Event Comment: Benefit for Cooke. Part of Pit laid into Boxes. Stage form'd into front and side Boxes. Tickets and Places to be had of Cooke at Mr Clark's, an Upholsterer, in James Street, Covent Garden; and of Hobson at the Stage Door. Receipts: #200 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel); cash, #55 17s.; tickets,124 3s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Tickets and Places of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St. next Southampton St., Covent Garden; and of Hobson at the stage door. Being the last time of acting till the Holidays. Cash, #92 12s.; tickets, #56 8s.; total, #149 (Clay MS page reproduced in Oct. 1926 issue of Connoisseur, p. 93). A few days ago arriv'd in Town Mr Sheridan, Manager of the Theatre Royal in Dublin, and we hear as his stay is to be but short, he intends to perform only once, for the benefit of the poor sufferers by the late Fire (General Advertiser). [The fire happened the 25th in "Exchange alley (London) and in the space of 10 hours consumed a great number of houses occupied by persons in middling circumstances and with large families." Subscriptions were raised and distributed by a committee of ten bankers. See General Advertiser.] Receipts: #160 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: [Benefit for Berry and Mrs Green. Stage form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Tickets of Hobson at stage door; or Berry at his lodgings in Little Bridges St., Covent Garden; and Mrs Green at her Lodgings at the Green Canister in Great Shier Lane, Carey St., Lincolns Inn. [This day one B. B. (presumably Macklin) inserted a letter to the author of the General Advertiser in that paper framing the historical background for the Lover's Melancholy, to be performed as benefit for his wife on 22 April. It gave a short account of the author (John Ford), his works in general, and of that dramatic piece in particular, and sought to align Ford as an intimate and profess'd admirer of Shakespeare. See comment for 23 April]. Receipts: #207 (Cross); house charges, #63 N.B.: Mr Berry paid, but at the rate o 60 pounds for his benefit, therefore I must make a draw back of #1 10s. for his half (Powel); cash, #88 9s. tickets, #118 12s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mr Mills and Wife (Cross). Three rows of the Pit will be laid into Boxes. Tickets and places to be had of Mills at Gardyner's Printing Office, in Russel St., Covent Garden; or of Hobson at the stage door. Servants allowed to keep places on the stage. Last time of acting the opera this season. Receipts: #240 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Leviez, Ballet Master. Tickets deliver'd for Romeo and Juliet will be taken. Mr Leviez is oblig'd to change the play on account of Mrs Cibber's illness. Romeo advertis'd but Mrs Cibber's illness chang'd it (Cross). Tickets to be had of Leviez at his house in Great Queen St., and of Hobson at the Stage Door. Receipts: #180 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Paid Mr Spencer writing Music for Chaplet #6 8s. 6d.; Salary list #254 7s. 11d.; Norton 4 chorus singers #1; Mrs Hobson a bill 10s. 5d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #100 (Cross); #105 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for ye Author (Cross). Tickets for the Boxes may be had fo Mr Rush, in Porter St, Leicester Fields, and of Hobson at the stage door (General Advertiser). Paid Blandford (Talow Chandler) #18 8s.; Knight, Lampman #9 1s.; Mrs Reynolds for wax and Brick dust 4s. 7d.; for a Point d'Espagne Hat for Sowdon #3 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #150 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for a young Gentlewoman in Distress thro' ye Bankrupcy of her Guardian (Cross). [Treasurer's Book lists Miller of Mansfield as the Afterpiece, and indicates the ready cash for Mrs Crokatt, the young gentlewoman, was #63 2s.] Paid 1!2 year's Poor rate due Xmas #17 13s. 4d.; Paid Mrs Reynolds for wax & Brick dust 3s. 11d. (Treasurer's Book). [Winston MS 7 lists Intriguing Chambermaid as afterpiece.] Tickets to be had at Mr Owen's at Temple Bar; Batson's Coffee House in Cornhill, and of Hobson at the stage door. Receipts: #210 (Cross); charges #80 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Elmy. Ladies are desired to send Servants to keep Places at 3 o'clock. Tickets and places to be had of Mrs Elmy at the corner of Tavistock St., in Southampton St., and of Hobson at the stage door. Cash receipts #63 6s., plus #74 6s. from tickets. Total #137 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Mr Delane dy'd Sun: ye 1st of Ap. (Cross). The Masque of Comus, design'd to be perform'd at Drury Lane Wednesday next, the 4th of Apl, for the Benefit of Mrs Foster, Granddaughter of Milton, and his only surviving descendant, is, by particular desire of several persons of Quality, on account of Handel's Oratorio deferr'd till Thursday the 5th instant (General Advertiser). Receipts. #150 (Cross); charges #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: To Relief Mr Monett, from his distresses and enable him to return to his own country, By his Majesties Comedians at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, Tuesday May 22 will be presented a Comedy, call'd The Suspicious Husband...Tickets and places to be had of Hobson at the stage door of the Theatre (General Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for Sowdon. Ladies send servant by three. Tickets at Will's Coffee House in Cornhill; at Mr Thomas Sowdon's in Blackman St., Southwark, and of Hobson at the stage door. Receipts: #230 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Woodward. Afterpiece: A New farce written by Mr Woodward-for his Benefit, The farce was a kind of dispute among ye Actors, & went off, as it was a Benefit, without Interruption, but I believe will not be play'd agen, ye Epil: was a parody upon Shakespear's Stage of Life, & was Lik'd (Cross). No Part of Pit will be rail'd into the Boxes. Ladies send servants by three. Tickets to be had of Woodward at Clarendon's Warehouse, and of Hobson at the stage door. Last time of performing the mainpiece this season. [Larpent MS 92, indicates the afterpiece as a criticism from the actors' view of the way they are handled by audiences, and of their own damnation of a play presented to them. All works up to the Epilogue: @'All the town's a farce-he says and swears,@And all the men and women merely players...'@ which is severe upon politicians, doctors, statesmen and connoisseurs. The characters appear under their own names, Cross, Clive, etc.] Receipts: #300 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Yates. Tickets and places to be had of Yates, next door to Mr Walsh's Music Shop, in Catherine St. in the Strand, and of Hobson at the Stage Door. Tickets deliver'd for the 25th of March will be taken. Receipts: #200 (Cross)

Event Comment: Benefit for Hobson. Tickets and places of Hobson at the stage door of the Theatre. Presentment of the Grand Juryv for the County of Middlesex: We the Grand Jury sworn to enquire for our Sovereign Lord The King, and the body of this county, have observed from most of the presentments delivered to us by the Constables of this County, that they have been, as we apprehend and fear, very remiss in their duty, by returning their several districts to be quiet and in good order. Whereas the contrary does most manifestly appear, in many instances as well from the accounts or advertisements we read in the daily Papers, printed and dispersed within the County (inviting and seducing, not only the inhabitants, but also all other persons, to several places kept apart for the encouragement of Luxury, Extravagance, and Idleness, and we fear other wicked, illegal purposes, which by such means go on with impunity, to the destruction of many families) as otherwise to the great Dishonour of the Kingdom...especially at a time when we are engaged in expensive Wars, and so much overburdened with Taxes of all sorts, both Parliamentary and Parochial, that it is much as a prudent man can do, without a taste to extravagant and illegal pleasure to support himself and family according to his degree and station in life under the most regular economy. [If unchecked this bad example will lead to National destruction]. We do accordingly hereby present as places riotous, of great extravagance, luxury, idleness, and ill fame, the several house &c following: [lists two gambling houses, then the Proprietors of the avenues leading to the several playhouses for not preventing wicked loose and disorderly persons from loitering at the front of their several houses on nights of the play to the prejudice of playgoers.] 4. Saddlers Wells, near Islington; 5. New Wells, Goodman's Fields; 6. New Wells, Clerkenwell; 7. The Proprietors of a Place call'd Hallam's New Theatre at Mayfair. Prays that the court will close all listed. N.B. Many people believed that after this presentment, the places mentioned would be shut up or reformed, but they advertise and continue the same diversions as before.-Gentlemen's Magazine (May, 1744), pp. 278-79

Event Comment: Benefit for Beard. Part of Pit will be rail'd into Boxes, where servants may keep Places and on the Stage. Tickets to be had of Beard at his House in New North St., Red Lion Square, and of Hobson at the stage door. Rec'd front Cash #67 12s., plus #132 13s. in tickets. Total #200 5s. Paid Hobson for 2 suits of cloaths #21; Salary list #203 7s.; Norton for 1 chorus 5s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #205 (Cross); charges, #63 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit Robinson, Wright, Hobson. Mainpiece: Taken from the French of Moliere. [Tickets for Gillibrand, Fulwood, Lee also taken.

Event Comment: Benefit Hobson, Beckham, Allen, Miss Cole

Event Comment: Benefit Bradshaw, Boxkeeper; Hobson, Housekeeper and Stage Door Keeper. Tickers for Gillibrand and Walker also taken

Event Comment: Benefit Bradshaw (Boxkeeper), Hobson (House Keeper and Stage Doorkeeper). Afterpiece: Written by the Author of Pasquin. [Tickets for Rumball taken.

Event Comment: Benefit Hobson (House Keeper and Stage Door Keeper), and Moor

Event Comment: Benefit Hobson (House-Keeper). Tickets for a widow under Misfortunes will be taken. Receipts: #170

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Written by Shakespear [customary note for all performances of this play this season. It will not be recorded further. Places to be taken at the Stage Door of the Theatre, indicates the building of a new tickets office for occupancy this season by Hobson, who replaces Bradshaw as Box Book-Keeper]

Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Clive. By Command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Servants will be admitted to keep places on the stage, which for the better accommodation of the Ladies, will then be form'd into an Amphitheatre. Ladies are desir'd to send their servants by 3 o'clock. Tickets and Places to be had of Mrs Clive, at her house in Great Queen St, Lincoln's Inn Fields; and of Hobson at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit Delane. Tickets to be had at Delane's Lodgings, in Queen's Court, King St., Covent Garden; Places to be taken for Boxes of Hobson at the stage door of the theatre

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Pritchard. Servants will be admitted to keep Places on the stage, which for the better accommodation of the Ladies will be form'd into side boxes. Tickets and places to be had at Mrs Pritchard's, at the Blue Door in Great Queen St., Lincoln's Inn Fields, or of Hobson at the stage door. Numbers of Counterfeit tickets on Benefit nights, having lately been sold in the passages leading to the Theatre, 'tis desired no Persons will buy any there, Care being taken to prevent all tickets so bought from being admitted