Hannah Chaplin

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Hannah Chaplin

Hannah Chaplin (11 August 1865— August 28, 1928) was the mother of Charlie Chaplin. She was born Hannah Harriett Hill in Camden Street, Walworth, London. She became a Music Hall entertainer and used the stage name 'Lily Harley'.

She married Charles Spencer Chaplin (born 18 March 1863 at 22 Orcus Street, Marylebone, London died 9 May 1901 at St Thomas Hospital, Lambeth, London), a fellow Music Hall entertainer, on 22 June 1885. That same year Sydney Chaplin was born Sydney John Hill, on 16 March, in Cape Town, South Africa died on 16 April 1965 in Nice, France - followed by his brother Charles four years later, in 1889.

She gave birth to George Wheeler Dryden on August 31, 1892 in London, son of music hall entertainer Leo Dryden. George was therefore the half brother of Charles and Sydney Chaplin. As a result of her adulterous relationship with Dryden, Hannah and Charles Chaplin, Sr separated soon after George's birth. Hannah became responsible for taking care of Charlie and his older brother Sydney, as George went to live with his father.

It was when Hannah's voice failed during a performance at 'The Canteen', an Army theatre at Aldershot in Hampshire in January 1894, that the young Charlie Chaplin, at the age of five, got his first taste of performing, when he went on as an unplanned replacement for his mother.[1]. This event was portrayed in the 1992 film Chaplin.

She became increasingly mentally ill and had a breakdown in 1895. In June 1896, Hannah, with her two sons Charles and Sydney, entered Lambeth Workhouse. Within a few weeks the boys were sent to Hanwell School for Orphans and Destitute Children.[2]

In 1898 Hannah had a mental breakdown, and Charles and Sydney went to live for a time with Charles Sr. and his mistress. Young Charles first appears with the Lancashire Lads. From May 1903 to September 1912 Hannah was in the Cane Hill Lunatic Asylum in Surrey. Charlie later wrote about a visit to see her there in 1912:

"It was a depressing day, for she was not well. She had just got over an obstreperous phase of singing hymns, and had been confined to a padded room. The nurse had warned us of this beforehand. Sydney saw her, but I had not the courage, so I waited. He came back upset, and said that she had been given shock treatment of icy cold showers and that her face was quite blue. That made us decide to put her into a private institution - we could afford it now."^[1]

The brothers took Hannah out of Cane Hill and put her into Peckham House, a private asylum, but she was returned to Cane Hill Asylum in May 1915 when they defaulted on the 30 shillings a week payment.[3] The Chaplin brothers brought her to California in 1921 where she was watched after until her death.

Her granddaughter, Geraldine Chaplin, portrayed her in the 1992 film Chaplin.