MR CHARLES MATHEWS.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3021, 21 October 1878, Page 1

MR CHARLES MATHEWS.

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Mr Charles Mathews, we regret to state,.died of bronchitis at the Queen's . Hotel, Manchester, on Monday afternoon. The announcement will come upon many,, as a painful surprise, for up to the commencement of the present month, although in his 75th year, he seemed to be as active and buoyant as ever he had been. In 1876 he undertook a journey to and played in India without perceptibly impairing his health, and since his return he has frequently appeared on the stage as the nimble, airy, and nonchalant , hero of "My Awful Dad." It appean ' that about a fortnight ago, while proceeding to Manchester from Salybridge, where he had played in the piece just referred to, Mr Mathews caught a severe cold, and an attack of bronchitis followed. * For a time no danger was apprehended, but in point of fact he. was not so strong as he seemed to be, and before many days had elapsed the case was pronounced hopeless. His wife and son arrived at his hotel at Manchester early last week, and were with him when he died.

Mr Mathews' was a sori.of Mr Charles Mathews, whose talents for .personation and imitation, especially in his "At . Home " entertainments, afforded so much gratification to our forefathers 60. or 70 < years ago.. The younger comedian was . born in 1803, and though intended by his parents for tbe Church, was articled to an architect. In his early life, however, his sympathies were with another art, as may i be gathered from the facts that in 1835 .. he exhibited a picture at Somerset-house, and accompanied. Lord and Lady Bles- • sington/and Count d'Orsay to Italy for..: the purpose of making sketches. His passion for painting soon gave place to a passion for, the stage, and the success with which he played, the principal character , in a piece, called the "Humpbacked Lover" served to finally determine his vocation. In 1838 he. married Madame \ Vestris, then the lessee of the Olympic Theatre, and took upon himself the'chief' burden of what proved to be a most prosperous management. Having paid a visit to the United States, he became the . lessee of. Convent Garden and afterwards of thel Lyceum Theatre; but in each instance was a loser by the speculation. In 1857 Madame Vestris died, and in the following year, during a tour in the United States, he married the present Mrs Mathews. 1860, assisted t>y his - : wife,.he gave "At Home" entertain-, ) ments. This was followed by a profes-' sional visit to Paris, in the course of which he played in.a French version, written by himself, of " Cool as a Cucumber." He: subsequently played in Australia, reappearing at the Gaiety Theatre, in 1872. Since then, apart from the visit-* to India, Mr Mathews has not performed. out of the United Kingdom. : ■'"f ; Mr Mathews' powers as actor lay within' rather a narrow compass. Tragedy was beyond his reach, but in light and eccentric comedy he was without a rival, as his ;- impersonations of Mr Affable'- Hawk, Adonis Evergreen, Sir Fretful Plagiary,, and Puff were sufficient to prove. As a ' dramatic author he achieved some dis-. r tinctioh. He produced several comic pieces,, and if most... of them were „ of French origin it may ,at least be. said that they were essentially; English in their tone and in their mode of treatment. His first contribution to the stage was a drama called '* My Wife's Mother," brought out when he was but« 5 young man. It should be added that Mr Charles Mathews is one of the very few ; English actors who have attempted to play in French without exposing them* selves to derision; indeed, his success in Paris in 1863 was so marked that he was ' pressed to repeat the,visit. , °'. „