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   <titleStmt>
    <title> Mrs Alfred Phillips (1822-1876) : Obituary</title>
   </titleStmt>
   <publicationStmt><p>Digital version at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60605858</p></publicationStmt>
   <sourceDesc><bibl>The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 - 1889)
    Sat 2 Sept 1876
    Page 90 </bibl></sourceDesc>
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 <text><body><head>THE LATE MRS. ALFRED PHILLIPS.</head>
  <p>Mrs. Alfred Phillips, who for so many, years has been well
  and favourably known, to the Australian public as an actress of
  the fine old comedy school now passing away, died on Saturday,
  August 12, at Carlton. Mrs. Phillips was born in London in
  1822, her father being a Mr. Elsbee, who was in business there.
  Mrs. Phillips's grandfather had been one of the sheriffs of the
  City of London. On the death of her father, her mother, married
  a Mr. Gardiner, who was then well known on the Irish stage.
  It is probable that it was from her stepfather — her father having
  died when she was very, young— that Miss Elabee first, imbibed
  her love for the drama. She was, of course, frequently present
  at the performances in which her stepfather took part, and before
  the age of 18, having shown an aptitude for dramatic impersona
  tion, she determined on embracing the profession of an actress.
  She had received a good education, and her acquaintance with
  the mechanism of stage , pieces, together, of course, with her
  own bent in that direction, induced her to write several short
  comedies, farces, &amp;c. Her first appearance on the stage, was in
  Bangor, North Wales, in a subordinate part ; and shortly after
  wards she played in Edinburgh, and then in Ireland, with gradu
  ally increasing success. It was while playing at the Dover Theatre,
  in 1858, that Miss Elsbee first met Mr. Alfred Phillips, who was
  then the low comedian of the company, and a short acquaintance
  resulted in marriage. It may be mentioned as of interest that
  the stage manager and principal actor of this company was the
  celebrated Mr. William Copeland, the whole company being
  under the management of a lady who named herself Grace
  Darling, and pretended — we are told — to be the heroine of the
  Forfarshire wreck. Mrs. Phillips's role at this time was broad
  comedy, and her success in this line was very considerable.
  Shortly afterwards Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, while at Devonport,
  determined on retiring from the stage, and the former opened
  a school, the latter becoming connected with one of tbe local
  newspapers. After a retirement of five years, during which Mrs.
  Phillips devoted considerable attention to the composition of
  lectures, the pair went to London, where Mrs. Phillips gave the
  first entertainments ever given singly by a woman in the great
  city. The entertainment was partly musical and partly dramatic.
  The accompanyist on the occasion, it may be interesting to
  note, was Mr. F. A. Crouch, the composer of tbe music of
  "Kathleen Mavourneen," as well as several other Irish melodies.
  Mrs. Phillips then gave several ' lecture entertainments ' in
  London and the provinces, but they were not pecuniarily
  successful. The lectures were her own composition, the prin
  cipal subjects being delineations of English, Irish, and Scotch
  character. After this she returned to the stage, taking an
  engagement at Newcastle, and appearing in light comedy
  characters. It was here she had her first introduction to the
  celebrated Mr. W. Farren, one of the best Sir Peter Teazles of
  his day. Mr. Farren was much struck with the ability displayed
  by Mrs. Phillips, and on further acquaintance she showed him
  one of her own productions, 'The Bachelor's Vow,' with which
  he was highly delighted, and in which be afterwards appeared
  himself with great success. On Mr. Farren taking the Strand
  Theatre, in London, he engaged Mrs. Phillips with Mrs. Glover
  and an excellent company. Mrs. Phillips still continued to play
  broad comedy—such characters, for instance, as Charlotte, in Colly
  dibber's 'Hypocrite ;' and at the same theatre she appeared as
  the heroine in her own piece, ' The Bachelor's Vow,' with great
  success. On the retirement of Mrs. Glover, Mrs. Phillips succeeded
  her in her line of business, and it was then that she first
  undertook and appeared in the characters which she afterwards,
  in Australia, made her own— such as Mrs. Malaprop, the Widow
  Green, Mrs. Heidelberg (in the "Clandestine Marriage''), &c., and
  she became the recognised 'old woman' of the Melbourne stage.
  It is impossible within the limits of this, notice to record the
  details of the remaining engagements of Mrs. Phillips until her
  departure from England for Australia in 1854, but we are
  informed that wherever she went she made herself a great
  favourite with the public, a statement which can readily be
  credited. Towards the latter portion of her stay in England she
  devoted great attention to dramatic composition (principally of
  light pieces), and the following amongst others of her writing
  were produced :—' Caught in His Own Trap,' 'An Organic
  Affection ;' 'Uncle Crotchet ;' ' Life in Australia,' by Our Own
  Correspondent (in the two former Farren appeared, and in the
  latter, Robson and Hoskins) ; 'Katty, from Connaught ;' and
  'The Master Passion,' a comedy in two acts, which achieved
  a great success for the time. After the production of the last
  mentioned piece in 1853, Mr. Phillips — attracted, like others, by
  the glowing reports received from Victoria— left England and
  arrived in this colony, leaving Mrs. Phillips to follow him should
  the reality equal the expectations he had formed as to an
  opening for dramatic talent in Victoria. He was so encouraged
  by what he saw that he erected a theatre with a hotel at
  Sandridge, and wrote home for Mrs. Phillips to join him. On
  her arrival, however, in 1854, a very unfortunate state of affairs
  met her. Her husband's, theatre and hotel had been burnt to
  the ground, and he was left penniless. Mrs. Phillips, however, was
  not long in using her talents to some purpose, for soon after
  her arrival she obtained a lucrative engagement as comedy
  actress, Mr. Phillips being also engaged as low comedian. They
  appeared on the opening of the old Theatre Royal, and
  Mrs; Phillips's Widow Green at once created a favourable
  impression. After completing her engagement there Mrs.
  Phillips joined Mr. Coppin's company at the Olympic (or 'Old
  Iron Pot,' as it was colloqually described, in those days),
  and at this theatre she played some of her most successful
  characters, in connexion with G. V: Brooke. Robert and Mrs.
  Heir, the Youngs, Miss Julia Matthews (who was then playing
  only child's parts); and others, whose names are as household words
  on the Australian stage. After the Theatre Royal passed from
  Mr: Coppin's hands, and Mr. Ambrose Kyte became its proprietor,
  with Barry Sullivan as manager, Mrs. Phillips received an
  engagement for three years. During this engagement, more
  perhaps than previously, she made herself a thorough favourite
  with Melbourne playgoers. When Barry Sullivan retired from
  the theatre he surrendered the management to Mr. Hoskins,
  who got into difficulties. Mrs. Phillips about this time wrote
  'The Mariner's Compass; or Duty,' which was produced with
  some success. Mr. Hoskins afterwards took the Haymarket
  Theatre, where he was joined on the co-operative principle by Mr.
  and Mrs Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Heir, Mr. Appleton, and others;
  but tbe adventure proved unsuccessful — resulting, in fact, in
  disaster to all parties concerned. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips next tried
  'the country,' going through the colony with their own entertain
  ments, in the performance of which they were assisted by their
  son, Hans Phillips. They went overland twice to Sydney, and
  it was on their second visit to that city that they were
  engaged by Mr. R S. Sraythe, an agent for Mr. Hoyt, the then
  proprietor of the Prince of Wales Theatre, Melbourne, Mrs.
  Phillips in this house played a six months' engagement with
  considerable success, appearing in most of her favourite pieces.
  Although her powers were somewhat: on the wane, she was
  recognised as an exponent of legitimate comedy, and her acting
  in the 'Irish Heiress' particularly, was warmly praised by the
  press. This was Mrs. Phillips's last fixed engagement, although
  during the last three years she has appeared several times, and
  received two benefits, in the first of which she appeared as Mrs.
  Malaprop, with Mr. Coppin as Bob Acres. ' Money ' was
  played, for her second benefit, and in this she played Lady
  Franklyn with some remains of the old charm which had
  captivated Melbourne playgoers for so many years. Mrs. Phillips
  went to Tasmania with Miss Juno's company about two years
  ago, and while in Hobart Town she met with a serious accident
  by falling down stairs. She thoroughly recovered from this,
  however, and we are informed that it had nothing to do with
  her death. Her last appearance was in ' Fanchon ' at the
  Opera-house a few weeks ago.</p>
  <bibl ref="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60605858"> The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil (Melbourne, Vic. : 1873 - 1889)
  Sat 2 Sept 1876
  Page 90 </bibl>

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