Fanny Rowe

Frances Mabel Morton was an English stage, film and television actress.

Early years

Rowe was born in Preston, Lancashire, the daughter of a parson, and educated at Channing School For Girls in Highgate and then went on to study at Newnham College, Cambridge.

Stage

Rowe's acting career started in the Marlowe Society, Cambridge. She then worked on the West End and in repertory theatre from 1936 onward, at Newcastle, Coventry, Harrogate, Worthing, Dundee and Windsor.
She appeared in many theatrical productions both on the West End and also in the United States. Her American stage debut was in Man and Superman. In 1951 she was awarded the Clarence Derwent Award. She played the part of Alex Cornwall in Who Goes There!. In 1952 she was in John Clements' comedy The Happy Marriage. In 1955 she starred in the J.B. Priestley play Mr. Kettle and Mrs. Moon.

Radio

Rowe made her American radio debut on Grand Central Station.

Television

Rowe's television work included Love Story, Rogues' Gallery, Vanity Fair, The Mill on the Floss and as Emily Forsyte in the 1967 BBC TV serial drama The Forsyte Saga. In later years, her most famous roles were that of Nancy Penrose, the mother of Hester played by Julia McKenzie in the ITV sitcom Fresh Fields, and Vera Polling in After Henry. She was also in the Tales of the Unexpected episode What Have You Been up to Lately?. She appeared in an episode of Upstairs, Downstairs, "The Hero's Farewell", as the Duchess of Mitcham, and she made a guest appearance in the final episode of Rising Damp, playing Miss Jones's mother.

Personal life

Rowe married actor Clive Morton in 1954. She died in London on 31 July 1988 at the age of 75.