Has the belief that she was the first actress arisen from confusing her assumption of Ianthe with the performance of the same part by Mrs.
Coleman in 1656, a fact of which mention has already been made?
Otherwise it is hardly creditable that she, one of Davenant's actresses, had been previously attached to Killigrew's company, and had in such wise chanced to play Desdemona in Vere Street.

There is no evidence of this whatever, nor can it be discovered that she appeared as Desdemona at any period of her career.

The Vere Street Desdemona, we repeat, must be looked for in Killigrew's company, which commenced operations more than half a year before the rival theatre.

It is true that some time before the opening of this theatre Davenant had been the responsible manager in regard to certain performances at the Blackfriars Theatre and elsewhere; but there is no reason to suppose that actresses took part in these entertainments; it is known, indeed, that the feminine characters in the plays exhibited were sustained by the young actors of the company--Kynaston, James Nokes, Angel, and William Betterton.

Altogether, Mrs.Betterton's title to honour as the first English actress seems defective; and as much may be said of the pretensions of another actress, Mrs.Norris, although she has met with support from Tom Davies in his "Dramatic Miscellanies," and from Curl in his "History of the Stage," a very unworthy production.