Virginia Frances Bateman (Mrs Edward Compton and Virginia Mackenzie; 1 January 1853 – 4 May 1940) was an American actress and

actor-manager An actor-manager is a leading actor who sets up their own permanent theatrical company and manages the business, sometimes taking over a theatre to perform select plays in which they usually star. It is a method of theatrical production used co ...

who performed with her husband Edward Compton in his Compton Comedy Company which toured the provinces of the United Kingdom from 1881 to 1923. On her husband's death in 1918 she ran the Company. She founded the Theatre Girls' Club.

Early years

Born in New York in 1853, she was one of eight children and the third of four actress daughters of the noted American actor

Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman (December 6, 1812March 22, 1875), was an American actor and manager. Life Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1812, the fourth child and second son of Amzi Bateman (c.1777–1816), a fisherman, and his wife, Catherine Bate ...

and his wife, the theatrical manager, playwright and actor

Sidney Frances Bateman Sidney Frances (Cowell) Bateman (March 29, 1823 – January 13, 1881) was an American actor, playwright, and theatrical manager who spent much of her career on the American stage. Biography Sidney Frances Cowell was the daughter of Joseph Cowe ...

''née'' Cowell. In January 1864 H. L. Bateman took his wife and two youngest girls including Virginia to England, where they settled permanently.

Career in London

Her father became the manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London in February 1871 intending to use the theatre to launch the careers of his daughters

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

, Virginia and

Isabel Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...

, who were known as The Bateman Sisters. Virginia Bateman, the least talented of the three sisters, first appeared here in the title role of her mother's play ''Fanchette'' in 1871, but the play was not a financial success. Among other roles at the Lyceum she played Princess Elizabeth in

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's ''Queen Mary'' with

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

. Her father's fortunes improved radically with his presentation of '' The Bells'' by

Leopold David Lewis Leopold David Lewis (19 November 1828 – 23 February 1890), was an English dramatist. Lewis was born in London in 1828, the son of Elizabeth and David Leopold Lewis, a surgeon, and was educated at the King's College School, and upon graduat ...

, starring

.Gayle T. Harris
Hezekiah Linthicum Bateman
-

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

, accessed 26 April 2019 Virginia, her sisters and mother left the Lyceum for

Sadler's Wells Theatre Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...

in 1878 after Irving refused to act with "dolls".

Edward Compton

In 1881 Virginia Bateman became the leading lady of the actor Edward Compton in his new Compton Comedy Company. They married at St Peter's Church in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

on 12 June 1882 and had five children: the novelist Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972) and the actors Frank Compton (1885–1964),

Viola Compton Viola Maud Compton–Mackenzie (26 November 1886 – 7 April 1971), known as Viola Compton, was an English film actress. Born in Fulham, London, she was the second of three siblings born to the actors Edward Compton and Virginia Frances Batema ...

(1886–1971), Ellen Compton (November 28, 1891–May 20, 1970), and

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

(1894–1978).Edward Compton - The Oxford Index
/ref>

Later life

In 1914 she founded the Theatre Girls' Club which provided low cost temporary accommodation for young actresses during rehearsals (which were often unpaid at that time) or when they were looking for work. The Club was popular and much-used until the 1950s but became less so in the late 1950s and 1960s. In 1920 she became the lessee of the Grand Theatre in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

in an attempt to turn the Compton Comedy Company into a resident

repertory company A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

. Her daughters Ellen and

managed the theatre as well as acting in the plays old and new, including ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'' and ''Columbine'' written specially by her son

Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish independence, Scottish nation ...

. She expressed an interest in putting on plays by local author

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

. The Nottingham Repertory Company gained critical praise and featured performances by

Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

and

Henry Ainley Henry Hinchliffe Ainley (21 August 1879 – 31 October 1945) was an English actor. Life and career Early years Ainley was born in Morley, near Leeds, on 21 August 1879, the only son and eldest child of Richard Ainley (1851–1919), a textile ...

but by 1923 the recession was affecting ticket sales and the venture failed.James Moran
''The Theatre of D.H. Lawrence: Dramatic Modernist and Theatrical Innovator''
Bloomsbury - Google Books Virginia Bateman Compton died in London in May 1940 and was buried with her husband in

Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Regist ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

References

External links

Portrait of Mrs Edward Compton, née Virginia Frances Bateman (1853–1940)
-

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

Portraits of Virginia Frances Bateman

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateman, Virginia Frances 1853 births 1940 deaths 19th-century American actresses 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses Actor-managers Burials at Brookwood Cemetery 19th-century theatre managers 20th-century theatre managers