Letitia Cross (1681/1682 â€" 4 April 1737) was a British singer and
actor. She appeared at the Drury Lane Theatre and was the mistress of
Peter the Great when he visited England.Cross was born in Surrey and
it has been suggested that this was 1681 or 1682 based on later
information she volunteered. She was brought up in the theatre by her
mother and her grandparents may have been Leonard and Ann Cross. She
was baptised in Dorking.In 1694 whilst still a child she was a member
of the Drury Lane/Dorset Garden theatre company in London. At that
time it was the only theatre company but a group left which included
Thomas Betterton. She sang songs by Henry Purcell whilst he was still
alive as well as appearing in his unfinished opera The Indian Queen
after his death. She sang in The Mock Marriage, The Rival Sisters and
a version of The Tempest by John Dryden.She sang in various other
productions and in 1696 she appeared as herself in a satire and later
the year she was in The Relapse by John Vanbrugh.
actor. She appeared at the Drury Lane Theatre and was the mistress of
Peter the Great when he visited England.Cross was born in Surrey and
it has been suggested that this was 1681 or 1682 based on later
information she volunteered. She was brought up in the theatre by her
mother and her grandparents may have been Leonard and Ann Cross. She
was baptised in Dorking.In 1694 whilst still a child she was a member
of the Drury Lane/Dorset Garden theatre company in London. At that
time it was the only theatre company but a group left which included
Thomas Betterton. She sang songs by Henry Purcell whilst he was still
alive as well as appearing in his unfinished opera The Indian Queen
after his death. She sang in The Mock Marriage, The Rival Sisters and
a version of The Tempest by John Dryden.She sang in various other
productions and in 1696 she appeared as herself in a satire and later
the year she was in The Relapse by John Vanbrugh.
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