Modern English biography

of Madame Vestris_ (1826), _portrait_; _Memoirs of the life of Madame Vestris_ (1830), _portrait_; _Memoirs of the life of Madame Vestris_ (1830), _privately printed_; _C. B. Wilson’s Our actresses_, _ii_ 184–222 (1844), _portrait_; _T. Marshall’s Lives of actors_ (1847) 37–56, _portrait_; _Oxberry’s Dramatic biography_, _v_ 91 (1826), _portrait_; _Actors by daylight_, _i_ 41–2 (1838), _portrait_; _Theatrical times_, _i_ 41 (1847), _portrait_; _The dramatic mirror_ (1847) _p._ 60, _portrait_; _E. Stirling’s Old Drury Lane_, _ii_ 127–29 (1881); _British stage_, _v_ 1 (1821), _portrait_; _Planché’s Recollections and reflections 2 vols._ (1872), _passim_; _The Town_, _ii_ (1838–39), _passim_; _Planché’s Extravaganzas_, _i_ 37 (1879), _portrait_; _I.L.N. xi_ 268 (1847), _portrait_. MATHEWS, WILKINSON (eld. son of John Mathews of Stokesley in Cleveland, Yorkshire, solicitor). _b._ Whitby 9 March 1784; ed. at Barnard Castle, Hadleigh, Suffolk, and Trin. coll. Camb.; B.A. 1805, M.A. 1808; fellow of his coll. 1806–15; barrister L.I. 23 May 1810, bencher 1841 to death, treasurer 1859; Q.C. Jany. 1842; one of Charity commissioners 1818–30 when he retired, _d._ 64 Brook st. Grosvenor square, London 12 May 1866. _bur._ Leyland, Lancs. _Law Times xci_ 536 (1866). MATHIAS, GEORGE (son of James Vincent Mathias, captain 62 foot). _b._ 1797; ensign 1 foot 19 Aug. 1813, lieut. 22 Sep. 1814, placed on h.p. 25 March 1817; lieut. 1 foot 23 July 1818, placed on h.p. 19 Nov. 1825; was shipwrecked 3 times; captain 79 foot 8 June 1826, sold out 10 Oct. 1834; studied at St. John’s coll. Camb., B.A. 1838, M.A. 1841; chaplain to royal hospital, Chelsea 1845–69; chaplain in ord. to the Queen 19 Nov. 1857 to death. _d._ St. Leonards on Sea 10 March 1884. MATRAVERS, JOHN. One of H.M.’s Band of Gentlemen pensioners; purchased Lundy Island off the coast of North Devon in 1830 from Sir Aubrey de Vere Hunt for £4500 and sold it to Wm. Heaven of Bristol; F.S.A. _d._ London 30 Nov. 1851. MATSON, EDWARD. Second lieut. R.E. 7 May 1810; deputy adjutant general to R.E. 15 June 1846 to 10 Sep. 1856; col. R.E. 20 June 1854 to 10 Sep. 1856 when he retired on full pay with rank of M.G. _d._ 130 Norfolk crescent, Hyde park, London 3 Sep. 1873. MATTEI, ANTONIO. Captain royal Malta fencible regiment 11 April 1845, lieut.-col. 12 Nov. 1858, retired with hon. rank of M.G. 5 Sep. 1877; C.M.G. 1 May 1877. _d._ at his residence Sliema, Malta 17 Sep. 1888 aged 84. MATTHEW, WALTER EDMUND (3 son of David Matthew of City of London, merchant). _b._ 25 Feb. 1848; ed. at Merchant Taylors’ and St. John’s coll. Oxf., Casberd scholar 1869, Denyer and Johnson theol. scholar 1871; B.A. 1870, M.A. 1873; C. of Ch. Ch. Albany st. London 1871–5; colonial chaplain at Kandy, Colombo 1875; archdeacon of Colombo 1875 to death. _d._ 19 Feb. 1889. MATTHEWS, CHARLES PETER. Member of firm of Ind, Coope & Co. brewers; an original member of Burlington fine arts club, London 1867; formed an important collection of modern English paintings, including 6 works by Sir F. Leighton, 4 by Sir J. Millais, 13 by J. C. Hook, 7 by J. F. Lewis, and Holman Hunt’s Finding of the Saviour in the Temple. _d._ 18 Feb. 1891. NOTE.--His collection of 125 pictures sold at Christie’s 6 June 1891 for £57,858 12s., being much less than he gave for the pictures. _Times 8 June 1891 p._ 12. MATTHEWS, EMILIA (dau. of Mr. Apjohn, bandmaster of a regiment). _b._ 1807; first appeared on the stage at Plymouth; first appeared in London at Adelphi theatre 29 Nov. 1829 as Kitty Sligo in Buckstone’s burlesque Billy Taylor; played at City theatre, Milton st. Cripplegate, Easter 1831 to 1833; played at Lyceum, May 1833 and at St. James’s 1839; acted Mrs. Mopus in Married for money 10 Oct. 1855, Cora in Collins’s burlesque Pizarro 23 Sep. 1856, Lady Harbottle in The Love Knot 8 March 1858, all at Drury Lane; played Mrs. Harrington in London Pride at St. James’s 9 Nov. 1859, Mrs. Meanly in Friends or Foes at St. James’s 8 March 1862, Mrs. Mildmay in The merry widow 31 Jany. 1863, Mrs. Colonel Carver in Woodcock’s Little Game 6 Oct. 1864, Mrs. Candour in School for scandal 16 Dec. 1865, Widow Rachet in Belle’s Stratagem 8 Oct. 1866, Mrs. Bolton Jones in Hunted Down 5 Nov. 1866, Madame Paravent in Idalia 25 April 1867, all at St. James’s theatre; last appeared at New Queen’s theatre as Mrs. Danby in Burnand’s The turn of the tide 29 May 1869; _m._ Frank Matthews 1807–71. _d._ Brompton, London 27 Aug. 1873, portrait in picture entitled Reading a new piece in the Adelphi green room, exhibited at Royal Academy 1851. _Era 31 Aug. 1873 p._ 12, _7 Sep. p._ 11. MATTHEWS, FRANK. _b._ Store st. Bedford sq. London 1807; first appeared on the stage at Cheltenham; first appeared in London at English opera house as Farmer Waldeck in The bottle imp 1 July 1829; played at Covent Garden and Olympic; played Brownlow in Oliver Twist at Adelphi, March 1839; acted at Lyceum theatre April 1844 as Pecksniff in Martin Chuzzlewhit, which ran 80 nights; played Crepin in The wonderful woman at Princess’s 27 Oct. 1855, Squire Russet in Jealous Wife at Princess’s 18 Dec. 1858; played in The dark cloud 2 Jany. 1863, Decimus Dockett in The merry widow 31 Jany. 1863, Luke Marks in Lady Audley’s Secret 28 Feb. 1863, Joachim in Sybilla 29 Oct. 1864, Mr. Babblebrook in A lesson in love 22 Dec. 1864, Major Lennard in Eleanor’s Victory 29 May 1865, Sir Peter Teazle in School for scandal 16 Dec. 1865, Hardy in Belle’s Stratagem 8 Oct. 1866, Dulcamara in Gilbert’s burlesque Dulcamara 29 Dec. 1866, all at St. James’s theatre; played Mr. Danby in The turn of the tide at Queen’s theatre 29 May 1869 and Jaspar Gregg in Morden Grange at same house 4 Dec. 1869; played Mr. Scantlebury in Gilbert’s Randall’s Thumb at Court theatre 25 Jany. 1871; got his knee crushed in a carriage accident returning from Epsom races June 1840 and was lame for life. _d._ 7 Linden grove, Bayswater, London 24 July 1871. _bur._ Brompton cemet. 29 July. _Planché’s Extravaganzas_, _iv_ 87 (1879), _portrait_; _Era 30 July 1871 p._ 11 _col._ 4. MATTHEWS, HENRY WILLIAM. Ensign 43 Bengal N.I., major 9 March 1845; lieut.-col. Bengal staff corps 26 April 1859, col. 16 Aug. 1868; general 22 Dec. 1877. _d._ 8 Sydney place, Bath 15 July 1884. MATTHEWS, JAMES. _b._ 1819 or 1820; a conjuror in London and the provinces 1845 to death; one of the first to use pure sleight-of-hand instead of apparatus; made two tours in South Africa; performed at Royal Polytechnic institution, London long time. _d._ 28 Aug. 1880. MATTHEWS, JOHN THOMAS. _b._ London 17 Oct. 1805; favourite pupil of Joseph Grimaldi the clown; an actor at Olympic theatre 1820; clown in pantomime called The Hag of the forest at Sadler’s Wells 26 Dec. 1828; played clown for 50 nights in Mother Goose; clown in Puss in boots, and three other pantomimes at Covent Garden; created a sensation at Drury Lane by imitating Duvernay in La Cachuca; engaged by W. C. Macready for Covent Garden at 3 pounds per week 20 July 1837; played in Edinburgh; superintended production at the Variétés, Paris, of a pantomime called ‘Arlequin’ Aug. 1842; played in Planché’s Fortunio at Drury Lane 1843; danced in ballet at Vauxhall 1847; clown in Surrey pantomime 1848, Marylebone 1851 and Drury Lane 1852; at Adelphi, Drury Lane, Covent Garden and in the provinces; he used to sing Hot Codlins, Tippity witchet, and The life of a clown, the last composed for him by Balfe; gave an entertainment July 1859; played at Drury Lane in introductions to various pantomimes; last appeared at Drury Lane 26 Dec. 1864 in Hop o’ my thumb; the last of the old-fashioned clowns; landlord of the Crown and Cushion, Page walk, Bermondsey 1843–51, of the Rose and Crown 57 Drury lane Aug. 1852 to 1858, and of the Rosemary branch tavern 18 Aberystwyth terrace, Islington 1858–60; lived at Brighton 1866 to death. _d._ 28 Walpole terrace, Kemp Town, Brighton 4 March 1889. _bur._ Brighton cemet. 9 March. _Illust. sp. and dr. news_, _ii_ 268 (1874), _portrait_; _Theatrical times_, _i_ 273 (1847), _portrait_; _Theatre n.s. xiii_ 233 (1889); _The World 21 Dec. 1881 pp._ 5–6 _and ’Xmas number_ 1886, _portrait_; _H. Valentine’s Behind the curtain_ (1848) 93–95. NOTE.--He _m._ at St. George’s, Bloomsbury, London 28 Oct. 1825 Fanny Maria Casciani dau. of a Florentine sculptor and had three children, Clara who _m._ Mr. Lawrence a clown; Fanny; and a son who died in infancy. MATTHEWS, RICHARD. Barrister M.T. 25 April 1828; sergeant at law 7 July 1852. _d._ 24 Feb. 1854 aged 57. _bur._ Highgate cemet. MATTHEWS, WILLIAM ANTHONY. _b._ Malta 14 Aug. 1813; partner in firm of Thomas Turton and sons of Sheaf steel works Sheffield; mayor and master cutler of Sheffield 1852–54, being the first to hold the two offices together. _d._ 19 July 1872. _I.L.N. xxiv_ 39 (1854), _portrait_. MATTHIE, JAMES. _b._ 1806; entered Bengal army 1820; captain of right wing of 1 European regiment 8 Sep. 1835 to 1 March 1850; deputy comr. of Assam 1 April 1839 to 1852; lieut.-col. of 33 N.I. 1 March 1850 to 1852, of 30 N.I. 1852–3, of 1 European fusiliers (right wing) 1853–4, of 17 N.I. 1854–6, of 21 N.I. 1856–9; col. of 2nd European fusiliers 19 Aug. 1859 to death; M.G. 1 Jany. 1862. _d._ Upper Hamilton terrace, St. John’s Wood, London 28 March 1865. MATTHIESSEN, AUGUSTUS (son of William Matthiessen of 1 Nun’s court, Coleman st. city of London, merchant). _b._ London 2 Jany. 1831; studied under Will and Buff at Giessen 1852, Ph.D. Giessen; studied under Bunsen at Heidelberg 1853–7; fitted up a laboratory at 1 Torrington place, London 1857, where he investigated the physical properties of pure metals and alloys; F.R.S. 6 June 1861, member of council, royal medallist 1869; lecturer on chemistry at St. Mary’s hospital 1862–8; constructed ten electrical standards for the British Association 1862–5; joint lecturer on chemistry at St. Bartholomew’s hospital 1868–70, sole lecturer 1870; had a large practice as a consulting chemist; an editor of Philosophical Mag. Jany. 1869 to June 1870; examiner to Univ. of London 1870; author of 38 scientific papers and of 23 papers with other writers; poisoned himself with prussic acid at St. Bartholomew’s hospital, London 6 Oct. 1870. _Nature_, _ii_ 517–18 (1870); _Times 8 Oct. 1870 p._ 5 _col._ 5. MATTHISON, ARTHUR. _b._ Birmingham, May or June 1826; journalist in New York; vocalist and lecturer at Hamilton’s Diorama, St. James’s hall, London 1873; played King Richard in Rebecca 13 Feb. 1875, Owen in The World 31 July 1880, Colonel Dalton in Youth 6 Aug. 1881, all at Drury Lane theatre; author of Keep your door locked, farce produced at Adelphi 29 Aug. 1866; Enoch Arden, a drama 1869; A false step 1879, prohibited by the lord chamberlain; Brave hearts, drama Criterion 24 Jany. 1881; A thread of silk, comedy Crystal Palace 3 Nov. 1881; More than ever, burlesque Gaiety 1 Nov. 1882; author with Clement Scott of The great divorce case, comedy Criterion 15 April 1876; with Joseph Hatton of Liz, drama Opera Comique 1 Sep. 1877; and with Charles Wyndham of Tantalus, Folly 14 Oct. 1878; translated A. Belgioioso’s Brief observations on singing 1860, and A. Perrin’s Military studies 1863; author of The state banquet 1862; Half an hour with a good author 1872; his poem The little hero 1879 was frequently recited and was set to music by Stephen Adams _i.e._ Michael Maybrick in 1881; composer of The little gold locket, a song 1879; wrote the words of upwards of 50 songs 1861–80, of H. Leslie’s cantata The daughter of the Isles 1862, of J. Barnby’s sacred idyll Rebekah 1872, and of M. W. Balfe’s opera The Talisman 1874. _d._ 17 Store st. Bedford sq. London 21 May