Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (Gillies, p. 19), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery", "Don't Dilly Dally on the Way" and "Oh Mr Porter What Shall I Do". She received both criticism and praise for her use of innuendo and double entendre during her performances, but enjoyed a long and prosperous career, during which she was affectionately called the "Queen of the Music Hall".
Born in London, she was showcased by her father at the Eagle Tavern in Hoxton. In 1884, she made her professional début as Bella Delmere; she changed her stage name to Marie Lloyd the following year. In 1885, she had success with her song "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery", and she frequently topped the bill at prestigious theatres in London's West End. In 1891, she was recruited by the impresario Augustus Harris to appear in that year's spectacular Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Christmas pantomime Humpty Dumpty. She starred in a further two productions at the theatre, Little Bo Peep (1892) and Robinson Crusoe (1893). By the mid-1890s, Lloyd was in frequent dispute with Britain's theatre censors due to the risqué content of her songs.
Between 1894 and 1900, she became an international success when she toured France, America, Australia and Belgium with her solo music hall act. In 1907, she assisted other performers during the music hall war and took part in demonstrations outside theatres, protesting for better pay and conditions for performers. During the First World War, in common with most other music hall artists, she supported recruitment into the armed services to help the war effort, touring hospitals and industrial institutions to help boost morale. In 1915, she performed her only wartime song "Now You've Got Your Khaki On", which became a favourite among front-line troops.
Lloyd had a turbulent private life that was often the subject of press attention: she was married three times, divorced twice, and frequently found herself giving court testimony against two of her husbands who had physically abused her. In later life, she was still in demand at music halls and had a late success in 1919 with her performance of "My Old Man (Said Follow the Van)", which became one of her most popular songs. Privately, she suffered from bouts of ill-health and became alcohol-dependent, both of which imposed restrictions on her performing career by the 1920s. In 1922, she gave her final performance at the Alhambra Theatre, London, during which she became ill on stage. She died a few days later at the age of 52.
Biography
Family background and early life
Lloyd was born on 12 February 1870 in Hoxton, London. Her father, John Wood (1847–1940), was an artificial flower arranger and waiter; her mother, Matilda Mary Caroline née Archer (1849–1931), was a dressmaker and costume designer. Lloyd was the eldest of nine childrenGray, Frances. "Lloyd, Marie", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, accessed 2 December 2012 and became known within the family circle as Tilley.Gillies, p. 7 The Wood family were respectable, hard-working,A description given in Pope, p. 23 and financially comfortable. Lloyd often took career advice from her mother, whose influence was strong in the family. Lloyd attended Moorfields school in Bath Street, London, but disliked formal education and often played truant;Gillies, p. 8 with both her parents working, she adopted a maternal role over her siblings, helping to keep them entertained, clean and well cared-for.Pope, p. 25 Along with her sister Alice, she arranged events in which the Wood children performed at the family home.Farson, p. 35 Lloyd enjoyed entertaining her family and decided to form a minstrel act in 1879 called the Fairy Bell troupe, comprising her siblings.Farson, p. 36
Lloyd and the troupe made their début at a mission in Nile Street, Hoxton, in 1880A letter by T. S. Eliot to The Dial Magazine, 4 December 1922, pp. 659–663, quoted in Rainey, p.164 and followed this with an appearance at the Blue Ribbon Gospel Temperance Mission later the same year. Costumed by Matilda, they toured local doss-houses in East London, where they performed temperance songs, teaching people the dangers of alcohol abuse. Eager to show off his daughter's talent, John secured her unpaid employment as a table singer at the Eagle Tavern in Hoxton, where he worked as a waiter."Lloyd, Edward", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, accessed 3 December 2012 Among the songs she performed there was "My Soldier Laddie"."Biography of Marie Lloyd", Victoria and Albert Museum website, accessed 30 December 2012 Together with her performances at the Eagle, Lloyd briefly contributed to the family income by making babies' boots, and, later, curled feathers for hat making.Gillies, p. 9 She was unsuccessful at both and was sacked from the latter after being caught dancing on the tables by the foreman. She returned home that evening and declared that she wanted a permanent career on the stage. Although happy to have her performing in her spare time, her parents initially opposed the idea of her appearing on the stage full-time. She recalled that when her parents "saw that they couldn't kick their objections as high as [she] could kick [her] legs, they very sensibly came to the conclusion to let things take their course and said 'Bless you my child, do what you like'."Farson, p. 37
Early career and first marriage
On 9 May 1885, at the age of 15, Lloyd made her professional solo stage début at the Grecian music hall (in the same premises as the Eagle Tavern),Gillies, p. 11 under the name "Matilda Wood".Gillies, p. 16 She performed "In the Good Old Days" and "My Soldier Laddie", which proved successful, and earned her a booking at the Sir John Falstaff music hall in Old Street where she sang a series of romantic ballads.Gillies, p. 17 Soon after this, she chose the stage name Bella DelmereGillies, p. 18 and appeared on stage in costumes designed by her mother.Pope, p. 30 Her performances were a success, despite her singing other artists' songs without their permission, a practice which brought her a threat of an injunction from one of the original performers.Pope, pp. 36–37 News of her act travelled; that October, she appeared at Collins's Music Hall in Islington in a special performance to celebrate the theatre's refurbishment, the first time she had appeared outside Hoxton, and two months later, she was engaged at the Hammersmith Temple of Varieties and the Middlesex Music Hall in Drury Lane.Gillies, pp. 21–22 On 3 February 1886, she appeared at the prestigious Sebright Music Hall in Bethnal Green, where she met George Ware, a prolific composer of music hall songs. Ware became her agent and, after a few weeks, she began performing songs purchased from little-known composers.Pope, p. 37 As her popularity grew, Ware suggested that she change her name. "Marie" was chosen for its "posh" and "slightly French" sound, and "Lloyd" was taken from an edition of Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper.Farson, p. 38
Lloyd established her new name on 22 June 1886, with an appearance at the Falstaff Music Hall, where she attracted wide notice for the song "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery" (which was initially written for Nelly Power by Lloyd's agent George Ware). By 1887, her performance of the song had become so popular that she was in demand in London's West End, including the Oxford Music Hall, where she excelled at skirt dancing.Pope, p. 39 George Belmont, the Falstaff's proprietor, secured her an engagement at the Star Palace of Varieties in Bermondsey. She soon began making her own costumes, a skill she learned from her mother, and one she used for the rest of her career."A Chat With Marie Lloyd", The Era, 28 October 1893, p. 16 She undertook a month-long tour of Ireland at the start of 1886, earning £10 per week after which she returned to East London to perform at, amongst others, the Sebright Music Hall, Bethnal Green."Sebright Music Hall, Hackney", Over the Footlights.co.uk, accessed 28 February 2013 On 23 October, The Era called her "a pretty little soubrette who dances with great dash and energy."As quoted in Farson, p. 39
By the end of 1886, Lloyd was playing several halls a nightFarson, p. 39 and earned £100 per week. She was now able to afford new songs from established music hall composers and writers,Pope, p. 40 including "Harry's a Soldier", "She Has a Sailor for a Lover", and "Oh Jeremiah, Don't You Go to Sea". By 1887, Lloyd began to display a skill for ad lib, and to gain a reputation for her impromptu performances.Pope, p. 50 It was during this period that she first sang "Whacky-Wack" and "When you Wink the Other Eye", a song which introduced her famous wink at the audience.Farson, pp. 38–39 Unlike her West End audiences who enjoyed her coarse humour, her "blue" performances did not impress audiences in the East End.Pope, p. 73
While appearing at the Foresters Music Hall in Mile End, she met and began dating Percy Charles Courtenay,Pope, p. 56 a ticket tout from Streatham, London. The courtship was brief, and the couple married on 12 November 1887 at St John the Baptist, Hoxton. In May 1888, Lloyd gave birth to a daughter, Marie Courtenay (1888–1967). The marriage was mostly unhappy, and Courtenay was disliked by Lloyd's family and friends. Before long, Courtenay became addicted to alcohol and gambling, and grew jealous of his wife's close friendship with the 13-year-old actress Bella Burge, to whom Lloyd had rented a room in the marital house. He also became angry at the numerous parties Lloyd hosted for fellow members of the music hall profession including Gus Elen, Dan Leno and Eugene Stratton.Pope, p. 60"Marie Lloyd Divorced", The Western Times, 5 November 1904, p. 6
In October 1888, Lloyd returned from maternity leave and joined rehearsals for the 1888–89 pantomime The Magic Dragon of the Demon Dell; or, The Search for the Mystic Thyme, in which she was cast as Princess Kristina. The production, which was staged between Boxing Day and February at the Britannia theatre in Hoxton, gave her the security of working close to home for a two-month period. The engagement also gave her much-needed experience of playing to a big audience.Gillies, pp. 38–39 The following year, she appeared at more Bohemian venues including the Empire and the Alhambra theatres, the Trocadero Palace of Varieties, and the Royal Standard playhouse.Gillies, p. 40 In 1889, she gave birth to a stillborn child, which further damaged her marriage.Gillies, p. 41