Event Comment: Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. No persons to be admitted behind the scenes, nor any money to be returned after the curtain is drawn up. Places for boxes to be had of Mr Page at the Stage door. To begin at 6 o'clock. [Usual notice not to be repeated.] Rec'd from Mr Delamain for balance of his acct: #30; Commenced with a deficit brought over from Day Book I: #212 13s. 6d. Paid Nightly charges; #54 11s. 2d. Bridgewater in part of his bond: #50. Rich on Acct. #5 5s. (Account Book). [The income reduced the initial deficit to #124 10s. 2d. Day Book No. I, referr'd to seems not now to be extant. See note of solvency 9 Feb. 1750]. Receipts: #167 19s. 6d. (Source for all cg receipts is Account Book. Covent Garden, British Museum Egerton 2269.

Event Comment: MMr Rich's Entertainment call'd ye fair came out this Night at Cov. Garden (Cross). Paid Mr Kynaston 4 renter's shares 100 nights #46 13s. 4d.; Blandford (Tallow Chandler) #19 6s. 5d.; Wax and Brick dust 3s. 11d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #80 (Cross); #97 18s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: MMrs Cibber continuing ill, Miss Bellamy from Covent Garden Did Sigismunda for Mr Berry (Cross). Benefit for Berry. Tickets at Mr Pope's, Peruke Maker, in Russel St., Covent Garden, and at stage Door. Part of pit laid into Boxes. N.B. As Mrs Cibber's illness prevents her from performing the part of Sigismunda for Mr Berry's Benefit, he apply'd to Mr Rich, who very readily consented to let Mrs Bellamy play that part for him, which she as obligingly comply'd with. Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by the late Mr Farquhar. Receipts: #79 19s. (Account Book). [At this point Account Book, Egerton 2270, showed a deficit of #27 19s. 7d., which was wiped out by bringing over a balance of #290 5s. 6d., form the Journal, &c. No 21, Folio 186, a record which seems not now to be extant. This transfer of funds allowed Rich to meet the payroll of #251 17s. the following day.

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years. [See 22 March 1750.] No building on the Stage. Receipts: #49 4s. 6d. Charges: #63. Deficiency covered by #114 14s. from tickets (boxes 160; pit 394; gallery 156). Rec'd from John Rich, #300, being part of the sum paid Mrs Finny on account of the New Building. Paid out for sundries from the theatres and sum, to Barry and Lee, #284 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Receipts: #151 15s. 6d. Sent Mrs Ward by order of Rich #10. Paid Messrs Powell & Co for Miss White #3 12s

Event Comment: Receipts: #69. Paid J. Rich as per receipt #500. [The favorable balance of the house at this point was #1508.

Event Comment: Benefit for the General Lying-In Hospital, Duke Street. Receipts: #56, plus #142 6s. from tickets. Total #198 6s. Charges #84. Paid J. Rich on acct, #547 10s

Event Comment: Benefit for Miles, Mrs Baker, Miss Young. Tickets delivered out by Miss Ferguson will be taken. Receipts: #7 15s. 4d. covered by income from tickets. @Tickets Miles Box 15@Pit 178@Gallery 62@Value #36 13s.@Tickets Mrs Baker Box 86@Pit 124@Gallery 67@Value #46 16s.@Tickets Miss Young Box 18@Pit 75@Gallery 80@Value #23 15s.@Tickets Miss Ferguson Box 9@Pit 57@Gallery 39@Value #14 14s.@Total Box 128@Pit 434@Gallery 248@Value #121 12s.@ Paid Rich on account #21. Paid Meares 3s. [The house is now running a deficit of #371.

Event Comment: Memorandum: Mrs Baker, actress, died this day at Coventry on her Journey from Liverpool to London. Paid Mr J. Rich on Account #10. [This is Account or ledger Number 1 (Account Book).] Receipts: #71 11s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Afterpiece: A New Musical Entertainment never perform'd before. The Music composed by Dr Arne. Full Prices. Boxes #53 (Account Book). [About 212 persons in Boxes. A profitable and popular afterpiece for Rich, but it cost him each night this season 10s. 6d. for Mr Wrexell for the Clarinet, and 5s. to Dell for the French Horn.] Receipts. #181 8s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for a Citizen who has suffer'd greatly by Fire. Tickets (Box 24; Pit 178; Gallery 175) brought #50 4s. Money #72 16s. Total income #123. Charges #85; Expenses #33 5s. 6d. On account to Rich #10. Receipts: #85 5s. (Winston Theatrical Record)

Event Comment: TThe Mistake names as mainpiece in Rich's Register (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: NNeville MS Diary: To Ranelagh to hear a grand Jubilee Entertainment; it is the most elegant public room in the world and must give foreigners a high idea of the riches of our nation. It is circular and the fireplace is under a circular Portico in the middle, round which are tables at which the company are served with tea and coffee, and there are two sets of boxes at the side one above another for the same purpose. The landing room from the river which projects a little into the water commands a fine view of the river and country...Saw the Tripoline ambassador in the dress of his country. Took notice of a Miss Spencer and a Miss Johnson, two pretty ladies of the town, the latter had one of the prettiest faces I ever saw. Brunswick, Cumberland...Tripolian Ambassador...Miss Spencer and a Miss Johnson, two pretty ladies of ye town... were there...Began to use an Opera glass

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Siddons. Mainpiece: Not acted these 3 years. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion Ladies are desired to send their Servants by half past Four o'clock. [Mrs Siddons's 1st appearance as Lady Randolph was at Manchester, 5 Feb. 1777.] "The Siddons, younger and more rich in natural Gifts, certainly offers much to the Mind, and yet much more to the Eye. The Crawford, by some means or other, offers more to the Heart" (Public Advertiser, 24 Dec). Receipts: #303 8s. 6d. (156/2/0; 10/13/0; 0/13/6; tickets: 136/0/0) (charge: free)

Event Comment: At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. At 6 p.m. Post Boy, 28 Sept.: We hear that last Week Mr Rich made an Assignment of the New Theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, and his Patent granted by King Charles II to Mr Keene and Mr Bullock jun. and that they open on Saturday next, with a celebrated Play of Shakespear's call'd, Cimbiline, which will be entirely new dress'd

Event Comment: Benefit Miss Norsa. At the Desire of several Persons of Quality. Written by the late Mr Gay. Receipts: money #55 4s.; tickets #86 19s. [For a discussion of Rich's treatment of The Mock Lawyer, see Grub St. Journal, 26 April.

Event Comment: No receipts in Egerton 2267. Rich's Register: Dismiss'd

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. [See Mlle Auguste's letter to the Public in London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 7 Dec., accusing Fleetwood of putting her name in the bills after she had renounced his employment, and had gone over to Rich. For her actual 1st appearance see cg 7 Dec.] Receipts: #90

Event Comment: Both pieces by Command of The Prince of Wales. A new Scene was introduc'd of Beasts in Mr Rich's Entertainment as an Ostrich a Lyon, Dog, Monkey, 2 small Ostrichs & A Figure like Maddox upon ye Wire & writ up ye new Company of Comedians Hiss'd a good Deal (Cross). [See cg 2 Nov.] Receipts: #190 (Cross)

Event Comment: A Gentleman did Theodosius. First appearance. He played pretty (Cross). He is identified as William? Smith in Rich's Register

Event Comment: Receipts: Benefit for Jackson, Charges #84. Cash #49 16s. 6d. plus #113 19s. from tickets (Boxes 83; Pit 432; Gallery 284). Total Income #163 15s. 6d. Paid Rich on account #500; Paid Ledley for 16 doz. Wax Candles #24 16s

Event Comment: Boxes #84 12s. 6d. Macklin's fifth part of surplus came to #30 14s. 9d. Paid Pattinson, Tallow Chandler #52 2s. Paid Coal Merchant in Full as per bill #71 13s. Paid Mr Rich #5 5s. to give to Miss Fielding for her performance in the part of Bertha in the Royal Merchant of the 7th Inst. (Account Book). Receipts: #216 14s

Event Comment: Full Prices. There will not be room behind the Scenes for more than the persons acting in the coronation, [Others] cannot possibly be admitted. The coronation of their Majesties was followed by a stage representation of it at both houses...Garrick knew that Rich would spare no expense in the presentation of his show; he knew too that he had a taste in the ordering, dressing, and setting out these pompous processions, superior to his own; he therefore was contented with the old dresses which had been occasionally used from 1721-1761. This show he repeated for near forty nights successively, sometimes at the end of a play, and at other times after a farce. The exhibition was the meanest, and the most unworthy of a theatre, I ever saw. The stage was...opened into Drury Lane; and a new and unexpected sight surprised the audience, of a real bonfire, and the populace huzzaing and drinking porter to the health of Queen Anne Bullen. The Stage in the meantime, amidst the parading of Dukes, duchesses, archbishops, peeresses, heralds &c. was covered with a thick fog from the smoke of the fire, which served to hide the tawdry dresses of the processionalists. During this idle piece of mockery, the actors, being exposed to the suffocations of smoke, and the raw air from the open street, were seized with colds, rheumatisms, and swelled faces. At length the indignation of the audience delivered the comedians from this wretched badge of nightly slavery, which gained nothing to the managers but disgrace and empty benches. Tired with the repeated insult of a show which had nothing to support it but gilt copper and old rags, they fairly drove the exhibitors of it from the stage by hooting and hissing, to the great joy of the whole theatre....Rich...fully satisfied [the publick's] warmest imaginations (Davies, Life of Garrick, I, 365 ff.)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; P 2 (?), by Charles Dibdin and James Messink; synopsis of plot in London Chronicle, 30 Dec.]: To conclude with a Procession of the principal Grand Masters, from the Creation to the present Century, dressed in the Habits of their respective Ages and Countries. With new Music [by Charles Dibdin], Scenes, Dresses, Pageants, and Decorations. The paintings executed by Richards, Carver, Hodgins, and assistants. Books of the Songs, with an Explanation of the Pageants, to be had at the Theatre. Nothing under full Price will be taken. "To give magnificence a meaning, and unite antiquarian knowledge with polite entertainment, was a task hitherto unattempted by the contrivers of our Pantomime exhibitions. Such praise, however, the acting manager of Covent Garden theatre may justly claim, on the score of Harlequin Free-Mason, which is now representing before greater crowds than perhaps were ever attracted by Perseus and Andromeda [in 1730], the Rape of Proserpine [in 1727], or the celebrated Sorcerer [i.e. The Magician, in 1721]. The beauty of the first scene, in which a setting sun is admirably contrived, the Dutch winter piece, with numberless skate[r]s moving in the most natural attitudes, and, above all, the imperfect building, finished in a moment at the command of Harlequin, can be exceeded only by the pomp of the historic procession which closes the whole, and offers the richest and most intelligent spectacle that ever yet appeared on an English stage" (Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1781, pp. 58-59, which also prints a detailed description of the pageant). Account-Book, 1 Feb.: Paid Dibdin for music of Harlequin Free-Mason #70. Receipts: #236 2s. (230.3; 5.19)