Rose Coghlan, Actress

Miss Rose Coghlan (Mrs. John T. Sullivan) was born in Peterborough, England, March 18, 1853. Her father was Francis Coghlan, publisher of Coghlan's Continental Guides and a friend of Charles Diclkens, Her brother was the late Charles Coghlan, the well-known actor. Her sister-in-law, when Rose was little more than a child, put her on the stage, her first appearance being as one of the witches in "Macbeth" in Greenwich, Scotland. Soon afterward she won favor as Tilly Price in a stage version of "Nicholas Nickleby" at the Court Theatre on her first appearance in London. After she had played engagements with Adelaide Neilson and J. L. Toole, E. A. Sothern brought her to this country in 1871, and she made her first appearance in a dramatization of "The Woman in White," by Wilkie Collins, She then played a season with the Lydia Thompson English Burlesquers at Wallack's Theatre, New York. In 1873 she returned to England to support the late Charles Mathews. After a season with John Hare, Miss Coghlan supported Barry Sullivan, the tragedian, in Shakespearean parts, one of her principal roles being that of Viola in "Twelfth Night." She was in the original cast of "East Lynne" at the St. James's Theatre, and created the part of Lady Manden in " All for Her." In 1877 Miss Coghlan returned to this country to be leading woman of Lester Wallack's Theatre. Her first role was Clarissa Harlowe, Her greatest success during the nine years she remained with Wallack was as Stephanie in Herman Merrivale's "Forget-Me-Not," She also achieved distinction in "A Scrap of Paper," "The World," "The Silver King," and "Moths," The last performance of the famous stock company at Wallack's was on May 5, 1888, when Miss Coghlan played Lady Teazle in "The School for Scandal," She was also the Player Queen in the star cast which appeared in "Hamlet" May 21, 1887, to mark Lester Wallack's retirement from the stage. Returning to England in 1892, Miss Coghlan played the Countess Zicka in a revival of "Diplomacy," and two years later was seen in this country in Oscar Wilde's " A Woman of No Importance." In 1895 Miss Coghlan starred in "Diplomacy", and "Forget-Me-Not," her husband, John T. Sullivan, being her leading man. She was divorced from Mr. Sullivan. Later she was seen in " Ulysses" with Tyrone Power. In 1906-7 Miss Coghlan starred in sketches in vaudeville houses. In July, 1902, Miss Coghlan became a naturalized American citizen, and engaged in stock raising on her ranch in Montana.