Solo Women

Bessie Bellwood 1857-1896

M. Willson Disher in Romance of the Music Hall writes:

"When Tony Pastor, the leading music hall manager of America, came over to arrange her visit to New York, she gave a great party there in his honour. In the midst of it, according to H. G. Hibbert’s account, Bessie Bellwood gave a shriek of delight when she heard a hawker crying winkles down the lane. "His stock on a japanned tea-tray slung round his neck was promptly commandeered. The shocked footmen, handing round tea, were despatched for pins, and the immortal singer of ‘Wot cheer, ‘Ria,’ whose real name was Mahoney, and who claimed to be a descendant of Father Prout,’ but who, most certainly, began life as a rabbit skinner in the New Cut, carefully divided her spoils among many applicants."

Bessie Bellwood was the rowdiest dare-devil of them all. Arthur Roberts used to recall the time when within four hours she held a most devout conversation with Cardinal Manning in regard to some Catholic charity, and was shortly afterwards arrested in the Tottenham Court Road for knocking a cabman down because she fancied he had insulted the man she was in love with.

I have assumed that the 'she' referred to in line two of the above account is BB and not Jenny Hill of whom he was writing in the previous paragraph. (FD)

Harry Randall in his autobiography 'An Old Time Commedian' writes of the time when at the start of his career, he was to appear in Manchester:     I had been told previously that Manchester audiences were very critical, and I felt considerably perturbed at finding myself sandwiched among one of the most prodigious companies I had ever seen on a Provincial hall. It comprised Charles Godfrey, Jenny Hill, James Fawn, Bessie Bellwood, Sam Redfern, Cinquevalli ,and, among others, yours truly labelled, "The New London Comedian"- I got more anxious towards evening when I found I was timed to appear at the fag end of the programme, and thus had to follow all the "stars".

Davidson in Songs of the British Music Hall- "What Cheer Ria?",  writes little about Bessie Bellwood but has an in depth analysis of the song itself:     "Bessie Bellwood was one of the first of the great women characters of the music halls; and she was the kind of woman who epitomised the spirit of the halls. She had a magnificent gift of repartee, she could dominate a lively audience, and with her courage and humour went a deep generosity that became a byword. This was not limited to giving money to those out of luck... "

In analysing the song he points out that it is one concerned with  the earlier Music Hall times with a chairman in charge of the hall. The fact of her singing about being defeated belies her own spirit and abilities arguing that this made for irony when originally sung. It also illustrates the class barriers from both sides. He writes of the technical side about the inclusion of patter:  "In addition to extending the song and providing contrast the patter often made for a better integration of the chorus, as in this song."

We might argue that since she was a 'patter' comedien ( Chance Newton, Idols of the Halls,  Ch 16) then the song writer was writing for his target artist purly and simply.

From 60 Years of the British Music Hall. What Cheer Ria - Published 2 April 1885:    Born Kathleen Mahoney in 1857, Bessie Bellwood became the first lady singer of cockney songs, arriving at this role by the uncertain route of Irish ballads. Her repartee was renowned throughout the business and she could master, nay, outshout, the rowdiest audience: she once held a five-minute slanging match with a fifteen stone coal-heaver during her act, from which he retired hurt and demoralized. Her acts of charity to the poor, such as giving away her possessions, taking in laundry, cleaning homes and looking after children were also known to her audiences, perhaps this is why they loved her, as a genuine person.

Her bohemian life eventually wore her down and her ‘no nonsense, larger-than-life character could not withstand the toll of the years of strain, and she died at the early age of thirty-nine.

‘What Cheer Ria’ fitted Bessie Bellwood’s character like a glove, the lyrics and patter enforce her masterful and yet flippant stage manner, the minor key of the verse seems to echo the wretchedness of her self-sacrifice while the modulation to the major key in the chorus provides for the brave, cheerful face she donned for her audiences. If she had never sung another song, she would have always been remembered for this, a fitting epitaph for a truly big-hearted artiste.

From Idols of the Halls by Chance Newton, Ch13.   Speaking of a manager named Hart: Anon, still keeping on the Surrey side he took over that old established tavern music-hall, the Star Bermondsey, and it was there during his regime that Bessie Bellwood (born Mahoney) up till then a local rabbit puller or fur dresser, took to the music-hall stage. Bessie's adventures there and else-where will be found treated in another chapter.

From Ch 16: BESSIE BELLWOOD! A SLANGING SERIO One of the most humorous and certainly one of the sauciest serios ever seen in even the "saucy" halls of her time was Bessie Bellwood. Although lacking the versatility and characteracting genius of her great rivals Marie Lloyd and Jenny Hill, Bessie was a real artist of the brainiest most alert kind. She would take on any of the audience at any time and on any topic conducting her arguments in the most voluble slum-slang. Some of her utterances and reports often savoured very strongly of the herein beforementioned "blue bag." Although La Bellwood gained her chief stage effects as a pattering Irish Cockney she was no mean warbler. Many even now will remember her chief ditties such as " Woa Emma!" " Wot cher Ria! Rias on the Job!" and that very clever song, 'Aubrey Plantagenet' , written (if my memory serves me) by that chartered and cheery humorist poor Willie Goldbery, the "Shifter" of The Sporting Times (or Pinkun.) I knew poor Bessie thoroughly from the moment she made her music-hall debut in Bermondsey where she had been a rabbit puller, or skin-dresser in a local factory. I always found her really more educated than she pretended to be. She was a relative of the renowned literary and poetic priest who signed himself 'Father Prout' and was born Mahoney -as Bessie was. She often talked books and poems etc. with me. Also she confided to me many of her most private matters, especially concerning her association with sundry aristocrats who did her no kind of benefit either in her profession or out of it. In fact. poor Bessie who thought herself so clever, was always being swindled or done in by somebody. She was a woman of boundless benevolence and of deep devotion to her Roman Catholic Creed. In fact, I found her always either helping some sad case of distress or paying (even with her last earnings) for Masses for some dying or departed soul. In some cases, these Masses (as I well knew) were for those who (as she would have put it) had done her a bit of no good! Like Florence St. John, (who we all called Jack) and Marie Lloyd, dear old Bessie Bellwood would perform the most menial, most trying, and painful offices for the needy sick and dying. And to these I have often heard her (like others too) give not only her last coin but even (what is still harder to such superstitious hearts), her last mascot. Such was the slangful saucy serio Bessie Bellwood-born Mahoney! An erratic but noble soul

Her songs: He's Going To Marry Mary Ann Written & Composed by Joseph Tobrar.
What Cheer Ria;
Woa Emma!;
Aubrey Plantagenet written by Willie Goldbery,

Killgarriff lists a repertoire of 25 songs