# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mathews, Charles (1776-1835)

​MATHEWS, CHARLES (1776–1835), actor, the seventh son of James Mathews, bookseller and Wesleyan local preacher, and his wife Elizabeth, was born 28 June 1776 at 18 Strand, London, a house pulled down on the erection of Hungerford Bridge. The family name, Matthews, was changed by his grandfather, also a bookseller, on inheriting a small estate, subsequently lost. Mathews, who claimed when a child to have been dandled by Garrick, was sent first to St. Martin's free school, where he developed a taste for mimicry, and afterwards to Merchant Taylors'. At a French school near Bedford Street, Strand, kept by a Madame Cottrell, which he attended in the evening, he met Robert William Elliston [q. v.], to whose Pyrrhus, in a school representation of Philips's ‘Distressed Mother,’ he played Phœnix. Other parts in tragedy and comedy were essayed at private theatres. After an unsatisfactory interview with Charles Macklin [q. v.], then very old, he played as an amateur, at the Richmond Theatre, Richmond to the Richard III of his friend Litchfield, and Bowkett in the ‘Son-in-Law,’ while at Canterbury he appeared as Richmond and Old Doyley in ‘Who's the Dupe?’ He also played on a solitary occasion, at Sadler's Wells, David Dunder in ‘Ways and Means.’ He wrote for periodicals, contributing to the ‘Ladies' Magazine,’ and sub-editing the ‘Thespian Magazine.’ At the suggestion of Hitchcock, the historian of the Irish stage, who offered him an engagement from Daly, manager of the Theatre Royal, Dublin, he induced his father to cancel his indentures, and went to Dublin, arriving 3 June 1794. Daly failed to redeem Hitchcock's promises, and Mathews, after appearing on 19 June for the benefit of Mrs. Wells (afterwards Mrs. Sumbell) as Jacob in the ‘Chapter of Accidents,’ and Lingo in the ‘Agreeable Surprise,’ found himself compelled to remain, at a salary of a guinea a week, as a walking gentleman. As a musician, a dancer, and a mimic he made some impression in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick, but he fumed under the inferiority of the characters allotted to him, which included Paris in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ the Sexton in ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ Albany in ‘Lear,’ Guildenstern, and the like. In more than one character he was hissed. While at Limerick he had a narrow escape from drowning. Quitting Dublin with Montague Talbot, a tragedian, in September 1795, with the intention of retiring from the stage, he was driven by stress of weather to Swansea. Here he acted with sufficient success to be reconciled to the stage, and to remain in Wales two years, playing a round of comic characters. On 19 Sept. 1797, on a salary of twelve shillings a week, he married, at Swansea, Eliza Kirkham Strong, a teacher in a school.
Applications to Tate Wilkinson of the York circuit were ultimately successful, and Mathews joined his new manager at Pontefract. He was at this time very tall, so thin that his early friends addressed him as ‘Stick,’ and, as Wilkinson said, a hiss would blow him off the stage; he had a face set awry, which Wilkinson persisted in regarding as a consequence of paralysis. He appeared as Silky in the ‘Road to Ruin’ and his favourite part of Lingo, and visited York, Leeds, and other towns, making at first little headway. Wilkinson recommended him to quit the stage, declaring that nature had interposed an insurmountable barrier between him and comic excellence. Mathews persisted, refusing no part, however small, and was rewarded by becoming one of the most popular actors that ever appeared on the circuit. Through his travels he had won high social reputation. In 1801 Mathews lost his eldest brother, William, a barrister, ​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 ​advantage in a large theatre, he retired from the Drury Lane company at the close of the season, and was seen only once at the Haymarket, 16 Oct. Refusing offers from Elliston, he revisited, in company with Incledon at first and subsequently alone, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Dublin, York, and various other towns. Edinburgh, where he appeared 4 April 1812, received him with enthusiasm, and was counted by him ‘an annuity for the future.’ On 15 May he was again in London, residing at King's Road, Fulham, and reappearing at the Haymarket, playing Bob Acres, Jerry Sneak, Colonel Feignwell, &c., and augmenting his reputation as the original Somno, a servant, in the ‘Sleepwalker’ of Oulton, 15 June. On 12 Oct. he made, as Buskin, what was practically his first appearance at Covent Garden, and played, 20 Nov., his great original character of Flexible in Kenney's ‘Love, Law, and Physic.’
He played Falstaff for the first time, 15 July 1814, at the Haymarket, a curious and not too successful experiment, which, however, was repeated at Covent Garden. A ‘spill’ from a tilbury, in which he was driving with Daniel Terry [q. v.], caused him trouble and pecuniary loss, and resulted in permanent lameness. His acting consisted more and more of imitations, and he even played Macheath in imitation of Incledon. His entertainment, ‘Mail Coach Adventures,’ was given at Covent Garden for his benefit, and followed by imitations of many leading actors. The ‘Actor of all Work’ of George Colman, Haymarket, 13 Aug. 1817, was written expressly to show Mathews as Multiple in successive assumptions. In the winter of 1817–18 he accompanied Frederick Yates [q. v.] to France. This journey formed the subject of his second ‘At Home,’ written by James Smith [q. v.] and John Poole [q. v.], and entitled ‘The Trip to Paris.’ It was given 8 March 1819 at the Theatre Royal English Opera House, otherwise the Lyceum. The old Scotch lady which it introduced was one of his most popular creations. During this season Mathews removed to his well-known residence, Ivy Cottage, Kentish Town, the lease of which he had bought. Here his son, Charles James Mathews [q. v.], built for him a gallery, to which he transferred the collection of pictures now the property of the Garrick Club and of books. From this time forward most years witnessed the production of a new ‘At Home,’ the intermediate periods being spent in fulfilling country engagements. ‘Country Cousins,’ 1820, ‘Adventures in Air, Earth, and Water,’ 1821, ‘The Youthful Days of Mr. Mathews,’ 1822, followed each other at the Lyceum. Among his friends at this period were Coleridge and Charles and Mary Lamb. In August 1822 Mathews started for New York, where he arrived 5 Sept., making his first appearance in Baltimore, 23 Sept., in his ‘Trip to Paris.’ He subsequently played in the regular drama Lord Duberly in the ‘Heir-at-Law,’ Solomon Gundy in ‘Who Wants a Guinea?’ Goldfinch in the ‘Road to Ruin,’ &c. As Goldfinch and Monsieur Tonson he appeared in New York. His artistic and social successes were equal, though he was more popular as an actor than as an entertainer; and he wrote jubilantly to his wife concerning his triumphs. After playing in Philadelphia and other towns he returned to New York, and was sufficiently ill-advised to play Othello. This representation was given once more at Liverpool, where he arrived in June 1823. A little later he appeared at the Lyceum in comedy, playing Monsieur Tonson, Caleb Quotem, &c., and in one of the ‘monodramatic’ pieces in which he was successful, ‘The Polly Packet.’ The ‘Trip to America’ was the subject of his next entertainment, Lyceum, 25 March 1824. In this he imitated various types of Americans, black and white, causing some little irritation in the United States, from which he afterwards suffered. ‘Mr. Mathews's Memorandum-Book’ followed in 1825, ‘Mr. Mathews's Invitations’ in 1826, and ‘Home Circuit, or London Gleanings,’ in 1827. On 31 Dec. 1827 he reappeared at Drury Lane as Sir Fretful Plagiary in the ‘Critic’ and Buskin in ‘Killing no Murder.’ During the following season he entered conjointly with Yates on the management of the Adelphi, which opened 29 Sept. 1828 with Beazeley's ‘Wanted a Partner,’ an occasional piece, in which Mathews personated various would-be partners with Yates in management. As Caleb Pipkin in Buckstone's ‘May Queen’ he sang a song composed by his son, C. J. Mathews. He was still at the height of his reputation, but his health was failing, and he was extremely irritable. At the Adelphi he recommenced in 1829 his ‘At Homes,’ which he delivered often, but not always, in conjunction with Yates. In the autumn in 1829 the two actors played in Paris, where Mathews was much praised and likened to Potier, an eminent comedian. In 1833, as the result of unwise speculations, he found himself compelled to resign his cottage in Kentish Town, and became anxious to dispose of his pictures, nearly four hundred in number. An effort to sell them to the Garrick Club failed at the time, and an exhibition of them at the Queen's Bazaar in Oxford Street was unremunerative. In 1836, however, they were purchased by the Garrick ​Club through the generosity of a member, John Rowland Durrant.
At 101 Great Russell Street, to which Mathews now removed, he began in earnest an autobiography, previously attempted and ultimately abandoned. In 1834 he was again in New York, where he appeared in his entertainment ‘A Trip to America.’ A riot was anticipated, but was avoided, and damages were obtained in a suit against the ‘Philadelphia Gazette,’ which attacked and libelled him. Owing to a failure of voice his performances were few, and he arrived in Liverpool 10 March 1835. Illness now afflicted him, and he was with some difficulty carried to Plymouth, where in lodgings in Cocker Street he died on the morning of his fifty-ninth birthday, 28 June 1835. His body was interred in a vault in St. Andrew's Church, Plymouth. Mrs. Mathews, who had retired from the stage in 1810, survived her husband, whose ‘Memoirs’ she edited, and wrote ‘Anecdotes of Actors, with other Desultory Recollections, &c.,’ 8vo, 1844, and ‘Tea-Table Talk, Ennobled Actresses, and other Miscellanies,’ 2 vols. 8vo, 1857. She died, 12 Oct. 1869, at Chelsea Villa, Fulham.
Without rising into the highest rank as an actor, Mathews was in his way inimitable. He had genuine power as a comedian, and as a mimic he had no equal. He would take upon himself characters such as Coleridge or Curran, and wear for an hour not only the manner but apparently the intellectual gait of the man, and this with no apparent opportunity of preparation. To this gift Lord Byron bears testimony.
So great was his power in this direction that judges, statesmen, councillors feared and mistrusted him. Unlike his great predecessor, Samuel Foote [q. v.], he did ‘his spiriting gently,’ and even at royal bidding declined to imitate afresh those whose feelings had been hurt. Exclusive of his assumptions in his ‘At Homes,’ he must have played near four hundred different parts, many of them original. A nervous, irritable man, he shrank honestly from observation, and was silent in the presence of those he did not esteem. Affectionate and loyal in disposition, fond of home and yet not averse from congenial company, expensive in tastes, improvident, generous, and easily beguiled, he was a type of the actor of popular acceptation. Leigh Hunt, who calls him a man of genius in his way, praises his moderation, but charges him with restlessness, and says his principal excellence is as ‘officious valets and humorous old men.’ His Sir Fretful Plagiary Hunt regards as perfect. Mathews had the power of losing in the characters he took almost all trace of his own individuality, and could even disguise his voice. His Lying Valet, Risk in ‘Love laughs at Locksmiths,’ Don Manuel in ‘She would and she would not,’ and Old Philpot in the ‘Citizen’ are a few among many parts in which he won warmest commendation.
Horace Smith says: ‘There was but one Charles Mathews in the world—there never can be such another! Mimics, buffoons, jesters, wags, and even admirable comedians we shall never want; but what are the best of them compared to him?’ In the Mathews collection now in the Garrick Club are numerous portraits, among which may be signalled portraits by De Wilde as Sir Fretful Plagiary, Somno in ‘The Sleepwalker,’ as Matthew Daw in ‘The School for Friends,’ and as Buskin in ‘Killing no Murder;’ and by Harlowe in four different characters. Clint shows him as Flexible in a scene from ‘Love, Law, and Physic,’ introducing also Liston, Blanchard, and Emery. Very many portraits of Mathews, principally in character, appear in his wife's ‘Memoirs’ of him. Paintings of him and of his wife by Masquerier belonged to the Baroness Burdett Coutts, and two portraits of Mrs. Mathews are also in the Garrick Club. Many of Mathews's ‘At Homes’ have been published, and are valued for the illustrations.
[The chief authority for the life of Mathews consists of the Memoirs by his wife, 4 vols. 8vo, 1839, some dates in which may be corrected by Genest's Account of the English Stage. A continuation of the Memoirs of Charles Mathews, 2 vols. 8vo, was issued in Philadelphia in 1839, and is almost unknown in England. The early portions of the Memoirs are by Mathews himself. Wightwick contributed in 1833 ‘Recollections of Charles Mathews’ to Fraser's Magazine. A full account of his entertainments is given in ‘The Manager's Note-book,’ which appeared in Bentley's Miscellany; and single entertainments are described in the New Monthly Magazine and many other periodicals. Biographies appear in the Georgian Era, Oxberry's Dramatic Biography, vol. v., and Thespian Dictionary. See also Peake's Colman, Dunlap's Cooke, Bernard's Recollections, &c., Barham's Hook, the Life of C. M. Young, by Julian Young, Records of a Veteran, &c., Dibdin's Edinburgh Stage, and Lowe's Bibliographical Account of English Theatrical Literature.]
J. K.