Kemble, Fanny (1809-1893), a British author and actress, lived many years in the United States and became known for her strong antislavery beliefs. In her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863), she recorded observations she had made of Southern plantation life and sharply criticized slavery. The book helped increase opposition to the Southern cause in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Frances Anne Kemble was born on Nov. 27, 1809, in London and made her stage debut in 1829 in Romeo and Juliet. In 1832, she came to the United States, where she won praise for her stage performances and readings from the works of the English playwright William Shakespeare. In 1834, Kemble married Pierce Butler, a Georgia plantation owner. The marriage, which ended in divorce, brought her in contact with slavery. In addition, Kemble wrote poetry, plays, essays on Shakespeare, and a novel. She died on Jan. 15, 1893.
