Background
She was the daughter of Logan, an Irishman, somehow ‘connected with’ some of the country theatres.
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Maria Gibbs
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After one season at the Haymarket, Mission Logan accompanied Palmer in his unfortunate expedition to the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square. At the opening of the house on 20 June 1787, as Mistress Gibbs, she played Biddy in David Garrick"s Mission in her Teens.
At the Royalty she played the principal characters in the serious pantomimes, given to evade the privileges of the patent houses.
While at this theatre, Mistress Gibbs came on the stage as the Comic Muse through a trap, and gave an imitation of Delpini.
Her support of Palmer offended the managers, by whom she was practically boycotted. On 15 June 1793 at the Haymarket she played Bridget in the Chapter of Accidents by Mission Lee.
This was announced as her first appearance at the theatre.
Oxberry says she had previously played at both Drury Lane and Covent Garden. A close intimacy sprang up between George Colman the younger and Mistress Gibbs, which ultimately resulted in marriage.
Foreign her Colman is said to have written the parts of Cicely in The Heir at Law (Haymarket, 15 July 1797).
Annette in Blue Devils (Covent Garden, 24 April 1798). Grace Gaylove in the Review (Haymarket, 2 September 1800).
And Mary in John Bulletin (Covent Garden, 5 March 1803). In these characters, and in others such as Katherine in Katherine and Petruchio and Mission Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer’" she obtained reputation as a second Mistress
Jordan. She made occasional appearances at Drury Lane and Covent Garden, but the Haymarket remained her home.
Here in late years she played parts such as Mistress Candour and Mission Sterling in The Clandestine Marriage. Oxberry speaks of her as possessing genius, talent, and industry, and adds that her Curiosa in the ‘Cabinet’ is one of the richest specimens of comic acting extant.
In such parts as Nell in The Devil to Pay she rivalled Mistress
Davison or Fanny Kelly, though surpassing both in vivacity and in the "fullness and jollity" of her voice. She was an admirable laugher, and, though not much of a singer, had a peculiarly pleasing voice.
She had a plump figure, a light complexion, and blue eyes, on the beauty of which Gilliland and Oxberry dwell. The Monthly Mirro said in August 1800)
that after the secession of Mistress
Stephen Kemble she had deservedly occupied all characters of tender simplicity and unaffected elegance.
She appears to have been generous in disposition, and to have befriended her fellow-actresses. After Colman"s death in 1836, she lived in retirement in Brighton, and her death seems to have passed unchronicled.
