{{Short description|Scottish actress and soprano}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|right|Agnes Fraser (c. 1905 postcard) '''Agnes Fraser Elder Fraser-Smith''' (8 November 1876 – 22 July 1968) was a Scottish actress and soprano, known as '''Agnes Fraser''', who appeared in the later Savoy Operas and in Edwardian musical comedy. She married the Gilbert and Sullivan performer Walter Passmore, with whom she frequently appeared on stage.
==Early life and career== Fraser was born in Springfield, Fife, Scotland as Agnes Fraser Elder Fraser-Smith in 1876.<ref name=Stage>Gillan, Don. [http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/fraser/fraser-a.html "Agnes Fraser"], Stage Beauty, accessed 16 June 2020</ref> Her brother was the actor Alec Fraser. In 1911 her sister, Mary Smith, known by the stage name Mary Fraser, married the actor Huntley Wright.<ref name=Stone>Stone, David. [https://gsarchive.net/whowaswho/F/FraserAgnes.htm Agnes Fraser], Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 27 August 2001, accessed 16 June 2020</ref>
Fraser made her professional début with a D'Oyly Carte Opera Company touring company in the chorus of ''The Vicar of Bray'', ''The Lucky Star'' and ''Haddon Hall'' from December 1898 to September 1899. She then moved to the main D'Oyly Carte company at the Savoy Theatre in London, where she appeared in ''The Rose of Persia'' (1899–1900), taking over the small role of "Blush-of-Morning" from Isabel Jay, and occasionally playing the lead role of the Sultana during Jay's temporary absence; the 1900 revival of ''The Pirates of Penzance'' as Isabel, understudying Jay as Mabel and going on in that role in September 1900; the revival of ''Patience'' as Lady Ella (1900 – 1901); ''The Emerald Isle'' as Kathleen, occasionally going on for Jay as Lady Rose Pippin (1901); the first revival of ''Iolanthe'' as Celia (1901); and ''The Willow Pattern'' as Ah Mee (1901–1902).<ref name=Stone/> When Isabel Jay left the company, Fraser replaced her as the lead soprano, originating the role of Bessie Throckmorton in ''Merrie England'' at the Savoy Theatre in 1902 and then on tour. Her last role at the Savoy was Kenna in ''A Princess of Kensington'', from January 1903, and on tour until September.<ref name=Stone/>
==Post-D'Oyly Carte and later years== [[File:Agnes Fraser Walter Passmore 1902.jpg|thumb|left|The newly-wed Fraser and Walter Passmore in their motorcar (''The Sketch'', 1902)]] She married the company's leading comedian, Walter Passmore, in Wandsworth, London, in 1902.<ref>[https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8913&h=26434467&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=djv3653&_phstart=successSource Agnes Fraser E Smith] in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837–1915, Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}</ref> In addition to Passmore's four children from his first marriage, the couple had four children of their own: Henry Fraser Passmore (1905–1987, a general manager of Hammer films 1935–37); John Fraser Passmore (1908–1973); Nancie A. Passmore (1910–1990), who married tenor Joseph Hislop; and Isobel Mary Fraser Passmore (1913–1992).<ref name=Census11>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_00600_0091_03?pid=1636253&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D2352%26h%3D1636253%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3Ddjv3659%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=djv3659&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.123196680.2094478971.1592171460-1197399642.1515349816 Agnes F E Passmore], 1911 England Census: London, Hampstead, Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}</ref> The newlyweds enjoyed all the trappings of stardom, being photographed in 1902 in their motorcar<ref>"The Man on the Car" ''The Sketch'', 26 November 1902, p. 235</ref> and taking part together in a publicity campaign for rail travel.<ref>Atterbury, Paul. [https://books.google.com/books?id=FRjDCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA12 ''A Century of Railway Travel''], Shire Publications (2014), p. 14 via Google Books</ref>
[[File:Sweet Williams 1911.jpg|thumb|right|In ''Sweet Williams'' (1911–12) with Johnny Danvers (left) and Passmore]] Fraser and Passmore then left the company and she played Elphin Haye in ''The Earl and the Girl'' opposite his Jim Cheese at the Adelphi Theatre and later at the Lyric Theatre (1903–1904).<ref name=Stone/><ref>"The Earl and the Girl", ''The Play Pictorial'', December 1903 pp. 55–80</ref> Also at the Adelphi she played the Princess in the fairy pantomime ''Little Hans Andersen'' (December 1903 to January 1904).<ref>Wearing, J. P. [https://books.google.com/books?id=o5JWAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA165 ''The London Stage 1900-1909: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''], Rowman & Littlefield (2014), p. 165</ref> She appeared in various Edwardian musical comedies, including as Ellaline Lewin in ''The Talk of the Town'', by Seymour Hicks and Charles H. Taylor, composed by Herbert Haines, at the Lyric (1905);<ref>Howarth, Paul. [https://gsarchive.net/british/talkoftown/index.html ''The Talk of the Town'' (1905)], British Musical Theatre pages at The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 16 June 2020</ref> Winifred in the farcical musical comedy ''The Dairymaids'', composed by Paul Rubens and Frank E. Tours, at the Apollo Theatre (1906),<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_d/dairymaids.html ''The Dairymaids'' (1906)], The Guide to Musical Theatre, accessed 16 June 2020</ref> and others at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1907.<ref>[https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/fraser-agnes-1877-1968 Agnes Fraser], ''Dictionary of Women Worldwide'', accessed 16 June 2020</ref> She toured the provinces with Passmore from 1911 to 1915 including in the musical farcical sketch ''Sweet Williams'' (1911–12) with Johnny Danvers.<ref name=Stone/><ref>[https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/johnny-danvers-agnes-fraser-and-walter-passmore Postcard of Johnny Danvers, Agnes Fraser and Walter Passmore in the musical farcical sketch ''Sweet Williams'' 1911 and 1912], Footlight Notes, accessed 16 June 2020</ref> She was then living with her husband and their children and Passmore's daughters Doris and Mirette Passmore from his first marriage.<ref name=Census11/>
By 1939 she was living a rather more modest retirement life with her husband and stockbroker son John Passmore at Heath Mews at The Mount in Hampstead, London.<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61596/tna_r39_0234_0234i_013?pid=7068109&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D61596%26h%3D7068109%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3Ddjv3658%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=djv3658&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.128439695.2094478971.1592171460-1197399642.151534981e 1939 Agnes E F Passmore], England and Wales Register for London, Hampstead, Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}</ref>
==Death== Fraser died in London in 1968. She left an estate valued at £28,995.<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1904/48589_83024005506_3646-00296?pid=74389535&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1904%26h%3D74389535%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3Ddjv3656%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=djv3656&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.131003020.2094478971.1592171460-1197399642.1515349816 Agnes Fraser Elder Passmore], England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995 for 1968, Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp96179/agnes-fraser-mrs-walter-passmore Postcards of Agnes Fraser], National Portrait Gallery, London
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Agnes}} Category:1876 births Category:1968 deaths Category:19th-century Scottish women singers Category:20th-century Scottish women singers Category:19th-century Scottish actresses Category:Actresses from Fife Category:Scottish operatic sopranos Category:Scottish stage actresses