Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 37.djvu/87

 in Murphy's ‘What we must all come to.’ On 29 Oct. 1764 she played Cordelia for the first time, and was subsequently Lady Harriet in the ‘Funeral,’ was the original Lady Julia in Arne's ‘Guardian Outwitted,’ 12 Dec. 1764, the original Theodosia in Bickerstaffe's ‘Maid of the Mill,’ 31 July 1765, and 19 Feb. Polly in the same play.

On 24 April 1765, for her own benefit, as Mrs. Mattocks late Miss Hallam, she played the Lady in ‘Comus’ and Sophy in the ‘Musical Lady’ of George Colman, not previously seen at Covent Garden. On 2 May she was the original Elvira in the ‘Spanish Lady,’ attributed to Hull, her husband playing Worthy. A few days later she played Maria in the ‘Citizen.’ Until her retirement in 1808 she remained at Covent Garden, of which she became a chief support. In the seasons of 1784–5 and 1785–6 she was apparently not engaged, and in the summers of 1772–5 inclusive, and probably in very many others, she played an extensive range of characters in Liverpool, where her husband became manager of a theatre. She played also with him at Portsmouth, where he was for a time a manager. On 22 June she made her first appearance at the Haymarket, playing for the first time Mrs. Oakley to the Oakley of Pope. Among the characters entrusted to her at Covent Garden were Hermione, Lucia in ‘Cato,’ Rosetta in ‘Love in a Village,’ Lucy Lockit, Phædra in ‘Amphitryon,’ Roxana, Octavia in ‘All for Love,’ Statira, Elvira in ‘Spanish Friar,’ Clarissa in ‘Lionel and Clarissa,’ Julia in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona,’ Leonora in ‘Revenge,’ Miss Prue, Charlotte Rusport, Celia in ‘As you like it,’ Queen in ‘Richard III,’ Lydia Languish, Æmilia in ‘Othello,’ Audrey, and Tilburina. In Liverpool she was seen, among many other parts both tragic and comic, as Monimia in the ‘Orphan,’ Portia in the ‘Merchant of Venice,’ Angelica in ‘Love for Love,’ Constance in ‘King John,’ Julia in the ‘Rivals,’ Rosalind, Imogen, and Helena in ‘All's well that ends well.’ Her original parts at Covent Garden were numerous. She was, 6 Dec. 1765, the first Amelia in ‘Summer's Tale,’ a three-act musical comedy by Cumberland, whose first acted piece it was. Her singing saved it, and it was reduced to two acts and rechristened ‘Amelia,’ 3 Dec. 1766; Fanny, the heroine of the ‘Accomplished Maid,’ a translation by Toms of ‘La Buona Figliuola;’ Priscilla in Bickerstaffe's ‘Love in the City,’ 21 Feb. 1767, in which she acted ‘inimitably;’ Gertrude in the ‘Royal Merchant,’ 14 Dec. 1767, founded by Hull on the ‘Beggar's Bush’ of Beaumont and Fletcher; Olivia in the ‘Good-natured Man,’ 29 Jan. 1768; Aspasia in ‘Cyrus,’ adapted by John Hoole, 3 Dec. 1768; Honour in ‘Tom Jones,’ 14 Jan. 1769, translated from the ‘Tom Jones’ of Poinsinet, given in Paris at the Théâtre des Italiens four years previously; Lettice in Colman's ‘Man and Wife,’ 7 Oct. 1769; Lucy Waters in Cumberland's ‘Brothers,’ 2 Dec. 1769. Genest in error assigns to her Sophia, which was played by Mrs. Yates; Albina in Mason's ‘Elfrida,’ 21 Nov. 1772; Jenny in O'Hara's ‘Two Misers,’ 21 Jan. 1775; Daraxa in ‘Edward and Eleonora,’ 18 March 1775, altered from Thomson by Hull; Louisa in the ‘Duenna,’ 21 Nov. 1775; Priscilla Tomboy in the ‘Romp,’ 28 March 1778; Mrs. Racket in the ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ 22 Feb. 1780; Sophy in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Which is the Man,’ 9 Feb. 1782; Olivia in Mrs. Cowley's ‘A Bold Stroke for a Husband,’ 25 Feb. 1783; Lady Tremor in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Such things are,’ 10 Feb. 1787; Betty Blackberry in Colman's ‘Farmer,’ 31 Oct. 1787; Marchioness Merida in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Child of Nature,’ 28 Nov. 1788; Lady Peckham in the ‘School for Arrogance,’ 4 Feb. 1791, Holcroft's adaptation of ‘Le Glorieux’ of Destouches; Mrs. Warren in Holcroft's ‘Road to Ruin,’ 18 Feb. 1792; Miss Vortex in Morton's ‘Cure for the Heartache,’ 10 Jan. 1797; Miss Lucretia McTab in the younger Colman's ‘Poor Gentleman,’ 11 Feb. 1801; Camilla in ‘Monk’ Lewis's ‘Rugantino,’ 18 Oct. 1805. Her last original parts were Mrs. Trot in Morton's ‘Town and Country,’ 10 March 1807, and Lady Wrangle in ‘Too Friendly by Half,’ 29 Oct. 1807, an unprinted and anonymous piece. On 7 June 1808, for her benefit, Mrs. Mattocks appeared for the last time, playing Flora in the ‘Wonder,’ Cooke recited Garrick's ‘Ode,’ and Mrs. Mattocks then took her leave of the public in a prose address which was found ‘very affecting.’ She claimed to have been on the stage (Covent Garden) fifty-eight years. During later years her salary had been reduced. After the death of her husband, ruined by his Liverpool management, Mrs. Mattocks settled a portion on her daughter, retired to Kensington, and confided to her son-in-law, a barrister named Hewson, the management of her fortune of 6,000l., which before her premature death he spent. On 24 May 1813 a benefit was given her at the Opera House, in which Mrs. Jordan, Quick, Fawcett, Palmer, Benham, &c., took part. She delivered a further address. The sum realised, amounting to 1,092l., was invested in an annuity for the actress, with some reversion for her daughter. She died 25 June 1826, at Kensington. An indifferent performer in tragedy and a second-rate singer in