Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: Rainy Lichfield

Tuesday, 4 August 2009

Rainy Lichfield

We had visitors at the weekend, so it was the perfect excuse to get down to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum again (not that I need much of an excuse). Took the above photograph of Johnson's statue, brooding over the rainy marketplace, from the third floor. Will it ever stop raining?

Photograph by Mrs Woffington: Some rights reserved (Attribution-NoDerivs License).

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2 comments:

Lauren Stowell said...: oh how I would so much rather be there than where I currently am, which is here :

http://canadacollege.net/international/images/sanjose.jpg

rain or no rain, I'm tired of the sunshine and want to wear my vaguely 18th c. inspired winter coats!!!; 5 August 2009 at 02:38
Mrs Woffington said...: Oh Lauren, lucky you! The rain continues in the UK, though I'm due for a short trip to sunny France very soon where I can hopefully wear something more stylish than a mac!; 5 August 2009 at 14:49

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.