Austin Leigh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony Austin-Leigh was born in north London in 1860, the son of a solicitor. He was educated at Bruce Castle School and attended King's College, London.[1] A clerk in the Civil Service, he was an amateur actor in the 1880s.[3] After some coaching from Mrs. Chippendale and Miss Glyn, he went for a few weeks to the School of Dramatic Art on Argyle Street that had opened in 1882.[1][4]
Austin-Leigh's professional debut was at the original Theatre Royal, Windsor.[3] He appeared in a theatrical directory listing in 1888, at an address on Highbury New Park, moving the following year to Belsize Park Gardens.[5][6] In 1888 he married Emmie O'Reilly, also on the stage, with a similar background, coached by Mrs. Chippendale and Horace Wigan, and a student at the School of Dramatic Art. She had a long run at the Lyceum Theatre, London with Mary Anderson, and was a leading lady with Augustus Harris.[7]
In 1909, Austin-Leigh was the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, as an actor and theatrical manager, living in Pimlico.[8] His stage career continued until at least 1917, when he appeared in The Little Damozel at the Palace Pier, Brighton.[9]
