THE D'OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

Florence Harcourt (1881-83, 1884)

[Born Lambeth, London 8 Aug 1860, died Victoria, Australia 12 Sep 1923]

Florence Harcourt was born Florence Susannah Jones. She toured with several D'Oyly Carte companies between 1881 and 1884. Miss Harcourt was a member of Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "B" Company chorus from at least April 1881, filled in briefly as Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer in July of that year, then assumed the role of Mrs. Partlett in the same opera in August. She next appeared as Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance, when Pirates replaced Sorcerer in the repertoire in November 1881, and also played Mrs. Liverby in the companion piece In the Sulks, and, later, Mrs. Wallaby in another curtain raiser, Quite an Adventure. From January to September 1883 she played Isabel and Mrs. Wallaby with Carte's "Pinafore" and "Pirates" Company. When that Company was disbanded she transferred to Carte's No. 2 "Patience" Company where she appeared briefly as the Lady Saphir in October 1883. She subsequently left the D'Oyly Carte, appearing in April and May 1884 at the Globe and Gaiety Theatres, London, in the comic opera Dick.

Miss Harcourt returned to the D'Oyly Carte organization later that year, appearing as Kate and Edith in Pirates and Saphir again in Patience with Mr. D'Oyly Carte's "C" (Repertory) Company from July (the month she married fellow D'Oyly Carte artist Edgar Manning) until December 1884.

In March 1886, she and her husband traveled to Australia where she continued to perform for many years with J. C. Williamson and othe companies.

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