15th October 1761

Went to Drury Lane to see a Wonder a Woman Keeps a Secrit Don Felix Garick Alissia Mrs Sibber wth Harliquin Ranger.
The King & Queen & the Royal family was their 2/3


The first play, by Susanna Centlivre, is still in print you can read the text here. This picture shows the author, who died in 1723.


This, somewhat later illustration shows Garrick playing opposite a different actress

Mrs Cibber was an actress & Singer who Thomas has mentioned before. Here she is playing opposite David Garrick in another play. This portrait is by Zoffany



He has also seen Harlequin Ranger before

Sadly, there do not appear to have been any suitable portraits of the King & Queen arriving at the theatre. Where were the paparazzi when I needed them?

3 June 1761 Went to Drury Lane to see Jane Shore. Mrs Yates Elisia Mrs Sibber Mr Shore Mr Havers Hastings Mr Garick Gloster Mr Davis wth Harlequin Ranger 2/3


I've found the text of the play here. It was written by Nicholas Rowe "in imitation of Shakespear's style", first performed at Drury Lane in 1714 and based on the life of a real woman, Jane Shore, a mistress of Edward IV.


Thomas saw Mrs Yates earlier in 1761 , has has heard Mrs Cibber sing as well as act...picture here.
Her part is properly "Alicia".

Mr Havers is difficult but I think this may be him

Harlequin Ranger is the short comic piece. It was written by Henry Woodward, a protege of Lun who was a famous Harlequin. Here is one of many portraits of him which survive.

1st June 1761 went to to Drury Lane to See King Lear.. Lear Garick Cordelia Mrs Sibber The King, Princess of Wales and the Rest of the Royal Family 2/3


Thomas has seen Garrick's Lear before and Mrs Cibber in another production but this must have been a very special event.

The King was the new George III. He was not yet married and his mother, Princess Augusta, the widow of his father, Frederick Prince of Wales, is the Princess of Wales mentioned.


The earliest portrait I can find of George III is by the Scottish artist, Allan Ramsay.


Here is his mother

Several other Princes and Princesses might be included in "the Rest of the Royal Family" but, of course, I don't know who was there.

No Turkey for Christmas

25 Dec 1742
Paid carriage of a Hare from Brother 6d
26 Dined on the Hare at Home 2 Days & spt 3d

That doesn't sound like a Merry Christmas, does it?

Then he eats out at friends' houses for a bit, then...

9 January 1742/3
Dined at Home in Stead of Xmas Day spent nothing

Did you know that "Xmas" was used so long ago?
Whatever does he mean by "in Stead"? He dined at home on 25 December.

10 January
Went to See King Richard the Third Garick Richard. Skeliton 2/- Aples 2d

Culture AND fruit!!! All on one day! (sorry, I feel sarcastic when I see how far from his 5 portions of fruit and veg a day Thomas was!).

Here is a wonderful Hogarth painting of David Garrick as Richard III. It was painted in 1745 but based on Garrick's appearance in 1743 which, by happy coincidence is the right year for this blog.
Thomas, as followers of this blog will remember, now lives in King Street, Covent Garden, so he is only round the corner from the theatre. It seems likely that John Rich, under his stage name Lun, was Harlequin in the comic piece which ended the evening.

Thomas goes to King Lear

31 May 1742
Went to see King Lear Garrick Lear 2/6

This is the first time Thomas has mentioned an actor, but, if you know one name from 18th century theatre, then this is it!

David Garrick came to London to be a wine merchant. He was not very good at that and his business lost money. However, he started to act within a year of seeing his first play. He quickly became a professional and on 11 May 1742 he appeared at Drury Lane, in Otway's The Orphan (which Thomas has already seen!). That same month, Garrick played King Lear opposite Margaret "Peg" Woffington as Cordelia.