Event Comment: Benefit for Cooke. By Particular Desire. Tickets delivered for the Busy Body will be taken. [Account Book indicates Receipts: #26 1s. 6d. plus #53 14s. from tickets: (Box 61; Pit 165; Gallery 137). A staff of 22 servants, plus the women dressers and charwomen were paid #3 13s. 2d. for operating the theatre this night. The deficit carried into the summer after this night was #216 19s. 10d. This deficit plus summer expenses produced an encumbrance of #359 12s. 9d. to be met at the start of the 1761-62 season. Rich upon ten occasions withdrew under Account I from the treasury #2743. From this account he put back into the treasury upon three occasions (May 8, 31; June 23) #600. So over and above the #6 which the Rich family received daily in Account 76, Rich tucked away #2143 in Account I. In addition his carpentry bills to Mr Gom for work at Cowley were paid from theatrical funds. His cut from Account 76 at #5 per night was #810. So apparently Rich cleared #2953 this season despite the fact that it ran only 162 nights, and that George II's death occurred in a money-making part of the season.] Charges: #42 (Account Book)

Event Comment: At The George Inn Yard

Event Comment: At The George Inn Yard

Event Comment: At The George Inn Yard

Event Comment: At The George Inn Yard

Event Comment: At The George Inn Yard

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these two years. [George II's death had closed the theatres on 4 Nov. the previous year.] Income from Boxes #14 15s. Paid Mr Powell for two years att[endin]g Office & pass [?] Ac[count]. #100. Advanced to Hull #20. Receipts: #64 16s. (Winston Theatrical Record)

Event Comment: Income from Boxes #17 6s. Paid subscription to St George's Hospital one year #5 5s. Paid Foote one-quarter part of #89 2s., being the surplus above #60, allow'd for charge as per agreement #22 5s. 6d. Receipts: #149 2s. (Winston Theatrical Record)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties, an Occasional Oratorio "selected from the most celebrated compositions of the late George Frederick Handel." Pit and Boxes to be put together. No person to be admitted without Tickets which will be deliver'd this day at the Office in the Theatre at half a guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half after Six. This day Publish'd Price 1s. An Occasional Oratorio, as it is to be performed at Covent Garden...J. and R. Tonson. [The most provocative commentary on Oratorios may be found in [Robert Maddison's] An Examination of the Oratorios performed This Season at Covent Garden, (London, 1763) 63 pages, wherein he seeks to define the genre, then judge the performances in terms of his definition.

Event Comment: Benefit for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York. Mainpiece a Sacred Ode written by Dr Brown set to select Airs, Duets and Choruses from Mr Handel, and other Eminent Composers, with the addition of several new songs. Pit and Boxes to be put together. No Persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office of the theatre at 1!2 a Guinea each; and also at the following Coffee House, viz: the Smyrna, Pall Mall; the Mount, Grosvenor St; George's, Temple Bar; the Rainbow, Cornhill, the New York, Sweetings's Alley; and the Pennsylvania, Birchin Lane. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallerp 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 1!2 after Six (playbill). This philanthropic enterprise, of which the theatrical benefit was but a part, seems not to have born much fruit for the respective Colleges. See Letter to the Governors of the Colleges of New York, respecting the Collection that was made in the Kingdom in 1762 and 1763, for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York, to which are added Explanatory notes and appendix. By Sir James Jay, M. D. (London, 1771). The funds collected seem largely to have been used up in a law suit. The Governor of the College of New York, Rev. Dr Johnson, asked Jay to collect funds, which he did. Alderman Trecothick wrote Dr Johnson that the funds were not safe in Jay's hands. The Governors insulted Jay, and when they found they were wrong refused to apologize. They entered a bill against him in Chancery to gain the funds. It dragged out for four years. When the power of Attorney had been given to Trecothick, he claimed that a sum of #1437 15s. 6d. was unaccounted for by Jay, and was supposed to be in Jay's hands. Jay explained the Governors had not reckoned on reimbursement for his time and expenses for two years.

Event Comment: Benefit for Ackman and Mrs Bradshaw. Tickets deliver'd for George Barnwell will be admitted

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #4 1s.; Paid salary list #435 5s.; Paid George Garrick for use of the managers #50 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #238 18s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid George Garrick on account #100; Chorus singers 2 nights, #5 1s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #142 2s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid George Nicoll's Bill for lines [ropes] #3 18s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Neck or Nothing Published at 1s., Cunning Man published at 1s. Receipts: #100 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Middlesex Hospital. House Charges #84. [Profit to Hospital #10 11s. The Treasurer's Book does not break down charges as minutely as does the Covent Garden Account Book. They are lump sum affairs. Nor does Victor include ticket receipt analysis.] Paid George Garrick for use of the managers #169; B. Johnson's Head Bill #1 11s. 9d. Philips for men's cloaths #10 10s.; Costain for old point lace #1 15s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #94 11s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Paid George Garrick #50; Paid Mr Guy (plumber) #53 15s.; Mr Debrose, (linen draper) #20 11s. 6d.; Scott (copper lace) bill #158 15s. 6d.; Hewetson (silver lace) bill #42 8s.; Gastrill (mercer) 2 bills, #227 2s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #196 2s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [R+Rich's Register lists The English Merchant.] Paid Blandford (tallow chandler) #49 8s. 10d. Paid George Garrick for use of the managers #15 15s.; Paid French on account #20; Advanced to Granier on note #4 2s. 10d.; to Keen on note #4 4s. Rec'd stopages 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Sylas Neville (Neville MS Diary): With difficulty got into the Pit at Drury Lane, where I stood at the side so jambed up that I could not read the newspaper I carried: But I saw the play very well. It was Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, with the Farce of the Devil to Pay. Duke by Havard, Cacafago by Love, very well. Copper Capt. by Palmer, pretty well. Old woman pretty well by Mrs Baddeley, Astifania by Mrs Pritchard excellently, tho she is too old for the first part of this character. Leon inimitably by Garrick. I think he shows a good deal of Abel drugger, [both published and unpublished portions of the Neville Diary.] Receipts: #261 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [C$Colman published in the Public Advertiser this day extracts from the Oxonian in Town showing what favorable things were said of the Irish in it. He apparently did so to forstall a predicted riot by Irishmen who feared their nation was slandered because the scoundrels in the play were Irish. See E. R. Page, George Colman, The Elder (New York, 1935), p. 168. Monitor No V (21 Nov. 1767) includes a letter from Timothy Calfskin requesting refund of 4 shillings since his wife was frightened by the noise of the "wild Irish" and ran from the playhouse.] Receipts: #191 4s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: The Last time of the company's performing this season. [Following deficiencies for this season paid up: Richard Smith, Lewes, Dumay, Condell, Potter, Thomas Smith, Quick, Furkins, Wilkinson, Abbott, Simmonds, Pullen, Stephenson, Asbury, Wilde, Francis, Mrs Griffiths, Claridge, and Sharratt (Account Book). This includes payment of half value of tickets for those who were granted partial benefits on that basis.] Music forfeits at end of season #17 6s. 11d. Neville MS Diary: Went...to see Cymbeline...chiefly to hear Powell speak an occasional prologue. Would not have gone had I known it was only a stale piece of flattery to George. [See The Gentleman's Magazine, 9 July p. 346: "On shutting up the playhouse in Covent Garden at the end of the season, admission into the theatre having been denied to Mr H and R through any other passage but Mr Powell's House, those gentlemen at the head of a large posse on the 17th of last month, [June] made a forcible entry by breaking open a window near the playhouse door in Hart street; after which they expelled by violence Mr Sargeant the Housekeeper, all his family and others; but the acting managers not being inclined to submit to the arbitrary proceedings of their colleagues, immediately applied for redress, where redress was effectually to be had, and this day they were formally expelled by virtue of a warrant from under the hand and seal of the high sherrifs of London and Middlesex, and the old housekeeper, Mr Sargeant, restored to his office of trust, to the great mortification of one of the champions who had been heard to say: That he had now got possession and d--n him if he would not keep it while he had a drop of blood in his body, and while there was one brick upon another belonging to the house."

Event Comment: Shortly will be publish'd Expostulations with George Colman, by Jane Lessingham. Gave Duke of Gloucester's Footmen by Malm #2 2s. (Account Book). Receipts: #200 13s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Abington. Afterpiece: A Farce in 2 Acts, never acted, taken from George Dandin by Moliere. Part of Pit will be laid into the Boxes

Event Comment: Last time of performing the afterpiece before the Benefits. A duel with pistols between George? Garrick and Baddeley on account of G. Garrick remon[stratin]g with Baddeley on [receiving] his wife's salary. Baddeley fir'd then G. G. fir'd in the air, and a reconciliation took place (Winston MS 10, from Dr Burney's News Clippings). [See full and humorous acct Town and Country Magazine, March, pp. 157-58 with woodcut of duel.

Event Comment: Benefit for Evans (sub treasurer) and Mrs Dorman. [Afterpiece, never performed there, The Noble Pedlar; or, The Fortune Hunter, by George Saville Carey. Music Compos'd by Barthelemon.