Madame Patey Whytock

A cabinet card portrait of the English concert and oratorio contralto Janet Monach Patey (1842-1894), born Janet Monach Whytock in London.

She had a fine alto voice, which developed into a contralto, and she studied singing under J. Wass, Ciro Pinsuti and Mrs Sims Reeves (i.e. Emma Lucombe). Her first appearance, as a child, was at Birmingham, and her first regular engagement was in 1865, in the provinces.

In 1866 she married the bass John Patey. The same year she sang at the Worcester festival, established herself as one of the leading contraltos of her day. On the retirement of Helen Sainton-Dolby in 1870 Madame Patey was without a rival whether in oratorio or in ballad music.

She toured in America in 1871, sang in Paris in 1875, Australia in 1890, and New Zealand in 1891.

She died at Sheffield on the 28 February 1894 and was buried in London’s Brompton Cemetery.

Photographed by the London Stereoscopic Company.