Introduction
Anna Ross Brunton (born 1773), was an actress and dramatist and part of an extended family of actors.
Life
Born Anna Ross in 1773 to the actor William Ross and his wife, later Mrs Brown, she was sister to Frances Mary Ross and half sister of John Mills Brown. The whole family were actors and connected to the British and American dramatic community. She married John Brunton on 6 September 1792 and they had at least four children. Two of their daughters were actors. One son joined the British Navy. Brunton wrote The Cottagers when she was fifteen. The comic opera was published in 1788 and performed first in Dublin in 1789. The piece was never performed on staged in Britain but did receive positive reviews and has been included in studies of eighteenth century dramatic writing. While she did act in London at Covent Garden, mostly she performed in Norwich and Brighton. She was still active in 1809.