She appeared at the Surrey under Creswick as Geneviève in the ‘Avalanche,’ the Duke of York in ‘Richard III,’ Albert in ‘William Tell,’ and Henri in ‘Belphegor,’ and played in the ‘Four Mowbrays’ Little Pickle and other parts. Besides taking part in the performances of her family, she played, 27 Feb. 1871, at Drury Lane, Amy Robsart in ‘Kenilworth,’ owing to the illness of Lilian Adelaide Neilson [q. v.] She had a good voice and sang effectively. Her performances in the ‘Belles of the Kitchen’ and as Margery in the ‘Rough Diamond’ were humorous and spirited. On 24 Nov. 1890 she appeared at the Shaftesbury, with a company organised by herself, in ‘My Lady Help,’ a comedietta by Arthur Macklin. She died on 1 Nov. 1894, at the reputed age of forty-one.
Another sister, Jessie Catherine Biddulph Vokes (1851–1884), played juvenile parts at the Surrey, as Teddy in ‘Dred, or the Dismal Swamp,’ Mamillius in the ‘Winter's Tale,’ and Prince of Wales in ‘Richard III.’ She shared the fortunes of her family, with which she played in Edinburgh, London, Paris, and America. She was a sprightly and accomplished dancer and an acceptable actress. She died on 4 Aug. 1884, her death contributing to break up the family.
Rosina Vokes (1858–1894), the youngest, sprightliest, and most popular member of the Vokes family, made her first public appearance at the Alhambra in a musical entertainment called ‘The Belles of the Kitchen.’ With the rest of her family she took part in the performance at the Lyceum on 26 Dec. 1868 of ‘Humpty Dumpty.’ The following Christmas she appeared under Chatterton at Drury Lane in the pantomime in which, in the small part of Fatima, she acquired a reputation for vivacity and witchery, which strengthened with each succeeding year. With her family she played at the Chátelet in Paris until the approach of the German army compelled them to take to flight. At Drury Lane she was, 21 Feb. 1870, Albert to the William Tell of King in Sheridan Knowles's ‘William Tell.’ On 10 March 1876 she married Mr. Cecil Clay, author of ‘A Pantomime Rehearsal,’ and the brother of Frederick Clay the composer. She then retired from the stage, on which, so far as England is concerned, she did not reappear. In October 1885 she visited, with her husband, by invitation, America, taking over with her a small theatrical company, including Mr. Brandon Thomas, Mr. Weedon Grossmith, and other actors subsequently well known, and played in light comedy and burlesque. During nine consecutive years she made a tour of the principal cities of the United States and Canada, playing in Godfrey's ‘Parvenu,’ Mr. Pinero's ‘Schoolmistress,’ Mr. Grundy's ‘Milliner's Bill,’ in ‘The Circus Rider,’ ‘Maid Marian,’ and ‘A Pantomime Rehearsal.’ Her last tour was completed in 1893, and she died at Babbacombe, Torquay, 27 Jan. 1894. She had remarkable gifts in light comedy and in burlesque. Though the Vokeses all died young, their father lived to the age of seventy-four, dying 4 June 1890, and their mother survived them all, living until 8 Feb. 1897.
[Personal knowledge and private information; Pascoe's Dramatic List; Scott and Howard's Blanchard; Saturday Programme, 1876; Era Almanack, various years; The Theatre, various years; Era newspaper, various dates. The tombstones in Brompton Cemetery have been consulted for the ages.]
VOKINS, JOAN (d. 1690), quakeress, was the daughter of Thomas Bunce, a substantial yeoman of Charney, Berkshire. A pious woman from her youth, she joined the society some time after her marriage to Richard Vokins of West Challow in the Vale of White Horse, and induced her father, husband, and children to do likewise. She at once began to preach and to travel. In February 1680 she went on a missionary journey to America, arriving in New York in May. She visited Long Island, Rhode Island, Boston, East and West Jersey, and Pennsylvania. On the return journey she went to Antigua, Nevis, and most of the West Indian islands. In Barbados, where there were many quakers who had been transported from England, she held sometimes two and three meetings a day.
She landed at Dover on 3 June 1681, and spent three weeks preaching in Kent. At Sandwich she was haled out of the church by the vicar, although the mayor before whom she was brought would not commit her to prison. In 1686 she travelled for about a year in Ireland, holding constant meetings. She was at the Whitsuntide yearly meeting in London, 1690, and died at Reading, on her way home, on 22 July 1690. Her husband and eldest son were at the time in gaol for not paying tithes.
Besides two sons, one of whom predeceased her, she had four daughters. Her various writings were collected by her brother-in-law, Oliver Sansom, in ‘God's Mighty Power Magnified,’ London, 1691, 8vo; republished at Cockermouth, 1871.
[Memoirs above named; Life of Oliver Sansom, 1710, 2nd ed. 1848; Piety Promoted, 1723, p. 172; Whiting's Memoirs, pp. 193–6; Smith's Cat. ii. 843; Bowden's Hist. of Friends in America, vol. i. pt. iii. p. 295.]
