Maria Gibbs

She was one three sisters who became actors. Her Irish father was associated with the theatre. John Palmer, her godfather, brought her on the stage at the Haymarket, where, on 18 June 1783, she made her first appearance as Sally in Man and Wife by George Colman the Elder. After one season at the Haymarket, Miss Logan accompanied Palmer in his unfortunate expedition to the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square. At the opening of the house on 20 June 1787, as Mrs. Gibbs, she played Biddy in David Garrick's Miss in her Teens.[1]

At the Royalty she played the principal characters in the serious pantomimes, given to evade the privileges of the patent houses. While at this theatre, Mrs. Gibbs came on the stage as the Comic Muse through a trap and gave an imitation of Delpini. Her support of Palmer offended the managers, who boycotted her, in effect. On 15 June 1793, at the Haymarket she played Bridget in The Chapter of Accidents by Sophia Lee. This was announced as her first appearance at the theatre. Oxberry says she had played at both Drury Lane and Covent Garden previously.[2]

A close intimacy sprang up between George Colman the Younger and Mrs. Gibbs, and she was identified in her will as Mary Colman, widow.[3] Allegedly, Colman wrote the parts of Cicely in The Heir at Law (Haymarket, 15 July 1797); Annette in Blue Devils (Covent Garden, 24 April 1798); Grace Gaylove in the Review (Haymarket, 2 Sept. 1800); and Mary in John Bull (Covent Garden, 5 March 1803) for her.[2]

In these characters and in others, such as Katherine in Katherine and Petruchio and Miss Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer’' she obtained reputation as a second Mrs. Jordan. She made occasional appearances at Drury Lane and Covent Garden, but the Haymarket remained her home. Here, in late years, she played parts such as Mrs. Candour and Miss Sterling in The Clandestine Marriage.

Oxberry speaks of her as possessing genius, talent, and industry, adding that her Curiosa in the ‘Cabinet’ is one of the richest specimens of extant comic acting. In such parts as Nell in The Devil to Pay she rivalled Mrs. Davison or Fanny Kelly, though surpassed both in vivacity and the "fullness and jollity" of her voice. Although she was not much of a singer, she had a peculiarly pleasing voice. Physically, she had a plump figure, a light complexion, and blue eyes.

The Monthly Mirror reported in August 1800 that, "in consequence of the secession of Mrs. Stephen Kemble, she has deservedly occupied all characters of tender simplicity and unaffected elegance." She won the high esteem of her contemporaries, and the stories told concerning her are mostly to her credit. She appears to have been generous in disposition, and to have befriended her fellow-actresses.[2]

After Colman's death in 1836, she lived in retirement in Brighton, and died at her home, Burlington Cottage, on 6 June 1850.[4] In her will she left valuable personal items of jewellery to her son John George Nathaniel Gibbes, daughter-in-law Elizabeth and grandson George Harvey Gibbes, but the residue of her estate was bequeathed to her friend Mary Ann Griesbach "for her own sole and separate use and independent of her husband".[5]

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Knight, John Joseph (1890). "Gibbs, Mrs.". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 21. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

• Joseph Knight, rev. J. Gilliland. "Gibbs, Maria (1770–1850)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10602. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)