Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: Proximidade! Friendliness Award

Maintaining a blog can sometimes feel like running a marathon, and after a burst of activity last week, this week I’ve been flagging, so it was especially nice to receive another award from the lovely Vic at Jane Austen’s World - the timing was excellent, and it’s helped me revisit the Memoirs… with renewed energy. This is what the award involves:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

My winners are below. It's an award for blogs with historic content, but I confess, I stretched the rules with Meet And Two Veg: a blog by Midlands foodie Emily Bridgewater, and The Lichfield Blog, run by Sammy J, but they are both friendly and engaging blogs which I always enjoy reading.

Congratulations everyone!

The Thoughts of Eliza Ward
Scandalous Women
History Undressed
Lady Georgianna
Tempus Fugit
The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century
The Lichfield Blog
Meet And Two Veg

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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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9 comments:

Anonymous said...: Love your choices of blogs. Vic; 18 March 2009 at 14:28
Mrs Woffington said...: Thanks Vic! :); 18 March 2009 at 14:48
HMSAcasta.com said...: Thanks so much for the award!; 19 March 2009 at 04:14
Halldor said...: Mrs W, I've been wondering - is this in some way related to the celebrated PROXIMADE award?; 19 March 2009 at 13:05
Mrs Woffington said...: Halldor, thank you for revealing my sloppy proofing, but what's an i and a d among friends?; 19 March 2009 at 13:10
Heather Carroll said...: Thank you so much, how fabulous!; 19 March 2009 at 15:57
Anonymous said...: Thanks very much for the award - it's always good to hear people enjoy what we're doing because it can often feel you're bashing away at the computer for no-one but yourself!; 24 March 2009 at 09:01
Mrs Woffington said...: Hi Sammy J, it's a pleasure! Absolutely love your blog - you deserve the award.; 24 March 2009 at 10:08
Lady Georgianna said...: Thank you very much for the award! Sorry to have been so tardy in picking it up. If you read my latest post, you'll see why!; 9 April 2009 at 14:39