Her parents were Elizabeth (born Pike) and the actor John Vandenhoff.

[1] Her debut as an actress was in the role of Juliet at Drury Lane on 11 April 1836.

In 1852, she was chosen to be in John Tallis's "Shakespeare Gallery" in a painting titled Miss Vandenhoff as Juliet (with a quote from Act 3, scene ii).

She played the role of Julia in a production called The Hunchback at the National Theatre.

[1] On 7 July 1856 she married another actor Thomas Swinbourne at St Mary's Church in Hull.