A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Charlotte Vandenhoff

 

Charlotte Elizabeth Vandenhoff was born in Liverpool in 1818 the eldest of three children born to Elizabeth (born Pike) and the actor John Vandenhoff who performed in London theatres, and also in Edinburgh and Liverpool, playing leading roles including those in Shakespearean tragedy. In 1814 he made his first appearance in Liverpool, where he became a great favourite. Her younger brother was the elocutionist and actor George Vandenhoff.
She made her debut as an actress in the role of Juliet at Drury Lane on the 11th of April 1836 and soon appeared at the other leading theatres of Covent Garden and the Haymarket where she played several roles in 'The Lady of Lyons, i.e. Imogen, Cordelia, and Pauline. In 1837 she took the role of Lydia in the first production of 'The Love Chase' by Sheridan Knowles.

In 1839 she went to America where she acted in New York where her father had acted two years before and it was his primary objective to introduce his daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth, to the American audience. It was on the 2nd of October 1839, following 'Hamlet', that her father introduced her, appearing with her in 'The Hunchback' at Wallack's Niblo's Garden. They continued to play opposite each other throughout the remainder of their tour as she played the role of Julia in a production called 'The Hunchback' at the National Theatre. She went on to the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia where she created the same role. Then in January 1841, when she and her father were still in America, they both appeared at the Tremont Theatre in Boston in a benefit for her father. Charlotte again played Juliette and her father, in his very last role in America, played Mercutio in the same play and then, on the same night, the title role in Coriolanus. They both appeared in 1845 at Covent Garden in 'Sophocles' with her father playing Creon and Charlotte playing, in what some thought her 'great triumph', 'Antigone'.

'Miss Vandenhoff as Juliet' c 1852

In 1852 she was chosen to be in John Taliis's 'Shakespeare Gallery' in a painting titled 'Miss Vandenhoff as Juliet' (with a quote from Act 3, scene ii). Engravings were made and potters in Stoke made figurines of her. On the 7th of July 1856 she married another actor Thomas Swinbourne at St. Mary's Church in Hull but it was alleged almost immediately tried to undo the marriage. Six months later she joined her father in his farewells to Edinburgh and Liverpool. Accompanied by her husband, Charlotte returned to America in December of 1858. Together they introduced her new play entitled 'A Woman's H e a r t'. The following year she joined her father as he went to Edinburgh where he played Wolsey in Henry VIII, with Henry Irving in the role of 'Surrey'.

Shortly after they had both returned to England, Charlotte was taken ill in Birmingham and died on the 26th of July 1860 in Handsworth, Staffordshire aged 42. Her father died in the following year. 

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/06/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-edward.html