Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: Visiting Erasmus Bunny

Saturday 6 December 2008

Visiting Erasmus Bunny

Today we did our weekly visit to the herb garden at the back of the Erasmus Darwin House, to feed local celebrity, Erasmus Bunny. According to Jenny Uglow's book, The Lunar Men, Darwin's house originally looked east into the Cathedral Close, but Darwin added a new front (pictured below) facing west across what's now Beacon Street.

The courtyard at the back of the house has perhaps the best view in Lichfield, overlooking the herb garden with the cathedral spires rising behind it.

Erasmus Bunny lives in a hutch by the Cathedral gift shop, keeping up the tradition of a resident rabbit (we know from Darwin's letters that he kept 'queer-coloured rabbits'). Let's be honest, Erasmus is a pretty grumpy rabbit, especially when it's cold weather. Here he's refusing to leave his burrow...

But he's easily bribed with a handful of rabbit treats.

Then it's back home, pausing to admire the ornamental flagstones and the Darwin portrait.

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2 comments:

Vic said...: Love Erasmus bunny and the trip to Erasmus Darwin's house and herb garden. Thank you.; 28 January 2009 at 08:29
Mrs Woffington said...: Glad you enjoyed it! Erasmus Bunny gets fed, I think, by half the neighbourhood, hence his rather chubby appearance...; 28 January 2009 at 10:23

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Who was Mrs Woffington?

Virtually forgotten today, Margaret Woffington (also known as Peg or Peggy) would rise from humble origins to become one of Georgian London’s most famous actresses, sharing the stage with the likes of David Garrick and excelling in so-called ‘breeches roles’. Born around the year 1720 in Dublin, her childhood years were marred by the death of her father, which plunged her family into poverty. Having reputedly sold watercress barefoot in the streets of the Irish capital, she was soon talent-spotted by a tumbler known as Violante, who staged populist entertainments in booths around the city. Violante had a troupe of child actors called the Liliputians, and before long Woffington was making her debut as Polly Peachum in their version of The Beggar’s Opera. Moving to London, she gained plaudits for both her outstanding beauty and her talent – particularly in comedy – appearing at both Covent Garden and Drury Lane. Known for her quick wit and no-nonsense attitude, she had high-profile affairs with Garrick, Lord Darnley and Charles Hanbury Williams; she was also a generous benefactor, supporting her elderly mother and may even have endowed some almshouses in Teddington, where she had settled at the height of her success. She died, unmarried, in 1760, having suffered a long wasting illness, and is buried in Teddington's parish church of St Mary’s.

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