Event Comment: Benefit Mrs Fryar, who has played but once since the days of King Charles, and taught three Queens to Dance

Event Comment: On this day died Mrs William Mills

Event Comment: Benefit Hatchett. Third Piece: an additional Addition of a new entertaining Scene. In which the whole Art and Mystery of Free-Masonry is delineated, by the Admission of a Lady. At 6:30 p.m. Tickets for Mrs Haywood's benefit taken this day

Event Comment: [This Pastoral Serenata first appeared 21 March 1744 at the Crown and Anchor in the Strand, qv. At that time Beard, Savage, Mrs Clive and Miss Edwards sang in it.] By Subscription for three nights will be performed an English Pastoral Serenata, set to Music by Mr DeFesch. Pit and Boxes laid together at 5s. First Gallery 2s. 6d. Upper Gallery 1s. 6d. On the 20th of March and 3rd of April will be performed a New Oratorio call'd Joseph, also set to Music by Mr DeFesch. For the encouragement of such persons as shall please to favour Mr Defesch by subscribing one Guinea, they shall be entitled to six tickets, each of which will admit one into the boxes, or Two into the Gallery. Nobody to be admitted into the boxes without printed tickets, which will be deliver'd at the theatre. Subscriptions to be taken till the 5th of March, at Mr DeFesch's at the sign of the Angel and Trumpet, in St. Martin's Lane, at the Bedford Coffee House, Covent Garden; and at Mr Page's Stage Door-keeper. To begin at half an hour after six. This day is publish'd Papal Tyranny in the Reign of King John. [No price given, but the 1st edition lists it as 1s. 6d. Watts would have had to sell about two thousand copies to cover his investment in copyright and printing costs.

Event Comment: About Ten o'clock this Morning Orders came from the Lord Chamberlain to Shut up the House on Account of the Death of the Princess Dowager of Wales who died this Morn[in]g between 6 & 7 o'clock (Hopkins Diary). [Closed through Sat., Feb. 15. No record in Treasurer's Book save "The Princes Dowager of Wales died this Morning."] Theatres clos'd on 8 Feb. and reopen'd on 17th Feb. for Augusta Princess Dowager of Wales (Winston MS 10). Paid salary list, at #83 9s. 9d. per diem, #500 18s. 6d.; Mrs Abington's Cloaths acct, #2; Mr S. French, 1 1!2 days 7s. 6d.; Mr Weston's note to Mr Holman, #8 3s. (Treasurer's Book). [The cast scheduled for mainpiece was that of 4 Feb.; for afterpiece that of 30 Dec. 1771. The dance between was to have been Sailor's Revels of 8 Oct. 1771.

Event Comment: Whitson Eve-No Play (Treasurer's Book). Paid 5 day's salary at #86 14s. 7d. per diem, #433 12s. 11d.; Mrs Weston 2 nights in Inst. of Garter, 5s.; Rec'd from Mr S. Barry's Bag #130 (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Weston. Tickets delivered for 7 April taken. It is agreed this day between Mrs Abington and Mr Garrick that the former shall be engag'd to him and Mr Lacy, Patentees of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, for three years from this date, or three acting seasons, at the sum of twelve pounds a week, with a Benefit, and sixty pounds for cloaths--the above agreement to be put into Articles according to the usual form. s@ Frances Abington, D. Garrick for himself and Mr Lacy (Folger Library, Garrickiana 962 MS [Cage, p. 154).] Receipts: #205 14s. 6d. Charges: #66 5s. Profits to Weston: #139 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [As mainpiece the playbill announces Love in a Village, but "Mrs Billington was taken ill & Rule a Wife was substituted" (MS annotation on BM playbill: cg, Vol. VI); as afterpiece St. Patrick's Day, but in the Account-Book (which also notes the change of mainpiece) it is deleted, and Three Weeks after Marriage substituted.] Receipts: #141 16s. (135.15.6; 6.0.6)

Event Comment: Medonte announced, but Morning Chronicle, 17 Dec.: By the sudden indisposition of Madame Banti, there was no opera on Saturday night. Ibid, 18 Dec.: Bills were posted up all over London in the forenoon, and a respectful card sent to the house of each subscriber. Morning Herald, 18 Dec., carries a statement signed by Pere Elisee saying that "about two o'clock, Saturday morning last, I was called out of my bed by a message that Mrs Banti was taken dangerously ill," that she so continues, and that as her physician he is "of opinion it will not be safe for her to quit her sick bed for several days yet to come.

Event Comment: Benefit for Havard and Mrs Havard. Tickets and places of Hobson at the stage door. Being the last time but one of Acting till the Holidays. [The following financial analysis appears in the page reproduced from the Clay MS, in the Oct. 1926 issue of the Connoisseur, p. 93.] @Cash #101 17s.@Tickets #61 6s.@#163 3s.@Stage #15 17s.@#3 1s. 6d.@#18 18s. 6d.@ Receipts: #170 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Play By Particular Desire. Last time of acting the Mainpiece this season. The Play of the Lover's Melancholy, and the Farce of the Club of Fortune Hunters, which were to have been acted this evening, for the Benefit of Mrs Macklin, are deferr'd till Thursday the 28th, on account of the Indisposition of Mr Barry; when tickets deliver'd out for the 22nd instant will be taken. Tomorrow, King Lear for the benefit of the suffers by the late fire. Receipts: #28 (Cross); #24 16s. 6d. (Powel)

Event Comment: Paid 1!2 year's water rent due Misdummer #1; Paid Read (Turner) for 5 wheels 5s.; Paid Mrs Rogers for wax, &c. 4s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #60 (Cross); #63 2s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs James and Miss Haughton. Tickets of Miss Haughton at a Grocer's, the corner of Broad Court, Bow St., Covent Garden, and of Mrs James at Mr Dale's Watch-maker in Little Wild St., and at the Stage Door. Receipts: #170 (Cross)

Event Comment: By Command K. & Q. Ode, Mr Garrick (Cross Diary). Waited on Mr & Mrs Barry to know if it would be agreeable to them to go in the Pageant [The Jubilee] on Saturday--They both agreed they would & Mr Barry said he could be able to walk in the Pageant if he could not play. A rehearsal of As You Like It was call'd by Mrs Barry's desire at Ten. She sent word to have the Rehearsal put off for half an hour. The Performers staid for her till past Eleven, but she not coming they went away (Hopkins MS Memorandum Book)

Event Comment: Bills was prhnted for Zingis but Mr Holland being taken very ill an Apology was made for the Change (Hopkins Diary). Chang'd from Zingis...Mr Holland Ill, Small Pox (Cross Diary). [The playbill for Zingis reads: Timur-Holland; Zingis-Aickin; Zemouca-Reddish; Cubla-Jefferson; Zena-Palmer; Aunac-Packer; Nevian-Bannister; Sidacou-Hurst; Nadir-Wright; Jelizou-Keen; Suida-Wrighten; Officers-Ackman, Fawcett, &c.; Mila-Mrs Stephens; Ovisa-Miss Younge.

Event Comment: Benefit for Jones, Walker, Mrs Simson and Mrs Cross. Tickets deliver'd by Mas. Blanchard, Stevens, Miss Berkley will be taken. Paid Mr Loutherbourg on acct #41 13s. 4d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #187 19s. Charges: #65 2s. Profits to beneficiaries: #22 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Lowe. Mainpiece: For the last time this season. Afterpiece: By Desire. Stage form'd into Front and Side Boxes. Tickets deliver'd out for The Recruiting Officer will be taken. Mainpiece: At the Particular Desire of Several Persons of Quality. Powel: Rec'd of Mrs Rudd, Fruit Woman, in Part #9. Receipts: #240 (Cross); house charges, #60 (Powel); cash, #78 15s. 6d.; tickets, #99 2s. (Clay MS)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Green. Being the last time of performing the mainpiece this season. Tickets of Mrs Green in Broad Court, Bow St., Covent Garden. There is now in Rehearsal a new Tragedy called Merope. Receipts: #140 (Cross); house charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: Benefit for Dunbar, Warner, Tomlinson, Mrs L'font. Tickets deliver'd out for A New Way to Pay Old Debts will be taken. Receipts: #110 (Cross); charges, #63 (Powel)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. Paid Norton 3 Chorus 15s.; Mr Knight for lamps &c. #10 11s.; for 15 lbs lampwick #1 5s.; Paid Leviez (Ballet Master) a bill as per order #13 19s., and ditto on a Note as per order #34 3s. (Treasurer's Book). We hear Mrs Pritchard, that justly celebrated Actress, is much recovr'd of her late illness, and we are in hopes that she will be able in a short time to perform again at Drury Lane (General Advertiser). Receipts: #140 (Cross); #153 6s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: MMrs Pritchard recover'd (General Advertiser). Paid loan to Mrs Berkley on note per order #4; Norton, 3 Chorus 15s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #140 (Cross); #97 15s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. Paid to Mrs Lycia Pecke her bill #50 4s.; to Mr Russel 1!2 year's rent to Xmas #30; Arne in full for bill #7 7s.; Norton 5 chorus #1 5s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #100 (Cross); #93 17s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)