Event Comment: In a letter to the
Daily Post. 4 June, the Patentees of
Drury Lane-
Mary Wilks,
John Ellys,
Hester Booth, and
John Highmore-stated the cast of the Patentees. The gist of their statement is: (1) They operate under a Patent commencing 1 Sept. 1732 which, by Deaths and Legal Assignments, is the property of the four, with Highmore possessing one half, at an expence of #6,000 and upwards. (2) Several of the Players have threatened to desert the service of the Patentees and have contracted with some of the Trustees (the Sharers) to secure possession of the Theatre. (3) Drury Lane is let upon lease from the
Duke of Bedford, granted to
Thomas Kynaston and
Francis Stanhope, Trustees for the Sharers (commonly called Renters) of Drury Lane at the rent of #50 annually upon a Fine of 1,000 guineas paid for the renewal of the lease. (4) The Players, under the Patentees, have acted at Drury Lane for twenty-one years without any interruption form the Trustees upon the sole contract that the Patentees pay the Trustees #3 12s. each acting night, besides the Liberty of seeing Plays. (5) At the beginning of this Season the manager's office received a letter from a few of the Renters demanding an Advance of Rent. Highmore, being new, was concerned, and asked the managers to take care of the matter; and thereafter the signers (the Patentees) had heard of no further discontent among the Renters. (6) To defend themselves against stories of hardship or complaint by the actors, the Patentees point out that the following
weekly salaries had been paid:
Colley Cibber #12 12s.;
Theophilus Cibber #5;
Mills Sr, #1 daily for 200 days certain, and a benefit, clear of all charges;
Mills Jr #3;
Johnson #5;
Miller #5;
Harper #4;
Griffin #4;
Shepard #3;
Hallam, for himself and his father, the latter of little or no service, #3;
Mrs Heron #5;
Mrs Butler #3. For these charges and others, the Patentees stand a daily expence of #49 when the theatre is open. (7) Further, the Patentees paid Cibber Jr his wife's whole salary without her being able to act the greater part of the winter, #9
weekly for the two; Mills Jr, in the same circumstances with his wife, #5 10s.
weekly for the two; Miller a salary (amounting to #40) for eight weeks before he acted, and a gratuity of ten guineas; Griffin a present of ten guineas; Harper a present, amount not specified; Mrs Heron an increase form 40s. to #5
weekly, although she refused afterward to play several parts assigned her and acted but seldom