Vesta Tilley

Matilda Alice Powles was born at Beaver Row, Worcester on 13May 1864. She was the second child out of a total of thirteen and shared her first name with her mother Matilda Powles (née Broughton). Her father was William Henry Powles, known as Harry Ball. He was a musician and comic who in 1870 became manager and master of ceremonies at the Star Music Hall, Gloucester. In 1872 he moved his family from Worcester to become manager of St George's Hall in Nottingham and to develop and manage seven year old Tilley's life as a performer. With her father's encouragement, she first appeared on stage at the age of three and, by six, she was appearing to sing songs dressed as a man. Known variously to begin as Tilley Ball or Little Tilley, she embarked on her professional career in 1869 and was to be on the stage until 1920. She would later perform male roles exclusively, saying that "I felt that I could express myself better if I were dressed as a boy." At the time, British music hall entertainment was increasingly popular and Powles' fame grew as she became older. By 1872, her father had quit his job to manage her career full-time and she was supporting her family. ==Stardom==

Tilley's success continued into the 1880s and she was able to command ever higher fees for her performances. By the 1890s, she was known as "the London Idol" and adored by her fans. Her father had died in 1888 and two years later she married Walter de Frece, a theatre impresario who owned music halls across Great Britain. Frece became her new manager and also began to write her songs. Tilley was known for her painstaking attention to detail in preparing for her roles: she wore her hair tightly plaited and hidden under a wig; she took to wearing men's underwear so her appearance looked believable, since contemporary women's underclothing would have distorted her shape. Her performances were always family-friendly, unlike other acts. By 1912, music hall entertainments had become so famous that a Royal Command Performance was organised. Tilley sang a favourite song, "The Piccadilly Johnny with the Little Glass Eye" wearing trousers as part of her act. Queen Mary was scandalised to see a woman's legs and hid her face behind a programme. Alongside other stars such as Dan Leno and Ada Reeve, Tilley made some of the first sound recordings in England in 1898. She also played the principal boy in a number of pantomimes. At the age of 13, she played Robinson Crusoe at the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth. She was best known for her titular role in Dick Whittington, which she played many times. She often performed in male roles in pantomimes such as Beauty and the Beast and Sinbad the Sailor, and occasionally played female parts, such as the Queen of Hearts at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. ==Wartime work ==

By the time the First World War began, Tilley's career was slowing down and the changing situation provided a chance for it to develop further. She and her husband ran military recruitment drives and she sang at charity events. ==Retirement==

at Putney Vale Cemetery, London in 2014 After the war, music halls declined in popularity. Walter de Frece was knighted in the 1919 King's Birthday Honours List for his services to the war effort, with Tilley becoming Lady de Frece. De Frece decided to stand for Parliament and Tilley chose to end her stage career. Walter de Frece became a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), first for Ashton-under-Lyne and later for Blackpool. In 1923, Tilley was presented at the royal court as Lady de Frece. while visiting on 16 September 1952, aged 88. Her body was buried alongside her husband, at Putney Vale Cemetery. Her life story was commemorated in the 1957 film After the Ball. ==References==