Caroline Heath
(1835-1887)
in 'The Fool's Revenge'

The English actress Caroline Heath is seen here dressed as ‘Fiordelisa’ in Tom Taylor’s The Fool’s Revenge, first performed at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Tuesday 18 October 1859.

Caroline Heath made her debut in 1852 at the Princess’s Theatre, playing the part of Stella in a comedy, Prima Donna. She was about 15 years old. She appears on the 1861 census, aged 24, an ‘Actress’ living with her widowed mother, also Caroline, and her 22-year-old brother, Frank, at 28 Newton Road [off Westbourne Grove] in Paddington. She gave ‘Islington’ as her place of birth.

By 1871, she was married to the actor Wilson Barrett, who was soon to become the most successful actor on the London stage. The night the census was taken that year, she and her husband were in lodgings at Durham. They described themselves as ‘Comedian’ and ‘Comedienne.'

Mrs Barrett died at Worthing on 27 July 1887. According to a brief announcement of her death in the Manchester Times (30 July 1887), 'Mrs Wilson Barrett (Miss Heath), wife of the well-known actor, and herself a leading actress, died at Worthing on Wednesday after a long illness. The deceased lady was some years ago appointed a reader to the Queen.'

According to a longer obituary in the South Wales Echo (28 July 1887), 'Miss Caroline Heath made her first professional appearance at the Princess Theatre, London, on the 18th of September, 1852, when she played the part of Stella, the heroine of Boucicault's drama of "The Prima Donna." Her talent and self-possession were specially remarked by the critics. [...] Miss Heath remained a member of Charles Kean's company for some years, and had her share of his Shakespearian triumphs, playing Anne Boleyn, Ophelia, Cordelia, and Juliet. [...] The starring tours of Miss Heath made her fine acting familiar to the provinces. Perhaps the most popular of her characters was Jane Shore. Her Lady Isabel in "East Lynne" was also regarded as an affecting and artistic performance. After her marriage with Mr Wilson Barrett, [...] she became the leading actress of the Court Theatre, which opened under her husband's management in September, 1879. When acting in Kean's company Miss Heath played several times in pieces given "by command" before the Queen at Osborne and Windsor. The Royal appreciation of Mrs Wilson Barrett was shown by the appointment she received some years ago as reader to the Queen.'

She was buried in Worthing Cemetery on 29 July 1887 (South Wales Daily News, 30 July 1887).