Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington: The Queen's Rangers

Saturday, 11 July 2009

The Queen's Rangers

Here we have The Queen's Rangers: members of the Society of King George the Third, who provide lectures and displays about this British regiment, raised by Colonel Robert Rogers during the American War of Independence. Sadly, I missed the drills because I hadn't got hold of a programme, but it was great to see their distinctive uniforms and the regimental tents, complete with Georgian furniture.

Photographs © Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington.

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The Georgian Market

It's been the typical damp British summer weather for The Lichfield Festival's Georgian Market today, though it was still a very good turnout. There have been more Morris men than you could shake a bladder on a stick at, and there was even a temporary gibbet constructed outside the Cathedral, with an invitation to 'meet the executioner'.

Check out my pictures below; I'm not sure who the handsomely dressed soldiers were (above), waiting in line for a venison burger, or the lady in the pink gown by the ice cream van, but the chap speaking into a microphone was the ominous Night Soil Man. The last picture is of a lady I spotted outside the Johnson Birthplace Museum this morning playing Handel on a recorder.

Some more pix to follow in a separate post about the Society of King George the Third who provided men from The Queen's Rangers and a fantastic display on the lawn outside the Cathedral.

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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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