Event Comment: [As Miss P. Farren Mrs Knight had 1st appaared in London on 15 May 1777 at the hay.] "[Knight's] simplicity is the type of nature, untainted With buffoonery; and what we very rarely meet with, his attention was so wholly engrossed by the business of the scene as to make him appear unconscious of being before an audience" (Morning Chronicle, 26 Sept.). Receipts: #248 3s. 6d. (240.2.6; 8.1.0)

Event Comment: Benefit for Wild. 1st Piece: 1st Time at this Theatre, and with Permission of G. Colman, Esq. [owner of the copyright]; written by Joseph Atkinson, Esq. [i.e. altered from his The Mutual Deception (see hay, 29 Aug. 1786)]. 2nd piece: Not acted these 2 years. 3rd piece: Not acted these 7 years [acted 23 May 1783]. Receipts: #225 0s. 6d. (113.0.6; 5.5.0; tickets: 106.15.0)

Event Comment: "This degradation of a theatre royal was properly reprobated by the audience in general" (Town and Country Magazine, Jan. 1789, p. 15). Receipts: #264 (252.3; 11.17)

Event Comment: By Desiire of the Cherokee Chiefs [see 12 Nov.]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [European Magazine, Dec. 1790, p. 468, says that this was Mrs Ferguson's 1st appearance in London; she was from the Richmond theatre.] Receipts: #205 5s. (202.8.6; 2.16.6)

Event Comment: By Desiire of the Cherokee Chiefs [see 12 Nov.]. Afterpiece: Not acted these 7 years. [European Magazine, Dec. 1790, p. 468, says that this was Mrs Ferguson's 1st appearance in London; she was from the Richmond theatre.] Receipts: #205 5s. (202.8.6; 2.16.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Munden. [Mrs Townsend was from the Norwich theatre.] 3rd piece: Never [previously] acted at this Theatre. Morning Chronicle, 22 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Munden, No. 12, Frith-street, Soho. Receipts: #388 7s. (111.9.6; 6.12.0; tickets: 270.5.6)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clendining. 2nd piece: Not acted these 10 years [acted 25 Apr. 1788]. 3rd piece [1st time; M 1, altered by John Gretton from his Ode performed at the Pantheon, 4 May. Larpent MS 1087; text printed in Morning Chronicle, 2 May 1795, with parts as above]: The Words by John Gretton, Esq. The Music by Spofforth; the Dances by Byrn. Books containing the Words of the Masque will be delivered gratis at the different Doors. Morning Herald, 5 June: Tickets to be had of Mrs Clendining, No. 13, King-street, Covent Garden. Receipts: #204 5s. (72.17; 7.15; tickets: 123.13)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Martyr. Tickets sold at the Doors will not be admitted. [Prologue by John Wolcot (European Magazine, May 1790, p. 386).] Gazetteer, 15 Apr.: Tickets to be had of Mrs Martyr, No. 16, Martlet-court, Bow-street, Covent-garden. Receipts: #293 7s. 6d. (136.14.0; 13.8.6; tickets: 143.5.0)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: With new Dresses and Decorations. "[Miss Wallis] does not seem to have chosen any particular model to govern her acting, like most of the female candidates of late years, who have generally founded their manner upon the style of Mrs Siddons" (London Chronicle, 9 Oct.). Receipts: #228 1s. 6d. (224.5.0; 3.16.6)

Event Comment: LLondon Daily Post and General Advertiser, 26 July: To be Sold by Auction, On Tuesday, August 1, and the following Days, At the Great-House the Corner of Carlisle-street, Soho-Square...A Large Quantity of Theatrical Goods...late the Property of Mr Henry Giffard...By Bernard Warren, Auctioneer

Event Comment: Benefit for Bannister. This Benefit was given to Mr B. after the Season Clos'd on Account of Some trouble he was in (Hopkins Diary). Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [June 2 by Treasurer's Book.] Profits to Bannister after all charges #106 6s. 5d. This month was publish'd Theatrical Portraits, epigrammatically delineated, &c. 4to. Price 1s. 6d. (Gentleman's Magazine Catalogue). Receipts: #210 6d. (Treasurer's Book). AFTER SEASON RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES (Treasurer's Book). Rec'd: 15 June: Mr Parsonage's (late Williams) Rent 1 yr to Lady day last with 4s. 10d. deducted, #43 10s.; Mr Harrison's Rent 1 yr to ditto with #7 17s. 6d. Land Tax deducted, #38 2s. 6d.; for candles, oil & lampmen on Theatrical Fund Night #3 18s. 6d. 18 June: From Public Advertiser this season #50; from Daily Gazetteer #50; from Mr Pope 1 yrs. rent to Lady Day last with #1 13s. land tax deducted, #28 7s. 23 June: From New Additional Sinking Fund #241 13s.; Patentees' Draft on Mr Clutterbuck #50; Music forfeits this season, Mr D. Richards included, #25 14s. 7d. 25 June: Their Majesties Account 8 nights #80, the Queen's Ladies 2 nights #6. 29 June: Mr Rowland's Rent 1 year to Lady Day last with #2 2s. land tax deducted #40 18s. 30 June: Mr Evans (wardrobe?) sundry forfeips this season #47 8s. Paid: 4 June: Tallow chandler's 9th & last Bill (#37 12s. 9d., but with a discount at 8 on #350 16s. amount of this season's Bills) #9 11s. 6d. Mr Page in full of #25 this season, #1 10s.; Rector & Watch Covent Garden parish 1 year to Lady Day last #1 8s. 4d. 10 June: Two Housekeeper's Bills #11 3s.; half yrs, paving &c. St Martin to Lady Day last #17 13s. 15 June: Messrs Barrow & Co., Oil, #191 14s. 6d.; Messrs Marshall & Co. (plumbers) #55 3s.; Mr Cropley (linen draper) #15 13s. 6d.; Mr Cole (turner) #12 15s.; Mr Dalmaine (embroiderer) #3 13s. 6d.; Mr Landall (Undertaker) #3 4s. Mr Hatsell (mercer) #37 7s.; Mr Carpue (silk dyer)#7 7s. 6d.; Mr Barrett (wax chandler) #27 1s. 6d.; Mrs Vaughan (haberdasher) #7 16s. 6d.; Messrs Sandys & Co. (colourmen) #72 6d.; Mr Carter (scowrer) #20 6s.; Messrs Hewetson & Co. (lacemen) #27 3s.; Mr Stephens (mason) #4 6s.; Mr Cubit (tinman) #12 4s. 6d.; Mr Hopkins & Co. (ironmongers) #10 18s.; Mr Powney (stationer) #4 7s. 16 June: Miss Berkley on note #5 5s.; half yrs rent to Duke of Bedford to Lady Day last #165 2d.; Loss on sale of 330 and 1!2 light Guineas, #17; Mr Pope's Bill for Wigs, &c. #14 2s.; Mr Pope for 69 nights extra dressing this season #6 18s.; Mr J. Johnston's Music Bill, #16 12s. 6d. 23 June: Lowe & Co. (glaziers) #4 7s. 6d.; Scott & Co. (lacemen) #17 11s.; Waller & Co. (hosiers) #7 10s.; Mrs Chitty (coals) #28 10s.; Bibb (sword cutler) #1 5s.; Gardner (shoemaker) #6; Thomson (smith) #23 7s.; Chettell (timber) #40 17s.; Ireland (upholsterer) #35 1s.; Blakes (hatter) #3 1s.; Palmer (spermacetti candles) #124; Dorman (coals) #27 15s.; Dorman for attending practices of dances this season, #10 10s.; A. Johnston's Bill for sundrys #47 11s.; Mrs Garwood (laundress) #12 15s. 29 June: Black Lyon Bills for Wardrobe, Carpenters & Surveyors Dinners #25 14s.; Mr J. French on Acct #9 10s. 30 June: One yrs paving &c. to Covent Garden Parish to Lady Day last #3; Hopkins' Prompter's Bills #30 17s.; Victor's gratuity #30., and extra salary 2 weeks #5; Evans in lieu of Benefit #42, and extra salary 2 weeks #3. Books closed 30 June 1774: @Total Receipts #33,075 1s. 11d.@Total Expense #30,153 15s. 10d.@Profits #2,921 6s. 1d. divided as follows:@To Patentees #1840@To Mr Clutterbuck #1,081 6s. 1d.@*c1774 06 02 dl Benefit for Bannister. This Benefit was given to Mr B. after the Season Clos'd on Account of Some trouble he was in (Hopkins Diary). Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. [June 2 by Treasurer's Book.] Profits to Bannister after all charges #106 6s. 5d. This month was publish'd Theatrical Portraits, epigrammatically delineated, &c. 4to. Price 1s. 6d. (Gentleman's Magazine Catalogue). Receipts: #210 6d. (Treasurer's Book). AFTER SEASON RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES (Treasurer's Book). Rec'd: 15 June: Mr Parsonage's (late Williams) Rent 1 yr to Lady day last with 4s. 10d. deducted, #43 10s.; Mr Harrison's Rent 1 yr to ditto with #7 17s. 6d. Land Tax deducted, #38 2s. 6d.; for candles, oil & lampmen on Theatrical Fund Night #3 18s. 6d. 18 June: From Public Advertiser this season #50; from Daily Gazetteer #50; from Mr Pope 1 yrs. rent to Lady Day last with #1 13s. land tax deducted, #28 7s. 23 June: From New Additional Sinking Fund #241 13s.; Patentees' Draft on Mr Clutterbuck #50; Music forfeits this season, Mr D. Richards included, #25 14s. 7d. 25 June: Their Majesties Account 8 nights #80, the Queen's Ladies 2 nights #6. 29 June: Mr Rowland's Rent 1 year to Lady Day last with #2 2s. land tax deducted #40 18s. 30 June: Mr Evans (wardrobe?) sundry forfeips this season #47 8s. Paid: 4 June: Tallow chandler's 9th & last Bill (#37 12s. 9d., but with a discount at 8 on #350 16s. amount of this season's Bills) #9 11s. 6d. Mr Page in full of #25 this season, #1 10s.; Rector & Watch Covent Garden parish 1 year to Lady Day last #1 8s. 4d. 10 June: Two Housekeeper's Bills #11 3s.; half yrs, paving &c. St Martin to Lady Day last #17 13s. 15 June: Messrs Barrow & Co., Oil, #191 14s. 6d.; Messrs Marshall & Co. (plumbers) #55 3s.; Mr Cropley (linen draper) #15 13s. 6d.; Mr Cole (turner) #12 15s.; Mr Dalmaine (embroiderer) #3 13s. 6d.; Mr Landall (Undertaker) #3 4s. Mr Hatsell (mercer) #37 7s.; Mr Carpue (silk dyer)#7 7s. 6d.; Mr Barrett (wax chandler) #27 1s. 6d.; Mrs Vaughan (haberdasher) #7 16s. 6d.; Messrs Sandys & Co. (colourmen) #72 6d.; Mr Carter (scowrer) #20 6s.; Messrs Hewetson & Co. (lacemen) #27 3s.; Mr Stephens (mason) #4 6s.; Mr Cubit (tinman) #12 4s. 6d.; Mr Hopkins & Co. (ironmongers) #10 18s.; Mr Powney (stationer) #4 7s. 16 June: Miss Berkley on note #5 5s.; half yrs rent to Duke of Bedford to Lady Day last #165 2d.; Loss on sale of 330 and 1!2 light Guineas, #17; Mr Pope's Bill for Wigs, &c. #14 2s.; Mr Pope for 69 nights extra dressing this season #6 18s.; Mr J. Johnston's Music Bill, #16 12s. 6d. 23 June: Lowe & Co. (glaziers) #4 7s. 6d.; Scott & Co. (lacemen) #17 11s.; Waller & Co. (hosiers) #7 10s.; Mrs Chitty (coals) #28 10s.; Bibb (sword cutler) #1 5s.; Gardner (shoemaker) #6; Thomson (smith) #23 7s.; Chettell (timber) #40 17s.; Ireland (upholsterer) #35 1s.; Blakes (hatter) #3 1s.; Palmer (spermacetti candles) #124; Dorman (coals) #27 15s.; Dorman for attending practices of dances this season, #10 10s.; A. Johnston's Bill for sundrys #47 11s.; Mrs Garwood (laundress) #12 15s. 29 June: Black Lyon Bills for Wardrobe, Carpenters & Surveyors Dinners #25 14s.; Mr J. French on Acct #9 10s. 30 June: One yrs paving &c. to Covent Garden Parish to Lady Day last #3; Hopkins' Prompter's Bills #30 17s.; Victor's gratuity #30., and extra salary 2 weeks #5; Evans in lieu of Benefit #42, and extra salary 2 weeks #3. Books closed 30 June 1774: @Total Receipts #33,075 1s. 11d.@Total Expense #30,153 15s. 10d.@Profits #2,921 6s. 1d. divided as follows:@To Patentees #1840@To Mr Clutterbuck #1,081 6s. 1d.

Event Comment: Benefit for Pope. 1st piece [1st time; D 4. Larpent MS 1249; not published synopsis of plot in Universal Magazine, Apr. 1799, p. 273]: Translated from [Der Graf von Burgund, by August Friedrich Ferdinand von? Kotzebue (Author of The Stranger, Lover's Vows, &c.) by Miss Anne? Plumptre, and adapted to the English Stage by Alexander? Pope. Morning Chronicle, 25 26 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Pope at his house, No. 5, Half Moon-street, Piccadilly. [This was Mrs Abington's last appearance on the stage.] "The perpetuated evidence of youth was in character with her person and her powers; the slimness of her figure, the fulness of her voice, the freshness of her spirits, the sparkle of her eye, and the elasticity of her limbs, savoured alike of a juvenility that puzzled the mind, whilst it pleased it: of her it was justly said that 'she had been on the stage thirty years; she was one-and-twenty when she came, and one-and-twenty when she went!'" (John Bernard, Retrospections of the Stage, 1830, II, 228-29). Receipts: #334 19s. 6d. (194.1.0; 2.5.0; tickets: 138.13.6)

Event Comment: Boswell (Restoration Court Stage, pp. 180-81) believes that a performance occurred on this day, as well as on 16 Feb. 1674@5, Shrove Tuesday, the date often specified in advance statements. For previous notices, see 2 Feb. 1674@5, 15 and 22 Dec. 1674. Edition of 1675:....followed at innumerable Rehearsals, and all the Representations by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality...at the 20th or 30th, for near so often it had been Rehearsed and Acted....And the Composer of all the Musick both Vocal and Instrumental Mr Staggins. Langbaine. (English Dramatick Poets, p. 92): a Masque at court, frequently presented there by Persons of great Quality, with the Prologue, and the Songs between the Acts: printed in quarto Lond. 1675....This Masque was writ at the Command of her present Majesty: and was rehearsed near Thirty times, all the Representations being follow'd by throngs of Persons of the greatest Quality, and very often grac'd with their Majesties and Royal Highnesses Presence. John Evelyn (The Life of Mrs Godolphin): [Mrs Blagge] had on her that day near twenty thousand pounds value of Jewells, which were more sett off with her native beauty and luster then any they contributed of their own to hers; in a word, she seemed to me a Saint in Glory, abstracting her from the Stage. For I must tell you, that amidst all this pomp and serious impertinence, whilst the rest were acting, and that her part was sometymes to goe off, as the scenes required, into the tireing roome, where severall Ladyes her companions were railing with the Gallants trifleingly enough till they were called to reenter, she, under pretence of conning her next part, was retired into a Corner, reading a booke of devotion, without att all concerning herself or mingling with the young Company; as if she had no farther part to act, who was the principall person of the Comedy...[With] what a surprizeing and admirable aire she trode the Stage, and performed her Part, because she could doe nothing of this sort, or any thing else she undertooke, indifferently....Thus ended the Play, butt soe did not her affliction, for a disaster happened which extreamly concern'd her, and that was the loss of a Diamond of considerable vallue, which had been lent her by the Countess of Suffolke; the Stage was immediately swept, and dilligent search made to find it, butt without success, soe as probably it had been taken from her, as she was oft inviron'd with that infinite crowd which tis impossible to avoid upon such occasion. Butt the lost was soon repair'd, for his Royall Highness understanding the trouble she was in, generousely sent her the wherewithall to make my Lady Suffolke a present of soe good a Jewell. For the rest of that days triumph I have a particular account still by me of the rich Apparell she had on her, amounting, besides the Pearles and Pretious Stones, to above three hundred pounds (ed. Samuel Lord Bishop of Oxford [London, 1847], pp. 97-100). See also 15 Dec. 1674