Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: Minster Pool

Showing posts with label Minster Pool. Show all posts

Monday, 12 October 2009

Displacement Activity #256

Lichfield really is very beautiful in Autumn, and so I went for a walk today and took pictures of Minster Pool instead of getting on with the pressing business of finishing my novel. To be honest it was a welcome distraction from writing about the failed invasion of Britain by the French in 1744.

Another pleasant distraction was this invitation (below) which I received last week from our friend Dr Erasmus Darwin. It seems I am to attend a Christmas supper at his house in December where he will be serving Yorkshire Christmas pye, plum porrige, tansy pudding, potted cheese and sack possets. I can't wait...

Photograph © Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington.

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Sunday, 4 January 2009

Frozen Lichfield

I took this picture yesterday; I've never seen the Pool so thoroughly frozen before. The poor ducks were having to slide gingerly across the ice to get the pieces of bread thrown in by passers-by.

Minster Pool, Lichfield © Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington.

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Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Minster Pool

Minster pool at dusk today, as I was coming back from Christmas shopping.

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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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