to Australia where they played in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney (at Her Majesty"s Theatre) and elsewhere.
They committed suicide together in Australia in 1895.
Dacre shot Roselle, but ran out of bullets and had to cut his own throat.
