Event Comment: By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales [who were present]. Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Gay

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Sir John VanBrugh. For the Entertainment of the Grand Master, and the brethren of the Honourable and Antient Society of Free and Accepted Masons, for the Benefit of a Brother, who has had great misfortunes. None to be admitted Without printed Tickets (Daily Advertiser). The Brethren are desired to meet the Right Honourable the Grand Master, at Mr Filkes, at the Bedford Arms in the Piazza in Covent Garden, at Four o'clock in the afternoon, in order to accompany him to the play. Stage form'd into an amphitheatre. Servants allowed to keep places

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Mills. Mainpiece at the desire of several Ladies of Quality. [For Mrs Woffington in this role, see 12 Dec. and 18 Feb. 1747.] Tickets to be had of Mrs Mills at her Lodgings at Mr Long's in Bow Street, and at the stage Door of the Theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Vaughan and Evans [Box-Keepers]. Their profits from this night unspecified. Charges #70. Each was paid #10 in full for attendance on Boxes this season. Rec'd of Baron Schutz by Mr Lawrence for the King's Account #70

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. Afterpiece [written by Mrs Clive]: A new farce partly singing, part speakg. Went off well (Cross). Music by Dr Boyce. Five rows of Pit &c. [Stage arranged as on 10 March. The framework for financial analysis of receipts appears in Treasurer's Book, but the figures are missing. The parts for The Rehearsal, according to the Larpent MS 86, were: Mrs Hazard, Nelly, Tom, Witling, Mr Cross; Miranda-$Miss Norris; Corydon-$Beard; Marcella, Miss Giggle, Sir Albany Odelove, Miss Sidell, Miss Daudle.] Receipts: #240 (Cross); charges, #60 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Ladies are desired to send Servants to keep Places at 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St., in Southampton St., and of Hobson at the stage door. Cash receipts #63 6s., plus #74 6s. from tickets. Total #137 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Mr Delane dy'd Sun: ye 1st of Ap. (Cross). The Masque of Comus, design'd to be perform'd at Drury Lane Wednesday next, the 4th of Apl, for the Benefit of Mrs Foster, Granddaughter of Milton, and his only surviving descendant, is, by particular desire of several persons of Quality, on account of Handel's Oratorio deferr'd till Thursday the 5th instant (General Advertiser). Receipts. #150 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: To begin exactly at 6:00 o'clock. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be had of Mr Varney at the Stage door. [Repeated throughout the season.] Ye Naturalizing Bill having made some Noise against the Jews, some people call'd out for ye Merchant of Venice, & a Letter was thrown upon ye Stage desiring that play instead of the Opera, but we took no Notice of it, some little hissing but it dy'd away (Cross). [Sometime in the calendar year 1753, Lacy and Garrick drew up a mortgage on the Drury Lane property for #10,000, to be amortized to James Clutterbuck over a period of twenty-one years at the rate of #4 per acting night, and permission to grant free seats in any part of the theatre (except the stage, scenes and orchestra) to forty persons. These latter to be named and seats assigned ten days prior to the opening of any season. This thirteen-page document, which describes accurately the bounds of the 13,134 square feet of land on which the ten buildings comprising Drury Lane Theatre stood, contains protective clauses for Clutterbuck, to the effect that Garrick and Lacy will exhibit nowhere else in London without the #4 nightly payment and for Garrick and Lacy, to the effect that arrears in payment could be collected solely from Drury Lane property, and not from the individual incomes of the mortgagees. It was not signed, so apprently was not executed. (See Havard, Collection of Documents dealing with affairs of Drury Lane, No 2, fMS, Thr 12.)] Receipts: #150 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Clive. A new Operetta. Farce dull & hiss'd at ye End (Cross). Music by D'Fesch. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Amphitheatre on Stage. N.B. Tis hoped Gentlemen won't take it ill that they can't be admitted into the Orchestra, as it will be impossible to perform the Entertainment without the whole band of Music. Tickets to be had of Mrs Clive at her Lodgings at the Wheatsheaf in Henrietta St. and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door. Receipts: #240 [Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr, Mrs and Master Simson. Tickets of Simson in Wild-Passage, Wild St., near Lincoln's Inn Fields, and at stage door. Mainpiece: Acted but once this season. Afterpiece: By Particular Desire. Receipts: #206 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #58 4s. Paid for sundries for Mr Ross, viz.: a hat at #1 1s. and a pair of shoes at 14 shillings for Essex; a pair of black shoes at 14 shillings and a pair of black shammy shoes at 10s. 6d. for Hamlet (Account Book). [See Hamlet in Shammy Shoes, by John Yoklavitch, Shakespear Quarterly, III (1952), pp. 209-18.

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. The Farce a Dramatic novel never acted (Winston MS 9). The Farce supposed to be wrote by Mr Colman, indifferently received, partly oweing to the Fright and Confusion of the Performers, who omitted some speeches on which the plot depended (Hopkins MS Notes)

Event Comment: Boxes, 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for Boxes of Mr Johnson at the stage door. No persons may be admitted behind scenes or into orchestra. No money to be returned after curtain is drawn up. [Usual note not to be further recorded.] Theatre newly painted and decorated (Winston MS 9)