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Isabella Hill (1 April 1833 – 6 June 1879), better known as Mrs Howard Paul, was an English actress, operatic singer and actress-manager of the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, best remembered for creating the role of Lady Sangazure in the
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
comic opera ''
The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...
'' (1877). Her stage career began in 1853 in London in
ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of England, English ''comic opera'' stage play that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier ''comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Sings ...
s, such as ''
The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sati ...
''. In 1854 she married the American writer
Henry Howard Paul George Henry Howard Paul (18 November 1830 – 9 December 1905), known on stage as Howard Paul, was an American writer, playwright, comic actor and theatrical manager who made his name and spent most of his career in the United Kingdom. In 1854 ...
, in whose comic entertainments the two performed for much of the next two decades, often on tour, both in Britain and America. She was popular for her musical impersonations of singers of the day. She also played in
Victorian burlesque Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as travesty or extravaganza, is a genre of theatrical entertainment that was popular in Victorian England and in the New York theatre of the mid-19th century. It is a form of parody in which a well-known oper ...
and other theatrical roles, among the best known of which was her
Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...
at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
in 1869. Various composers wrote songs for her to premiere. After ''
The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...
'', Gilbert and Sullivan cast Mrs Paul in their next opera, ''
H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...
'', but her vocal abilities had declined so much by that point that they cut parts of her role, and she resigned from the production.


Early life and career

Mrs Howard Paul was born as Isabella Hill at
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...
in
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, the daughter of George Thomas Hill, a leather merchant. She was educated in France and Italy,Boase, p. 1393 and studied singing under the composer and teacher George French Flowers, whose biographer Louisa Middleton rates her as "perhaps his most distinguished" pupil. Under the name Isabella Featherstone she began her stage career as a member of the Strand Theatre company in London. There, in January 1853, she played Tom Tug in
Charles Dibdin Charles Dibdin (before 4 March 1745 – 25 July 1814) was an English composer, musician, dramatist, novelist, singer and actor. With over 600 songs to his name, for many of which he wrote both the lyrics and the music and performed them himself ...
's
ballad opera The ballad opera is a genre of England, English ''comic opera'' stage play that originated in the early 18th century, and continued to develop over the following century and later. Like the earlier ''comédie en vaudeville'' and the later ''Sings ...
''The Waterman''. According to the theatrical newspaper '' The Era'', she made a great hit."Provincial Theatricals", ''The Era'', 13 February 1853, p. 10 She appeared briefly at the
Theatre Royal, Cork The Theatre Royal was a patent theatre located in Cork City, Ireland. History The Theatre Royal had already existed in 1750s, but it was moved from its original location near today's Princes Street to the Pembroke Street building by the local a ...
the following month, returning to the Strand in March to play Captain Macheath ''
en travesti Travesti is a theatrical character in an opera, play, or ballet performed by a performer of the opposite sex. For social reasons, female roles were played by boys or men in many early forms of theatre, and ''travesti'' roles continued to be use ...
'' in ''
The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sati ...
''.Knight, John Joseph. "Paul, Isabella Howard", ''
Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', 1885–1900, Volume 44, accessed 1 May 2014
In April she was cast as Margery in
Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song " A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', w ...
's ''
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 ...
'' at the Strand. ''The Era'' commented, "We take the opportunity of predicting for her much future success. She has an excellent voice and is by no means devoid of acting capabilities." After this, she played Lucy Lockit in ''The Beggar's Opera''. ''The Era'' later reported, "Her dashing style and rich, powerful voice at once attracted attention and more important engagements rapidly followed at
Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...
and the Haymarket.""Death of Mrs Howard Paul", ''The Era'', 15 June 1879, p. 12 They included Drury Lane's Christmas
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...
in December 1853, and, the following month,
Mark Lemon Mark Lemon (30 November 1809, in London – 23 May 1870, in Crawley) was the founding editor of both ''Punch (magazine), Punch'' and ''The Field (magazine), The Field''. He was also a writer of Play (theatre), plays and verses. Biography ...
's ''Paula Lazarro'', in which she played Juana. At the Haymarket, she again played Macheath from April 1854. In July of that year she married the American writer and actor
Henry Howard Paul George Henry Howard Paul (18 November 1830 – 9 December 1905), known on stage as Howard Paul, was an American writer, playwright, comic actor and theatrical manager who made his name and spent most of his career in the United Kingdom. In 1854 ...
at
St Paul's, Covent Garden St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit for ...
in London. Shortly after the wedding the couple went to Switzerland, in August 1854, and performed with success in Geneva. They went on to Paris, where she played for a month at the
Théâtre du Palais-Royal The Théâtre du Palais-Royal () is a 750-seat Parisian theatre at 38 rue de Montpensier, located at the northwest corner of the Palais-Royal in the Galerie de Montpensier at its intersection with the Galerie de Beaujolais. Brief history O ...
in a specially-written sketch, ''La fille adroit'', which was highly praised by
Jules Janin Jules Gabriel Janin (; 16 February 1804 – 19 June 1874) was a French writer and critic. Life and career Born in Saint-Étienne (Loire), Janin's father was a lawyer, and he was educated first at St. Étienne, and then at the lycée Louis-le-Gr ...
in the ''
Journal des débats The ''Journal des débats'' (, ''Journal of Debates'') was a French newspaper, published between 1789 and 1944 that changed title several times. Created shortly after the first meeting of the Estates-General of 1789, it was, after the outbreak ...
''."Mrs. Howard Paul"
'' The London Journal'', c. 1855
Later the same year she acted in her husband's play ''My Neighbor Opposite'' and a comic duologue, ''Locked Out'', which proved to be very popular and toured extensively in the provinces.Stone, David
"Mrs. Howard Paul (1877–78)"
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 1 May 2014
In September 1855 she was engaged at
Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater as the successive homes of the stock company managed by actors James W. Wallack and his son, Lester Wallack. During its 35-year ...
in New York City. Over the ensuing years, at the Haymarket and elsewhere, she became known not only for her Macheath, but also as Apollo in the
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
of ''Midas'' by Kane O'Hara, among other roles.Baker
"Little Theatre in the Haymarket"
p. 233
In 1858 she took part with her husband in an entertainment called ''Patchwork'', described as "a clatter of fun, frolic, song, and impersonation carried on by performers of unfailing dash"; they performed this popular piece in London and elsewhere for some years. In July of the same year she was Sir Launcelot de Lake (sic) in the ''Lancashire Witches, or the Knight and the Giants'', a burlesque included as part of an entertainment that opened the Lyceum Theatre. In musical entertainments given by herself and her husband in 1860 and over the next 17 years in London and the provinces, Mrs Paul became a favourite for her impersonations of Henry Russell,
Sims Reeves John Sims Reeves (21 October 1821 – 25 October 1900) was an English operatic, oratorio and ballad tenor vocalist during the mid-Victorian era. Reeves began his singing career in 1838 but continued his vocal studies until 1847. He soon establ ...
, and other popular singers of the day, particularly
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
s. Another piece that they toured was called ''Thrice Married''. Mrs Howard Paul's voice was admired by various composers, who wrote songs for her to premiere.


Later years

Early in 1867 she returned with her husband for engagements in the United States."Obituary: Mrs. Howard Paul"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 10 June 1879
In September of that year, she was back in London at the Strand Theatre playing Mrs Dove in her husband's ''Ripples on the Lake''. At the
Olympic Theatre Olympic Theater or Olympic Theatre may refer to: * Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, formerly Coppin's Olympic Theatre * National Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, converted to and renamed Olympic Theater in 1873 * Olympic Theatre (London), En ...
in 1868 she appeared in the title role of '' The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein''; this production also went on tour in Britain. She repeated the role in a French version of this in Paris. At the Drury Lane Theatre in 1869, she played
Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...
opposite
Samuel Phelps Samuel Phelps (13 February 1804 – 6 November 1878) was an English actor-manager. He is known for reviving the fortunes of the neglected Sadler's Wells Theatre and for his productions of Shakespeare's plays which were presented with attenti ...
and Charles Dillon on alternate nights. "Anticipating subsequent actresses, she softened Lady Macbeth, subjugating to conjugal love the sterner traits ordinarily assigned the character." On the same evenings, she doubled in the role of
Hecate Hecate ( ; ) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associat ...
in ''Macbeth''. She then toured the provinces with a company of her own, playing a series of drawing-room entertainments. Among the characters that she portrayed through song were the
bluestocking ''Bluestocking'' (also spaced blue-stocking or blue stockings) is a Pejorative, derogatory term for an educated, intellectual woman, originally a member of the 18th-century Blue Stockings Society from England led by the hostess and critic El ...
Miss Grym, the advocate of
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
, and Jemimer Cobb ("cruelly deceived by the Footman who wore false whiskers"). In February 1870, she was playing Drogan in '' Genevieve de Brabant'' in New York. She played the title role in H. B. Farnie's burlesque ''Little Gil Blas'' at the
Princess's Theatre, London The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street, London. The building opened in 1828 as the "Queen's Bazaar" and housed a diorama by Clarkson Stanfield and David Roberts. It was converted into a theatre and opened in 18 ...
from December 1870. In 1871 she and her husband were living in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
when not on tour; both their occupations were listed as "Musical Artiste" in the census. She was Mistigris in ''Babil and Bijou'' by
Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...
at the
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
in
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
(1872–73), with music by
Hervé Hervé is a French language, French masculine given name of Breton language, Breton origin, from the name of the 6th-century Breton Saint Hervé. The common latinization of the name is Herveus (also ''Haerveus''), an early (8th-century) latinizat ...
and Frederick Clay. In 1877 the
impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...
Richard D'Oyly Carte Richard D'Oyly Carte (; 3 May 1844 – 3 April 1901) was an English talent agent, theatrical impresario, composer, and hotelier during the latter half of the Victorian era. He built two of London's theatres and a hotel empire, while also establi ...
approached Mrs Paul to play the part of Lady Sangazure in the new
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
opera ''
The Sorcerer ''The Sorcerer'' is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaboration. The plot of ''The Sorcerer'' is based on a Christmas stor ...
'', which Carte was producing at the
Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, located between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and K ...
. She accepted on condition that her 24-year-old protégé, Rutland Barrington, was given a part, and he was cast in the role of Dr Daly, the vicar.Stone, David
"Rutland Barrington"
''Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company'', the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 1 May 2014
Her appearance in ''The Sorcerer'' proved to be her last London engagement; by this stage in her career her voice was deteriorating. She was engaged to play Cousin Hebe in the next
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
production, ''
H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...
'' (for which she was to be paid 10
guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
s a week "to sing and act as principal contralto during the period of the run"). Gilbert made an effort to write an amusing part for her despite Sullivan's reluctance to use her, but her declining abilities were apparent, and cuts were made to her part. By mid-May 1878, both Gilbert and Sullivan wanted her out of the cast; unhappy with the cuts, Mrs Paul left the production. With only a week to go before opening night, Carte engaged the concert singer
Jessie Bond Jessie Charlotte Bond (10 January 1853 – 17 June 1942) was an English singer and actress best known for creating the mezzo-soprano soubrette roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. She spent twenty years on the stage, the bulk of the ...
to play the now much smaller role of Cousin Hebe. Meanwhile, Mrs Howard Paul had left her husband in around 1877, as he was having an affair with the actress-dancer
Letty Lind Letitia Elizabeth Rudge (21 December 1861 – 27 August 1923), known professionally as Letty Lind, was an English actress, singer, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's ...
, by whom he fathered two illegitimate children. His wife continued performing under her married name. Her last performance was in May 1879 in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
as Mrs Denham in
James Albery James Albery (4 May 1838 – 15 August 1889) was an English dramatist. Life and career Albery was born in London. On leaving school he entered an architect's office and started to write plays. His farce ''A Pretty Piece of Chiselling'' wa ...
's comedy ''The Crisis''. On 1 June, a critic in ''The Era'' wrote, "We have rarely seen better acting … Mrs Howard Paul as Mrs Denham alone repays a visit". By the time the notice appeared she had been taken gravely ill. She was brought to her home in London near Bedford Park,
Turnham Green Turnham Green is a public park on Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London, and the neighbourhood and conservation area around it; historically, it was one of the four medieval villages in the Chiswick area, the others being Old Chiswick, Littl ...
, and on 6 June 1879 she died there. She was buried at
Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is since 1852 the first (and only) London cemetery to be Crown Estate, Crown property, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington a ...
in West London.


Reputation

Mrs Paul's obituary in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' said: "She was gifted with a wonderful voice ut... nearly all her efforts were made in the lighter branches of dramatic and musical art ... her acting was at once droll and vivacious". Henry Barton Baker, in his ''History of the London Stage and Its Famous Players'', called her "A charming actress and a beautiful singer". Opinions differed on whether she had made the best use of her talents. Joseph Knight wrote in the ''
Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'': "Mrs Howard Paul was a woman of ability, whose talents were often frittered away in parts and occupations unworthy of them." A writer in '' The Athenaeum'' agreed, commenting that "had she adhered to the lyric stage instead of being an erratic artist associated with Mr Howard Paul in 'musical and dramatic entertainments,' hewould have taken the highest position as a contralto.""Musical Gossip"
'' The Athenaeum'', No. 2340, 31 August 1872, p. 284
Another contemporary critic considered that she had in fact achieved a high position:


Notes


References

* * * * * * *


External links


Photographs of Mrs Howard Paul
on the
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...
website
Carte de Visite
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Mrs Howard 1833 births 1879 deaths Actor-managers Burials at Brompton Cemetery English contraltos 19th-century British women singers Musicians from Kent British operatic contraltos Actors from Dartford 19th-century British theatre managers 19th-century English actresses Actresses from Kent