MATHEWS, CHARLES (1776-1835), English actor, was born in London on June 28, 1776. His father was "a serious book seller," who also officiated as minister in one of Lady Hunting don's chapels. Mathews was educated at Merchant Taylors' school. For several years, from 1794 onwards, Mathews played in Dublin. In May 1803 he made his first London appearance at the Haymarket as Jabel in Cumberland's The Jew and as Lingo in The Agreeable Surprise. From this time his professional career was an uninterrupted triumph. He was a simple and kind hearted man with a wonderful gift of mimicry. Mathews visited America in 1822 and in 1834. His last appearance in New York was on Feb. I I, 1835, when he played Samuel Coddle in Married Life and Andrew Steward in The Lone House. He died at Plymouth on June 28, 1835. In 1797 he had married Eliza Kirkham Strong (d. 1802), and in 1803 Anne Jackson, an actress, the author of the popular and diverting Memoirs, by Mrs. Mathews (4 vols., 1838-39).
His son CHARLES JAMES MATHEWS (1803-1878), who was born at Liverpool on Dec. 26, 1803, was educated at Merchant Tay lors' school, and then articled as pupil to an architect. On Dec. 7, 1835, he played George Rattleton in his own play The Hump backed Lover at the Olympic theatre, London. In 1838 he mar ried Madame Vestris, then lessee of the Olympic, but his man agement of this theatre, and subsequently of Covent Garden, and of the Lyceum, did not succeed financially. In the year of his marriage he visited America. As an actor he held in England
an unrivalled place in his peculiar vein of light eccentric com edy. The easy grace of his manner, and the imperturbable sol emnity with which he perpetrated his absurdities, never failed to charm and amuse, his humour being measured and restrained. He excelled in plays like The Game of Speculation, My Awful Dad, Cool as a Cucumber, Patter versus Clatter and Little Toddlekins. In 1856 Mme. Vestris died, and the next year Mathews visited the United States, where in 1858 he married Mrs. A. H. Davenport.
Mathews was one of the few English actors who played in French successfully; he appeared in Paris in 1863 in a French version of Cool as a Cucumber, written by himself. At the age of 65 Mathews set out on a world tour, which included a third visit to America, and on his return in 1872 he continued to act till his death on June 24, 1878. He made his last appearance in New York at Wallack's theatre on June 7, 1872, in H. J. Byron's Not such a Fool as he Looks. His last appearance in London was at the Opera Comique on June 2, 1877, in The Liar and The Cosy Couple. At Stalybridge he gave his last performance on June 8, 1878, when he played Evergreen in his own comedy My Awful Dad.