	Grattan was born with the surname Hunt; Grattan was a family name she later adopted as a stage name. Comedian and manager Benjamin Webster was a family friend and encouraged her dramatic interests. She married Henry Courtaine. The couple traveled to California around 1859 and later onto to China and India. She managed a theatre in Bombay for two years. After later returning to England, she subsequently came to New York. She also performed in America with Lydia Thompson's burlesque troupe. 