Representative women of New England/Georgia T. Kent
GEORGIA TYLER KENT was born in La Grange, Ga., eldest daughter of Nelson Franklin Tyler, of Massachusetts, and Henrietta Snowden, his wife, of Maryland. She married July 2, 1878, Daniel Kent, a graduate of Amherst College, law student of Boston University, and later admitted to the Indiana bar, son of Daniel Waldo and Harriet Newell (Grosvenor) Kent, of Leicester, Mass.
Mrs. Kent in her school-days was thought by her teachers and others to have unusual talent as a writer. Her education was especially directed toward developing any latent ability of this kind, with the hope that she would make literature her life work. This, at the tune, did not appeal to her, and in the autumn of 1875 she entered upon her chosen career as a member of the Boston Museum Company. It was with a heavy heart, on account of the bitter opposition of her family. Her rapid rise from unimportant to leading noles proved she had not mistaken her vocation. During her second season she made a vivid impression in the short part of Servia, to the Virginius of John McCullough and the Virginia of Mary Gary. The critics united in her praise, saying she "showed powers which will with care develop into something suited for the best roles in tragedy." Mr. McCullough was so impressed with her work he personally requested she might be cast for the leading Indian role of Nameokee to his Metamora. Her success in this led Mr. McCullough to invite her to become a member of his own company the following season, but the Museum management induced her to remain. Immediately following Mr. McCullough, Harry J. Mt)ntague, leading man at Wallack's Theatre, filled an engagement as star at the Museum. Mrs. Kent's acting in various roles won his attention to such an extent that, with the consent of the management, she accepted his offer to make a tour of New England, supporting him in many of the leading roles of his repertoire.
Upon her return to the Museum she appeared in a large number of important parts, and as Valentine de Monias, in "A Celebrated Case," made a pronounced hit. The Museum of those days was a busy place, and its superb company found the hours available for preparation barely sufficient. Frequently, for weeks at a time, there would be a run of the glorious Shakespearean tragedies and the standard comedies, with almost nightly changes in the bill. There were but few of these in which Mrs. Kent did not appear, first in small roles and, as her standing in the company advanced, in higher ones. She had a remarkable capacity for "quick study." Harry Murdoch was said to be her only equal in this exhausting but often necessary effort. Many times, with but two or three hours' notice, she came to the aid of the management and played, letter-perfect, long and sometimes leading parts.
In her third season the management recognized her ability by engaging her for the leading heavy—that is, the leading tragic—roles, but in addition she was frequently called upon to appear in juvenile, ingenue, and even soubrette characters. When Madame Modjeska came to the Museum, in 1878, Mrs. Kent was cast for the Princess de Bouillon, a part hardly second to that of Adrienne Lecouvreur itself. At the end of the great scene between the two women, Madame Modjeska, at the final fall of the curtain, taking both ber hands, thanked her for "such splendid work." "Perhaps nothing," says Mrs. Kent, "gave me more happiness than when Mr. Longfellow asked to meet me, and complimented me in his gracious and beautiful way." Madame Motljeska, her husband. Count Bozenta, and their son had but just bade the company farewell, when Mr. Lawrence Barrett began a four weeks' engagement, Mrs. Kent appearing in the cast of nearly every play. In 1879 he again filled a fortnight's engagement, and Mrs. Kent, whose work the year before had attracted his attention, was again found in his support. As Emilia to his lago (Mr. Barron as Othello and Miss Clarke as Desdemona), Mrs. Kent made the most brilliant success of her career thus far. Mr. Barrett had himself coached her. He showered congratulations upon her, and, with the consent of the management, secured her as leading lady for his New England tour. She had, therefore, at this early stage in her career, the privilege and distinction of appearing in most of the leading female roles of his extensive repertoire. Upon returning from this tour she supported Mr. Warren as Clara Weigel in "My Son" and in many other plays. When the Union Square Theatre's great success, "The Danicheffs," was produced at the Museum, to Mrs. Kent was apportioned the part of the sixty-year.s-old Countess Danicheff, created in New York by Miss Fanny Morant. It seemed almost cruel to ask so young a girl to impersonate this magnificent and imperious elderly woman, but the critics accorded her high praise, saying her "signally powerful and effective work augurs for her a brilliant future."
During her long engagement at the Museum Mrs. Kent studied elocution at the Boston School of Oratory. For five years she contin ued a member of the Museum company, and then Mr. Bartley Campbell, who, unknown to her, had for a week been watching her work on the Museum stage, offered her the position of leading lady in his "Galley Slave" company, to succeed Miss Lillie Glover as Cicely Blaine. It was a company of great strength, including Joseph Wheelock, Marie Prescott, Junius Bru- tus Booth, Frank E. Aiken, Owen Fawcett, and other talented people. At the end of this season Mrs. Kent was especially engaged by Mrs. John Drew for the leading part of Jeanne Guerin to Joseph Wheelock's Jagon. While at Mrs. Drew's theatre she accepted an offer from John Sleeper Clarke, Edwin Booth's brother-in-law, and became leading lady of his company. With him, as leading man, were W. H. V^ernon, the distinguished English actor, and Mrs. Farren. When John T. Raymond produced "Colonel Sellers" in London, he engaged Mrs. Kent for Laura Hawkins, but her husband and father objected to her going, and she was obliged to relinquish also an offer from Mr. Clarke for a London appearance. They were opportunities which would have meant much to a young actress. The follow- ing season she became leading woman with Thomas W. Keene, being featured in the bills, and for two years continued in this arduous position, constantly travelling, and appear- ing in all the principal cities in the United States and Canada in a round of impersona- tions, largely Shakespearean, among them being Ophelia in "Hamlet," Portia in "The Merchant of Venice," Desdemona in "Othello," Queen Elizabeth in "Richard IIL"; Julie de Mor- timer in "Richelieu," Fiordelisa in "The Fool's Revenge." During this engagement she also prepared for appearing as Mariana in "The Wife" and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet." When Mr. John Stetson's New York Fifth Avenue Theatre Company produced "Divorce," Mrs. Kent was selected for Fanny Davenport's old part of IjOu Ten Kyck. Tlie i)lay had a great cast, with Sarah Jewett as Fanny Ten Eyck (formerly Clara Morris's role), Annie Russell, Herbert Kelcey, and other New York favorites equally distinguished. This was suc- ceeded by "Confusion," simultaneously pro- duced by two of Mr. Stetson's companies. Mrs. Kent and Mr. Kelcey heading one. Mrs. Kent starred for a season, appearing as Pauline in "The Lady of Lyons," Nancy Sikes in "Oliver Twist," and in other standard plays. Among the hundreds of characters portrayed by her have been Camille, Lady Macbeth, Mari- ana in "The Wife," Galatea in "Pygmalion and Galatea," Lady Lsabel in "East Lynne," Armande in " Led Astray," the title roles in "Leah the Forsaken," "Lucretia Borgia," "Medea," "Evadne," and "Satan in Paris." She was also leading lady and stock star of sev- eral companies producing Paris, London, and New York successes Although exceedingly versatile, her temperament especially fitted her for tragic and emotional roles, and it was in these she won her greatest successes. Mr. Henry Aus- tin Clapp, in passing judgment upon her work, frequently spoke of her "personal distinction and nobility of manner"; her "rare tempera- ment, distinguished beauty, and the depth, range, and expressiveness of her voice." An- other eminent critic said of her work: "Entirely unaffected and natural, it is of commanding character. This young woman possesses mag netism, tremendous underlying power, rare intelligence, and great personal beauty. Few will forget that mobile and sensitive face or that picture of passion, tenderness, and de- spair."
After twelve years of successful and often brilliant work her health failed, just as she had signed a three years' contract to appear as a star. She was obliged to retire, and for some years was an invalid. On account of Mr. Kent's objections she has since then refused all offers to reappear. She is interested in literary work, writing under an assumed name. She is active in patriotic work. A charter member of the Colonel Timothy Bigelow Chap- ter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Worcester, she has labored for its success since its inception. Having refused to serve longer as its Regent, she was this year elected Honorary Regent for life. She is a mem- ber of the AVorcester Woman's Club and of the Club lIou.se Corporation, president of the Worcester Revolutionary Memorial A.ssocia- tion, vice-presitlent of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, and a devoted member of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent give their leisure hours to ethnological and genealogical research, in which they have a common interest and pleasure. Some of her ancestral lines on the paternal side she has traced, beyond a doubt, to the "Mayflower," and evidence at hand seems to show that she is descended from nine members of the Pilgrim band that landed on Plymouth Rock in December, 1620, namely. Elder Brewster and his. wife Mary, William Mullines (or Molines) and his wife, John and Priscilla (Mullines) Alden, William White and his wife Susanna, and their son Resolved White.
More than sixty of her New England ancestors in the colonial period served as military officers, magistrates, Representatives, Deputies, and founders of towns. Among them (to note but a few) may here be mentioned Major (also Colonel and Chief Justice) Francis Fulham, the Rev. Joseph Emerson, Lieutenant John Sharpe, Lieutenant Stephen Hall, Lieu- tenant Griffin Craft, Lieutenant Moses Crafts, the Rev. Peter Bulkeley, the Rev. Edward Bulkeley, Captain Christopher Hussey, Robert Vose, Lieutenant James Trowbridge, Robert Taft, and Thomas Cregson, Assistant of the Colony, first Treasurer, and first Connnissioner for the Union with other New England Colonies. Three were in the Revolution, Captain Joseph Hall serving throughout the war. Captain Christopher Hussey, above mentioned, was appointed by the King (Charles IL), September IS, 1671), a member of the King's Council and Court of Judicature of New Hampshire, and so served until the appointment of Cranfield as Lieutenant-governor in 1682.
Her mother's ancestry also includes many distinguished families.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent reside in Worcester, where he is Register of Deeds for Worcester District. His recently published book, "Land Records; A System of Indexing," is the first book ever written x)0 this intricate subject. Mr. Kent is a member of the Sons of the Revolution, the Society of Colonial Wars, Worcester Club, Tatnuck Country Club, Economic Club, and Society of Antiquity.