Isabella Mattocks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isabella Mattocks
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Isabella Mattocks by Gainsborough Dupont 1833
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| Born |
Isabella Hallam
1746 |
| Died | June 25, 1826 |
| Nationality | British |
Isabella Mattocks (1746 – June 25, 1826) was a well-known British actress and singer. She spent many years performing on stage, especially at the famous Covent Garden Theatre in London.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Isabella Hallam, who later became Isabella Mattocks, was born in Whitechapel in 1746. Her parents, Lewis and Sarah Hallam, were both actors. Acting was a family business for Isabella. Her uncle, William, was also an actor. Even her grandfather, Thomas Hallam, was part of the Drury Lane acting company. Sadly, he died during a disagreement with another actor while performing.
In 1752, Isabella's parents and uncle decided to move to America to try acting there. They took three of her brothers and sisters with them. However, Isabella stayed in England. She was looked after by her aunt, Ann, and her husband, John Barrington. Isabella said they treated her like their own child.
Starting Her Acting Career
Isabella spent most of her childhood performing small parts in plays. She worked with the Covent Garden company of actors. She did attend school for a few years, but the stage was her main focus.
In 1762, when she was just 16, Isabella officially joined the Covent Garden company. This was also the year she played her first big adult role as Juliet. In 1765, she married George Mattocks, who was a leading actor in her company. Isabella's guardians, who cared for her deeply, did not approve of the marriage. The exact reasons are not clear.
A Long and Successful Career
Isabella and George Mattocks often performed together. They took on many main roles in plays. Even though Isabella was sometimes thought to be a bit too short for certain parts, she became very popular. As she got older and new, younger actresses joined the stage, Isabella became known as a "character actor." This meant she was great at playing unique and memorable characters, not just the main romantic leads.
She was especially good at performing "epilogues." These were short speeches given at the end of a play. Sometimes, a politician and writer named Miles Peter Andrews would even write special epilogues just for her.
Isabella Mattocks stayed with the Covent Garden acting company for an amazing 46 years! Thomas Dibdin, a writer of the time, noted her last performance was on June 7, 1808. He mentioned how long she had entertained her audiences.
Later Life and Challenges
Isabella had one daughter, who married Nathaniel Huson in 1801. Sadly, Huson, who was a lawyer, tricked Isabella and took a large sum of her money. She lost about £6000. However, her friends and fellow actors organized a special performance, called a "benefit." This show helped her get back over £1000 of the money she had lost.
Isabella Mattocks passed away in Kensington in 1826.
Selected Roles on Stage
Isabella Mattocks performed in many plays throughout her long career. Here are some of the notable roles she played:
- Lucinde in Love in a Village by Isaac Bickerstaffe (1762)
- Emily in The Double Mistake by Elizabeth Griffith (1766)
- Aspasia in Cyrus by John Hoole (1768)
- Donna Louisa in The Duenna by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1775)
- Daraxa in Edward and Eleonora by James Thomson (1775)
- Lady Racket in Three Weeks After Marriage by Arthur Murphy (1776)
- Lady Bell in Know Your Own Mind by Arthur Murphy (1777)
- Mrs Sparwell in The World as it Goes by Hannah Cowley (1781)
- Sophy Pendragon in Which is the Man? by Hannah Cowley (1782)
- Olivia in A Bold Stroke for a Husband by Hannah Cowley (1783)
- Mrs Wordly in The School for Widows by Richard Cumberland (1789)
- Adelaide in The German Hotel by Thomas Holcroft (1790)
- Lady Peckham in The School for Arrogance by Thomas Holcroft (1791)
- Mrs Warren in The Road to Ruin by Thomas Holcroft (1792)
- Mrs Fancourt in The Town Before You by Hannah Cowley (1794)
- Nanette in Love's Frailties by Thomas Holcroft (1794)
- Mrs Sarsnet in The Deserted Daughter by Thomas Holcroft (1795)
- Clementina Allspice in The Way to Get Married by Thomas Morton (1796)
- Miss Union in Fortune's Fool by Frederic Reynolds (1796)
- Miss Vortex in A Cure for the Heart Ache by Thomas Morton (1797)
- Lady Vibrate in He's Much to Blame by Thomas Holcroft (1798)
- Sally in Secrets Worth Knowing by Thomas Morton (1798)
- Fidelia in The Eccentric Lover by Richard Cumberland (1798)
- Lady Maxim in Five Thousand a Year by Thomas John Dibdin (1799)
- Rachel Starch in The Wise Man of the East by Elizabeth Inchbald (1799)
- Lucretia Mactab in The Poor Gentleman by George Colman (1801)
- Camilla in Rugantino by Matthew Lewis (1805)
- Mrs Trot in Town and Country by Thomas Morton (1807)
