Solo Women
Bessie Wentworth 1874 - 1901
A singer of 'coon' songs and a pantomime star, very popular until the 'coon' boom failed.
Since this page was made there has been a research document issued by Tony Barker with what would be a definitive record of Bessie Wentworth's life. This item can be purchased from Tony and costs about £3.50.
His address etc can be found at http://members.dencity.com/guselen/barker.htm Please note that this URL has been updated. If you have tried it before when it not to work, well, it does now.FD It would be wrong of me to use anything from Mr. Barker's book. He does run a commercial operation albiet not at all costly and I would not wish to infringe his copyright.
The page then, with minor alteration, stands as before that publication. FD
Until the publication of Tony Barker's booklet "Music Hall No.38 - Bessie Wentworth" there was There is little recorded about Bessie Wentworth. Macqueen-Pope gives only references to two of her songs.Her death is variously given as "about 1900", 1901 and 1902. Her birth as 1873 and 1874
Two of Bessie's songs are featured in B. Mocatta's Fifth Comic Album: "The Coon's Serenade" and "She Won't Make Up Her Mind" There is also a picture of her on the cover.
I am grateful to Peter Sandercock for the picture postcard and for assembling the three book quotations below. I am also grateful to Colin Charman for his contribution to this page.
Frederick Denny
She was born Elizabeth Andrews in 1874, had arrived in burlesque by 1891 and made music hall debut in 1894 at the Tivoli
She performed a "Coon Delineator" and male impersonator and her big hit was "Looking for a coon like me". She died 6th January 1901.(Busby)
There are two pictures of her known to me in "British Music Hall" (Mander and Mitcheson) and "Stars who made the halls" (S Theodore Felstead.)
Sources: Date of death came from Roy Busby's book. Most of the rest came from Mander and Mitcheson and Stars Who Made the Halls plus a couple of things I have scibbled down but I can't remember where from or even why I did - I think it must have been in The Era as I have gone back quite a way trying to trace Ena's father's music hall beginings. I also seem to remember seeing a book referred to in a bibliography somewhere which dealt with "Ladies of the Hall" dating from around 1900. Colin Charman
In Felstead's 'Stars Who made the Halls', she is linked by name only to the other two Bessies ..Bonehill and Bellwood..
The third of the trio, Bessie Wentworth, seems to have fallen victim to the coon craze that gripped England for so long. All this plaintive plantation melody was waning badly in the early nineties, and Bessie, despite her ability to put over a good song, began to find the big 'Halls' fighting shy of her turn. She died about 1900, quite young, with not a song to keep her memory green'
'Stars Who made the Halls' by S. Theodore Felstead
'Bessie Wentworth, in a short career ending with her death in 1902, popularised the school of women coon singers, to which May Yohe and May Henderson belonged. One of her best songs, 'Looking for a Coon like me' was written by Le Brunn and Harrington.
From 'The Early Doors' by Harold Scott
She sang 'My Gal, she's got eyes like Diamonds' at the Scotia Music Hall in Glasgow.
'The Grand Theatre (Leeds I think...PS) was the first theatre I had ever visited. My mother took me to see a pantomime - The Forty Thieves. Bessie Wentworth was principal boy.
The comedians - those kings of pantomime are forgotten by me. I have never forgotten Bessie Wentworth in a 'coon dress' bowling a huge straw hat across the stage; and later wearing a magnificent suit of what is known, I believe, as old gold velvet.
Poor Bessie Wentworth, she was one of three sisters, and they all died at twenty six. Her last pantomime appearance was at Sunderland, and when the run ended Charles Machin - I think I am right in the name - asked her to come back next year at a big increase in salary. Bessie Wentworth laughed. "I'll sign the contract" she said, "but I shall never play it." Machin asked her why.
"Because" she said, "I shall be dead. We all die at twenty six. I'm twenty five this year,"
She was laughed at, teased, and finally signed the contract. The following August, I think, she
contracted typhoid fever. She was getting better, and her greatest friend - who was devoted to her - was allowed to visit her. Bessie who knew very little about typhoid fever and its dangers, assured her that she was starving. Her one wish was for a dozen oysters, some thin brown bread and butter, and a small bottle of stout. Her friend smuggled them into the nursing home. Bessie ate the oysters and drank the stout. She died in a few days and never played the pantomime at Sunderland. The person who played in her place was Marguerite Broadfoote who afterwards became my greatest friend.
'Me, a book about other people' by Naomi Jacob.
NB: Naomi Jacob wrote Marie Lloyd's Biography...as I'm sure you know. I must confess to having reservations about Miss Jacob's accuracy with regards dates etc but she is always interesting... Peter Sandercock
Michael Kilgarriff lists some forty six songs in her repertoir.
'Sing us One of the Old Songs' by Michael Kilgarriff