Harriet Siddons

[2] After moving to Edinburgh in 1809 with Henry, to take over the Theatre Royal at the east end of Princes Street[3] she helped her husband in his managerial work, and also appeared alongside him on stage.

[5] In 1814 the Drury Lane management made her a tempting offer to play leading female parts to Edmund Kean, but she declined.

When Henry Siddons died in 1815 the affairs of the Edinburgh Theatre were in a bad state, but, with her brother William Henry Murray, she continued to steer clear of all difficulties, and eventually was able to retire at the end of her 21 years' lease of the theatre.

The turning point in the fortunes of the house had been the production on 15 February 1819 of Rob Roy, in which Charles Mackay made a hit as the Bailie.

[2] Due to English-Scottish tensions and post-Jacobite feelings, the promotion of Scots-based stories had to be placed in the past and labelled as fictions to disguise their anti-English stance and Sir Walter Scott wrote many pieces especially for the theatre.

[3] In 1827 Mrs Siddons moved to 23 Windsor Street,[6] a handsome Georgian townhouse designed by William Henry Playfair.

[8] Siddons' farewell benefit took place on 29 March 1830, and Sir Walter Scott wrote for the occasion an address which she delivered.

It original theatre was demolished in 1895 to make way for the General Post Office Scottish headquarters building.