Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 37.djvu/49

 who died of yellow fever at Tobago; he was seriously hurt by a portion of the Wakefield stage falling upon him, and on 25 May 1802 his wife, the author of a volume of poems and some unsuccessful novels, died of consumption. On 28 March 1803 Mathews married in York Anne Jackson, an actress, half-sister of Frances Maria Kelly [q. v.] Mrs. Mathews accompanied her husband to the Haymarket, where she played Emma in ‘Peeping Tom,’ 20 May 1803, and many other characters, and was, 1 July 1809, the original Fanny in ‘Killing no Murder.’ After some negotiations with George Colman the younger [q. v.], Mathews appeared at the Haymarket, 16 May 1803, as Jabal in ‘The Jew’ and as Lingo. His first original part was Old Wiggins in Allingham's farce, ‘Mrs. Wiggins.’ His first conspicuous triumph was obtained, 25 July, as Risk, a comic servant, in ‘Love laughs at Locksmiths,’ by Arthur Griffinhoofe, otherwise George Colman. He was, during the season, the original Dr. Cranium in Boaden's ‘Maid of Bristol,’ and played Tag in the ‘Spoil'd Child,’ Sadi in the ‘Mountaineers,’ Verdun in ‘Lovers' Vows,’ Tom in ‘Peeping Tom,’ Scout in the ‘Village Lawyer,’ Zekiel Homespun in the ‘Heir-at-Law,’ Ollapod in the ‘Poor Gentleman,’ Motley in ‘Dead Alive,’ Darby in the ‘Poor Soldier,’ Diggory in ‘All the World's a Stage,’ Sir Abel Handy in ‘Speed the Plough,’ Fluellen in ‘King Henry V,’ and many other parts. Croaker in the ‘Good-natured Man’ was the great part of the following season, in which also he was the original Triangle, a schoolmaster, in Thomas Dibdin's ‘Guilty or Not Guilty.’ After visiting Liverpool he appeared for the first time at Drury Lane, 18 Sept. 1804, as Don Manuel in ‘She would and she would not.’ He played here Sir Peter Teazle, Lissardo in the ‘Wonder,’ Thomas Appletree in the ‘Recruiting Officer,’ Weazle in the ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ &c., and was the original Lampedo in the ‘Honeymoon.’ His acting left the impression that he was unsuited to a large theatre. In the ‘Village, or the World's Epitome’—Haymarket, 18 July 1805, an unprinted comedy by Cherry, acted but twice—Mathews played Timothy Anvil. This piece led to a scrimmage between Mathews and his manager, Elliston, followed by a newspaper controversy and a reconciliation. On 15 Aug. Mathews was Abrahamides in the ‘Tailors,’ on an occasion when the real tailors in the audience, indignant at the light in which they were presented, caused a riot. Early in the Haymarket season, on 12 June 1806, in ‘Catch him who can,’ by Theodore Hook, Mathews played Philip, a comic servant, who assumes many disguises. At Drury Lane meanwhile, he was the original Plod in Kenney's ‘False Alarms,’ 12 Jan. 1807, and played on the 28th in Miss Lee's ill-starred comedy, ‘The Assignation.’ He was also seen as Clown in the ‘Winter's Tale,’ Periwinkle in ‘A bold Stroke for a Wife,’ and Eunice in the ‘Dramatist.’ A great variety of characters followed at the Haymarket. Mathews was the original Flutterman in Kenney's ‘Ella Rosenberg,’ Drury Lane, 19 Nov. 1807. About this time he was disabled, while pigeon-shooting, by the bursting of a fowling-piece. In ‘Plot and Counter-plot, or the Portrait of Michael Cervantes,’ by Charles Kemble, he was the original Hernandez, 30 June 1808, played Scapin in the ‘Cheats of Scapin,’ with additions, Clod in the ‘Young Quaker,’ and gave an imitation of ‘Hippisley's Drunken Man.’ He also, according to the ‘Memoirs’ by his wife, played Sir Fretful Plagiary, winning high praise from Leigh Hunt. After the destruction by fire of Drury Lane he accompanied the burnt-out actors to the Lyceum, where he played, 21 April 1809, as Joe Thresher in Leigh's ‘Grieving is a Folly,’ and repeated Sir Fretful Plagiary. As Buskin, an actor, in Hook's ‘Killing no Murder,’ Haymarket, 1 July 1809, he assumed once more a variety of characters, and was, with Liston, responsible for the success of a piece that Larpent, the reader of plays, had mutilated and sought to suppress. In this Mrs. Mathews played Miss Nancy. Old Rapid in ‘A Cure for the Heartache’ and Sir Anthony Absolute were among the parts he now assumed. During his country tours Mathews began, with the aid of his wife, the series of ‘At Homes’ by which he is best remembered. The first, called ‘The Mail Coach, or Rambles in Yorkshire,’ with songs by James Smith, was seen at Hull 12 April 1808. Like its successors, it consisted of recitations, songs, imitations, ventriloquy, &c., and was received with signal favour. At the Lyceum with the Drury Lane company, 4 Jan. 1810, he was Touchstone for the first time, on the 12th Gripe in the ‘Confederacy,’ and on the 23rd Mawworm in the ‘Hypocrite.’ In Pocock's farce, ‘Hit or Miss,’ 26 Feb., he made a great name as Dick Cypher, a member of the Four-in-Hand Club. He also played Lord Ogleby in the ‘Clandestine Marriage.’ Old Mirabel in the ‘Inconstant’ followed at the Haymarket, and he was the original Crastinus in Eyre's ‘High Life in the City,’ 25 July, and Artaxominous in ‘Bombastes Furioso,’ 7 Aug. With the Drury Lane company he was excellent, 19 Jan. 1811, as Mingle, an innkeeper, in Millingen's musical farce, ‘The Beehive.’ Sensible that he was not seen to