Event Comment: Benefit for Mrs Hartley. Mainpiece: By Particular Desire, with New Music, Dresses and Decorations. Interlude taken from Prior's celebrated poem, The Nut Brown Maid. Books of the Interlude to be had at the Theatre. Adapted by Henry Bate. Charges: #72 9s. 6d. Profit to Mrs Hartley #54 15s., plus #61 18s. from tickets (Box 202; Pit 76). Paid Whitfield for making cloaths #33 17s. 4d.; Paid Mr Walker for trimmings &c. #13 4s. Receipts: #127 4s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Smith. By Particular Desire. Afterpiece: Taken from The Jovial Crew. Part of pit laid into boxes. Send servants by 4 o'clock. Paid Mr Grimaldi's draft on Mrs Adams #100 (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #291 9s. 6d. Charges: #68 18s. Profits to Smith: #212 9s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. The Comedy of Old City Manners oblig'd to be deferr'd. On 31 Dec. (Sunday) died Th. Weston of Drury Lane Theatre (Winston MS 11). [See Memoirs of Thomas Weston that Celebrated Comedian (London, 1776, 59 pp). This year appeared A Serious Disuasion from Frequenting the Playhouse, by Jacob Orton (22 pp. pub. in Shrewsbury). His text is taken from Bulstrode's charge to the Grand Jury of Middlesex, 21 April 1718. "One Playhouse ruin'd more souls than fifty churches are able to save."] Paid Mr Grist on acct per Mr D. G. #20; Three extra trumpets 6 nights #6 15s. Supernumeraries for the Jubilee continued to cost 14s. 10d. during its run. Receipts: #219 12s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Garrick put the finish hand to the sale of half the patent &c. to Dr Ford, Linley, Ewart, and Sheridan for #35,000 to be delivered over in June next. Garrick it was said rais'd #12,000 last year by subscription to pay New Ornamentation, which cost #3000, so that the remaining #4500 and #35,000 was no bad interest for the #5,000 he gave in 1747. New property valuation giving him a...(Winston MS 11, from Burney News Cuttings). Paid Mr Palmer, spermacetti candle Bill #186 13s.; Mr Machin, Chorus, 19 times #4 15s. Rec'd Mr Percy's rent 1 year to Mich Last, #10; Stopages #14 5s. Receipts: #167 2s. (Treasurer's Book). From the Morning Chronicle, 19 Jan.: "David Garrick, Esq., has signed and sealed for the sale of his share in the patent and Property of Drury Lane Theatre. The purchasers are Dr Ford, Mr Ewart, Mr Linley, and Mr Richard Sheridan. The purchase money is #35,000. The public may now therefore depend upon it that this will be the last season of Mr Garrick's performing. The new proprietors as an act of their own, have stipulated that Mr Garrick shall continue to keep that box which has of late years been set apart for the accomodation of his family. Mr Garrick intimated last night to the audience his having sold his share in Drury Lane Theatre, by answering in the part of Abel Drugger , on being asked if he had any interest at the theatre, 'I had some, I don't know what I may have.'

Event Comment: The Characters will be dressed in the Habits of the Times. The Musick of Macbeth had a proper Attention paid to it in the getting up by Mr Linley (who composed the Additional Accompaniments) and went off with great Applause. Mrs Melmoth, who came out at Covent Garden [on 26 Feb. 1774], made her first Appearance upon this Stage in Lady Macbeth, was very wild in the Part, met with some Applause. The Play was dressed in the Habits of the Times. [Note added by J. P. Kemble: I have seen some of these Habits, and very paltry and very improper they were] (Hopkins Diary). [Mrs Melmoth was from the Edinburgh theatre.] Receipts: #191 1s. 6d