Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: 26/07/2009

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Peg Woffington Cottage

I’ve been horribly remiss with the blogging lately, but I’m back again with the cheering news that the Peg Woffington Cottage in Teddington (pictured here) has hit its 250th anniversary - an occasion marked by a coffee, birthday cake and champagne morning party held by The Teddington Society. I’m sure she would have approved. I went there once, having expected it to be open as a tea room, but the elderly owners had retired. Looks like they have some nice portraits of the Wof either side of the fireplace though, including Margaret ('Peg') Woffington by John Lewis (1753, above left). The cottage itself seems to be one of several almshouses she endowed rather than her own house, which was a grand building called Teddington Place on the banks of the Thames (long since demolished, sadly).

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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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