Isabella Mattocks (1746 – June 25, 1826) was a British actress and singer.

Early life

Hallam (later Mattocks) was baptised in

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed a c ...

in 1746 by Lewis and Sarah Hallam Douglass. Her father and her uncle

William William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...

were also actors.Jared Brown, ‘Hallam, Lewis (1714?–1756?)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 7 Feb 2015
/ref> Her grandfather

Thomas Hallam Thomas Haydn Hallam (12 April 1881 – 24 November 1958) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1906 and 1907. Hallam was born at Pilsley, Derbyshire. A right-hand batsman, he made his debut for Derbyshire ...

had been part of the Drury Lane company when he was killed in a dispute with fellow actor

Charles Macklin Charles Macklin (26 September 1699 – 11 July 1797), (Gaelic: Cathal MacLochlainn, English: Charles McLaughlin), was an Irish actor and dramatist who performed extensively at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Macklin revolutionised theatre in ...

during a performance. When her father and William decided to try acting in America they took three of Isabella's siblings, but she was left in the care of her aunt, Ann, and her husband John Barrington in England. In 1762 she made her debut in the adult role of

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Ro ...

. For most of her childhood except for a few years at school she played small parts in the productions of the Covent Garden company of actors. When she was sixteen she joined the company and in 1765 she married her leading man

George Mattocks George Mattocks (1735–1804) was a British stage actor and singer. He appeared at Southwark Fair in 1747 as a child performer and the following year appeared at Bartholomew Fair. Originally billed as George Maddox when he started at Drury Lane h ...

. Hallam's guardians who she said treated her like true parents opposed the match for reasons that are not certain.Olive Baldwin, Thelma Wilson, ‘Mattocks , Isabella (1746–1826)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 201
accessed 7 Feb 2015
/ref>

Career

In 1767 she appeared in a revival of ''

Double Falsehood ''Double Falsehood'' (archaic spelling: ''Double Falshood'') or ''The Distrest Lovers'' is a 1727 play by the English writer and playwright Lewis Theobald, although the authorship has been contested ever since the play was first published, with ...

'' which is a play that claims links to William Shakespeare. The couple would appear together taking leading roles although Isabella was considered too short for some roles. By the time younger actresses were competing for her roles she was established as a character actor. She was believed to have had an affair with Robert Bensley but her marriage to George survived. She was known for performing epilogues and these were sometimes written for her by the politician and playwright

Miles Peter Andrews Miles Peter Andrews (1742 – 18 July 1814) was an 18th-century English playwright, gunpowder manufacturer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1796 to 1814. Biography Andrews was the son of William Andrews, a drysalter of Watl ...

. Mattocks was to remain with the Covent garden acting company for 46 years. Thomas Dibdin noted that her last part was on 7 June 1808, noting how long she had amused her audiences. She only daughter who married Nathaniel Huson in 1801. Huson was a barrister who swindled Mattocks out of £6000. However a benefit was staged for her and this replaced over £1000 of what had been lost. Mattocks died in Kensington in 1826.

Selected roles

Mattocks as ''Mrs Warren'' in
Holcroft's ''The Road to Ruin'' * Lucinde in ''

Love in a Village ''Love in a Village'' is a ballad opera in three acts that was composed and arranged by Thomas Arne. A pastiche, the work contains 42 musical numbers of which only five were newly composed works by Arne. The other music is made up of 13 pieces bo ...

'' by Isaac Bickerstaffe (1762) * Emily in ''

The Double Mistake ''The Double Mistake'' is a 1766 comedy play by the British writer Elizabeth Griffith. It was her most successful play along with ''The School for Rakes''.Birch & Drabble p.443 The original Covent Garden cast included David Ross as Lord Belmont, ...

'' by Elizabeth Griffith (1766) * Aspasia in '' Cyrus'' by John Hoole (1768) * Donna Louisa in ''

The Duenna ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' by

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The S ...

(1775) * Daraxa in ''

Edward and Eleonora ''Edward and Eleonora'' is a 1739 tragedy by the British writer James Thomson. Originally due to be performed at Covent Garden in 1739, the play was banned by the censor, the Lord Chamberlain Charles FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton, under the recent L ...

'' by James Thomson (1775) * Mrs Sparwell in ''

The World as it Goes ''The World as It Goes'' is a 1781 comedy play by the British writer Hannah Cowley. The original cast included William Thomas Lewis as Sir Charles Danvers, Charles Lee Lewes as Fairfax, John Quick as Grub, Richard Wilson as Colonel Sparwell, ...

'' by

Hannah Cowley Hannah Cowley may refer to: *Hannah Cowley (writer) Hannah Cowley (14 March 1743 – 11 March 1809) was an English playwright and poet. Although Cowley's plays and poetry did not enjoy wide popularity after the 19th century, critic Melinda Finb ...

(1781) * Sophy Pendragon in '' Which is the Man?'' by

(1782) * Olivia in ''

A Bold Stroke for a Husband ''A Bold Stroke for a Husband'' is a 1783 comedy play by the British writer Hannah Cowley. The title is a variation on Susanna Centlivre's ''A Bold Stroke for a Wife''. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Don Julio, ...

'' by

(1783) * Mrs Wordly in '' The School for Widows'' by Richard Cumberland (1789) * Adelaide in ''

The German Hotel ''The German Hotel'' is a 1790 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included John Quick as Count Werling, Joseph George Holman as Dorville, Francis Aickin as Count Kolberg, William Farren as Baron T ...

'' by

Thomas Holcroft Thomas Holcroft (10 December 174523 March 1809) was an English dramatist, miscellanist, poet and translator. He was sympathetic to the early ideas of the French Revolution and helped Thomas Paine to publish the first part of ''The Rights of Ma ...

(1790) * Lady Peckham in ''

The School for Arrogance ''The School for Arrogance'' is a 1791 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Count Conolly Villars, John Henry Johnstone as MacDermot, Francis Aickin as Mr Dorimont, ...

'' by

(1791) * Mrs Warren in '' The Road to Ruin'' by

(1792) * Mrs Fancourt in ''

The Town Before You ''The Town Before You'' is a 1794 comedy play by the British writer Hannah Cowley.Nicoll p.249 The original cast included William Thomas Lewis as Tippy, John Quick as Sir Robert Floyer, Joseph George Holman as Conway, Alexander Pope as Asgill, ...

'' by

(1794) * Nanette in ''

Love's Frailties ''Love's Frailties'' is a 1794 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Mr Muscadel, John Quick as Sir Gregory Oldwort, Joseph George Holman as Charles Seymour, Joseph Sh ...

'' by

(1794) * Mrs Sarsnet in ''

The Deserted Daughter ''The Deserted Daughter'' is a 1795 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Cheveril, John Quick as Item, Alexander Pope as Mr Mordent, Joseph Shepherd Munden as Donald ...

'' by

(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 ''A Cure for the Heart Ache'' is a 1797 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Morton. It premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre in London. The original cast included William Thomas Lewis as Young Rapid, John Quick as Vortex, Alexander Pope ...

'' by Thomas Morton (1797) * Lady Vibrate in ''

He's Much to Blame ''He's Much to Blame'' is a 1798 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Holcroft. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Sir George Versatile, John Quick as Lord Vibrate, Alexander Pope as Mr Deleval, Charles Murra ...

'' by

(1798) * Sally in ''

Secrets Worth Knowing ''Secrets Worth Knowing'' is a 1798 comedy play by the British writer Thomas Morton. The original Covent Garden cast included William Thomas Lewis as Rostrum, John Quick as Nicholas, Joseph George Holman as Egerton, Alexander Pope as Greville, ...

'' 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) * Mrs Trot in '' Town and Country'' by Thomas Morton (1807)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mattocks, Isabella 1746 births 1826 deaths People from Whitechapel 18th-century English actresses 18th-century British actresses British stage actresses