An actress who has been admired and respected by three generations of
play-goers has quitted the stage of life in the person of Mrs. Glover.
The final exit was somewhat sudden, as it seemed to the general
public; but it was anticipated by her friends. A friendly biographer
in the _Morning Chronicle_ explains the circumstances; first referring
to the extraordinary manifestations of public feeling which attended
Mrs. Glover's last farewell, at Drury-Lane Theater, on Friday, the
12th of July.
"In our capacity of spectators we did not then see occasion to mention
what had otherwise come to our knowledge--that the evidences of
extreme suffering manifested by Mrs. Glover on that evening--her
inability to go through her part, except as a mere shadow of her
former self, and the substitution of an apologetic speech from Mr.
Leigh Murray for the address which had been written for her by a
well-known and talented amateur of the drama--arose not merely from
the emotion natural on a farewell night, after more than half a
century of active public service, but also from extreme physical
debility, the result of an attack of illness of a wasting character,
which had already confined that venerable lady to her bed for many
days. In fact, it was only the determination of Mrs. Glover herself
not to disappoint the audience, who had been invited and attracted for
many weeks before, that overruled the remonstrances of her friends
and family against her appearing at all. She was then utterly unfit
to appear on the stage in her professional character, and the most
serious alarm was felt lest there should be some sudden and fatal
catastrophe. The result of the struggle of feeling she then underwent,
superadded as it was to the physical causes which had undermined her
strength, was, that Mrs. Glover sunk under the disease which had been
consuming her, and quitted this life on Monday night."
Mrs. Glover, born Julia Betterton, was daughter of an actor named
Betterton, who held a good position on the London stage toward
the close of the last century. She is said to have been a lineal
descendant of the great actor of the same name. Her birthday was
the 8th January, 1781. Brought up, as most of our great actors and
actresses have been, "at the wings," she was even in infancy sent on
the stage in children's parts. She became attached to the company of
Tate Wilkinson, for whom she played, at York, the part of the _Page_
in _The Orphan_; and she also exercised her juvenile talents in the
part of _Tom Thumb_, for the benefit of George Frederick Cooke, who on
the occasion doffed his tragic garb and appeared in the character of
_Glumdalcar_. Another character which she played successfully with
Cooke was that of the little _Duke of York_ in _Richard the Third_;
into which, it is recorded, she threw a degree of spirit and childish
roguishness that acted as a spur on the great tragedian himself, who
never performed better than when seconded by his childish associate.
In 1796 she had attained such a position in the preparatory school
of the provincial circuits, chiefly at Bath, that she was engaged at
Covent Garden; in the first instance at £10 a week, and ultimately for
five years at £15 a week, rising to £20; terms then thought "somewhat
extraordinary and even exorbitant". Miss Betterton first appeared in
London in October 1797, fifty-three years ago, as _Elvira_, in Hannah
More's tragedy of _Percy_. Her success was great; and in a short time
she had taken such a hold of popular favor, that when Mrs. Abington
returned for a brief period to the stage, Miss Betterton held her
ground against the rival attraction, and even secured the admiration
of Mrs. Abington herself. Her subsequent engagements were at
Drury-Lane and Covent-Garden alternately, till she made that long
engagement at the Haymarket, during which she has become best known to
the present generation of playgoers. Her more recent brief engagement
with Mr. Anderson, at Drury-Lane, and her last one with Mr. W. Farren,
at the Strand Theater, whither she contributed so much to attract
choice audiences, are fresh in the memory of metropolitans. Looking
back to Mrs. Glover's "long and brilliant career upon the stage, we
may pronounce her one of the most extraordinary women and accomplished
actresses that have ever graced the profession of the drama." Mrs.
Glover had a daughter, Phillis, a very clever young actress, at the
Haymarket Theater, who has been dead several years. Her two sons are
distinguished, the one as a popular musical composer, and the other as
a clever tragedian--the latter with considerable talent, also, as an
amateur painter.
A London correspondent of the _Spirit of the Times_ gives an
interesting account of the Glover benefit, and the "last scenes."
* * * * *
MADAME GAVAUDAN is dead. To many it will be necessary to explain
that Madame Gavaudan was, in her time, one of the most favorite
singing-actresses and acting songstresses belonging to the _Opéra
Comique_ of Paris; and that, after many years of popularity, she
retired from the stage in 1823.
* * * * *
GENERAL BERTHAND, Baron de Sivray, died early in July at Luc, in
France, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was an officer before
the first revolution, and served through all the wars of the Republic
and the Empire.
* * * * *
ROBERT R. BAIRD, a son of the Rev. Dr. Baird, and a young man of
amiable character and considerable literary abilities, which had been
illustrated for the most part, we believe, in translation, was drowned
in the North River at Yonkers on Tuesday evening, the 6th instant,
about seven o'clock. The deceased had gone into the water to bathe in
company with several others, and was carried by the rising tide into
deep water, where, as he could swim but little, he sunk to rise no
more, before help could reach him. This premature and sudden death has
overwhelmed his parents and friends in the deepest distress. He was
twenty-five years old.
* * * * *
THE DEATH OF MR. S. JOSEPH, the sculptor, known by his statue of
Wilberforce in Westminster Abbey and his statue of Wilkie in the
National Gallery, is mentioned in the English papers. His busts
exhibit a fine perception of character, and many a delicate grace in
the modeling. Mr. Joseph was long a resident in Edinburgh. He modeled
a bust of Sir Walter Scott about the same time that Chantrey modeled
his--that bust which best preserves to us the features and character
of the great novelist.
* * * * *
JAMES WRIGHT, author of the _Philosophy of Elocution_ and other works
chiefly of a religious character, died at Brighton, England, on the
9th of July, aged 68.
* * * * *
SIR THOMAS WILDE, who has just been promoted to the Woolsack, as Baron
Truro, we learn from the _Illustrated News_, was born in 1782. After
practicing as an attorney, he was called to the bar by the Honorable
Society of the Inner Temple, the 7th February, 1817. He joined
the Western Circuit, and soon rose into considerable practice. His
knowledge of the law, combined with his great eloquence, made him one
of the most successful advocates of his time. He was for many years
the confidential and legal adviser of the late Alderman Sir Matthew
Wood, and his connection with that gentleman caused him to be engaged
as one of the senior counsel for the Queen on the celebrated trial of
Queen Caroline. Though surrounded by rivals of the highest eminence
and the brightest fame, Wilde always stood among the foremost,
and obtained briefs in some of the greatest causes ever tried. For
instance, he was engaged on the winning side in the famous action
of Small v. Atwood, in which his fees are said to have amounted to
something enormous. In 1824 he became a sergeant-at-law; and he was
appointed King's Sergeant in 1827, and Solicitor-General in 1839,
when he received the honor of knighthood. In 1841 he first became
Attorney-General; and after a second time holding that office, he
succeeded the late Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, as Lord Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas. His recent appointment as Lord Chancellor
places him at the very summit of his profession.
* * * * *
[FROM THE _LONDON LADIES' COMPANION_.]