Frances Alsop

Frances Alsop (née Daly; 1 September 1782 – 2 June 1821) was an English actress. She was the illegitimate daughter of Richard Daly (1758–1813), who was the manager of the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, and the actress Dorothea Jordan (née Bland; 1761–1816).

Her mother, Dorothea Jordan, continued her stage career after her birth, adopting the stage name "Mrs Jordan." By 1786, Jordan was part of London's Drury Lane theatre company. In 1790, Jordan became the mistress of the Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV.

Frances was born and raised in England. Her upbringing was supported financially by her mother, who paid for her residence in Golden Square, London, upon her coming of age in 1803. In 1806, Frances changed her name to Frances Bettesworth to receive a bequest from an elderly gentleman of that surname, a transaction arranged by her mother.

On 1 August 1807, Frances married Thomas Alsop at St James's Church, Piccadilly, London. Thomas Alsop was employed as a clerk of the delivery of small arms in the Ordnance Office. The marriage was presumably entered into with the expectation of a dowry, possibly around £10,000, linked to her mother's association with the Duke of Clarence. The couple resided at No. 11 Park Place, Mayfair.

The marriage experienced financial difficulties, often mitigated by funds from her mother. Thomas Alsop eventually arranged passage to the East Indies, where he died. Frances and Thomas Alsop eventually separated.

Frances Alsop's stage debut occurred on 18 October 1815 at Covent Garden, where she played Rosalind in William Shakespeare's *As You Like It*. Her performance was well received. In January 1817, she debuted at Drury Lane as Donna Violenta in *The Wonder* (1714) by Susanna Centlivre, also earning favorable reviews. Newspaper reports frequently compared her to her mother, noting her skill as a musician, proficient with the harp and guitar, and commending her singing voice. Despite initial success, her number of roles declined over time, and she increasingly performed in provincial theatres from Edinburgh to Exeter.

Her financial situation remained unstable, especially after the death of her mother in 1816. In 1820, the King settled her debts, and she subsequently traveled to New York. There she found work as an actress, sometimes billed inaccurately as the granddaughter of the late King of England. Frances Alsop died in New York from an overdose of laudanum on 2 June 1821. Her death was reported in the London press with the note that she had been ill for several days prior to her passing and succumbed by mistake to an overdose of the medication.

**References**

(As provided in the original source.)