BANCROFT, MARIE EFFIE WILTON, Lady. An English actress and manager. She was born at Doncaster, and as a child appeared on the stage with her parents, who were both actors. Among her early parts was that of Fleanee in Macbeth (1846). After several years in the provincial towns she made her London •but, September 15, 1856, at the Lyceum, as the boy Henri, in Belphegor, playing the same night in Perditu; or, the Royal Milkmaid. She won great popularity in several boy characters, in burlesques at various theatres, as Cupid in two different plays, and notably as Pippo, in the Maid and the Magpie, by H. J. Byron (q.v.), at the Strand Theatre (ISM). For several years she remained at the Strand, taking numerous parts of the same general type. In April. 1865, she began, in partnership with Mr. Byron, the management of the Prince of Wales's Theatre, having secured as a leading actor Squire Bancroft (q.v.), whom she had met shortly before in Liverpool. The house soon became noted for its series of successful comedies by T. W. Robertson, realistically depicting certain features of the social life of the day, and staged with unusual attention to naturalness of de tail. In successive years they have brought out Society 11865). Ours (1866), Caste (1867),
Play (18118). School (I869), and 11. P. (1870). Miss Wilton, who in 1867 became Sirs. Bancroft, regularly took the principal female parts in these pieces, her husband being leading man. Some of her best-known rules were Mary .Netley. in Ours; Polly Eccles, in Caste; and Naomi Tighe, in School; and also Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal (revived 1874) ; Zicka, in Diplo macy (1878) : and Nan, in Sweethearts (1879).
Mr. and Sirs. Bancroft likewise presented at their theatre a number of prominent actors, among them Hare, Cog,blan, the Kendals. and Miss Terry. In 1880 they moved to the Hay market Theatre, a larger house, where they eon tinned the successful presentation of modern comedy. .July 20, 1885, they retired from the stage, and have since very rarely appeared. though in 1893 Mrs. Bancroft took part with her husband (who was knighted in 1897) in the revival of Diplomacy at the. Garrick Theatre. She is the author of many of the most interest ing, portions of the volume of reminiscences called Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft On and Off the stage, Written by Themselres (London, 1888).