Event Comment: PPittard's Observations on Garrick's Acting pub. as 6 d. Dedicated to Earl of Chesterfield (Winston MS 8). [Joseph Pittard the actor? or pen name for John Shebbeare?] Receipts: #180 (Cross)

Event Comment: Receipts: #140 17s. Barry's 1!3 of surplus came to #20 5s. 8d. The Renters were this night increased to 17 by purchases of one share each by Robert Randoll, Margaret Randoll, and John Powell. Paid Mr Arne for composing the Music in Dioclesian, #26 5s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Clarke. Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years. [See 22 March 1750.] No building on the Stage. Receipts: #49 4s. 6d. Charges: #63. Deficiency covered by #114 14s. from tickets (boxes 160; pit 394; gallery 156). Rec'd from John Rich, #300, being part of the sum paid Mrs Finny on account of the New Building. Paid out for sundries from the theatres and sum, to Barry and Lee, #284 14s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Hillyard. Receipts: #46 17s. Charges: #63. Deficiency cover'd by tickets, #105 9s. (boxes 170; pit 279; gallery 211). Rec'd from John Rich, #100, being part of the sum paid to Mr Finny on account of the New Building (Account Book)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Use of the Marine Society. Towards collecting clothing and equipping the distressed (both men and boys) who are inclined to serve in the Navy. Boxes 10s. 6d. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. Upper Gallery 2s. Tickets to be had of Mr John Stephens, Secretary to the society, in Princes St., near the Bank; Batson's Coffee House, Cornhill; and of Mr Varney at the Stage Door, where Places may be taken. As this is the Entertainment exhibited this season for this most beneficial undertaking, by which so many distressed Persons as well as Vagabonds have been preserved and rendered useful in the highest degree, it is hoped the polite, the brave and humane, of both sexes, will shew their approbation of this design, by interesting themselves in the promotion of it

Event Comment: [This month published Observations on the Use of Theatres, their present regulations and possible improvements. Price 1s. Printed for Cooper. See review in Gentleman's Magazine (p. 232). Proposal is that the "conduct of theatrical entertainments be for the future taken under the care of the goverment, and a person of judgment and integrity appointed by the name of comptroller, or conductor of the stage, who alone shall determine what old plays shall be acted, and what new ones received; and who shall take charge of the money received, and defray the necessary expenses, accounting for the remainder to the public. The author seemingly Dr John Hill, lately (see 21 Dec. 1758) upset by the failure of his farce, The Rout. (Winston MS 8). Receipts: #108 (Cross); #122 6d. (Winston MS 8)

Event Comment: Receipts: #150. Paid Meares #1 6s.; Mock #1 10s.; Kemp #9 12s.; John Rich #500; Mrs Colman for a purple and silver gown #18 18s

Event Comment: Receipts: #146 1s. Paid John Rich on account #10 10s.; Lent Mr Buck #5 5s. and paid him for tambourines #1 4s

Event Comment: The Twenty-Third Day. Daily Advertiser, 18 Aug.: Last Saturday John Sterne was committed to Newgate by Justice Welch, for the Murder of Mr Matthews, an eminent Surgeon in Brook St., Holborn. [Sterne had been an usher in Mathews' Academy, was discharged, but Matthews let Sterne live in Matthews' house for a long time, then expelled him and put his belongings on the stairs. On Friday 15 Aug. Sterne got two pistols and came back to Owen's Coffee House. Here] he waited three Hours for Mr Matthews, who was gone with a Friend to the little Theatre in the Haymarket and afterwards into Company at the Pewter Platter, a publick house in Cross St. [There Sterne shot Matthews.

Event Comment: Benefit for Cresswick, Desse, Mrs Jansolin. Last time of performing till Whitsun holidays. Receipts: #25 plus #173 7s. 6d. from tickets: Cresswick #30 17s. (Box 53; Pit 106; Gallery 17); Desse #80 12s. (Box 146; Pit 186; Gallery 162); Mrs Jansoline #61 17s. (Box 105; Pit 130; Gallery 161). Rec'd from John Rich #200 by the hand of Mrs Rich. [The House is now showing a deficit of #727 5s. 11d. (Account Book).] Charges: #63 (Account Book)

Event Comment: A new English Comic Burletta from the Italian. Music by John Adolf? Hasse. To begin at half after seven

Event Comment: By Command of Their Majesties. John Rich, Master & Patentee of Covent Garden Theatre died (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: Benefit for Beard. Ladies desired to send servants by 3 o'clock. Music for the afterpiece by John Frederick Lampe

Event Comment: [This year was published, John Geere's Serious Consideration on Plays , Games and other Fashionable Diversions, showing the sinfulness and dangerous tendency therof (47 pp.).

Event Comment: full column letter to the public signed by John Beard appeared in the Public Advertiser announcing his agreement to the half-price demands of the rioters, and excusing himself for not acquiescing with more alacrity on the night of the demand. His excuse was that he was merely manager for other proprietors, and that property interest was involved in the financial sacrifice he was asked to make. He noted further reasons for not immediately giving in to demands of the rioters: Mr Beard had at that time received several anonymous threatening letters and notes concerning many other branches of what they called Reformation. He was ordered by one to add a farce to Love in a Village, or the House should be pulled about his ears. By andther he was commanded to put a stop to the farther representation of that Opera, upon the penalty of enforcing his compliance by a Riot the next night of performance, and very lately received certain information of meetings, which have already been held, and an Association forming to reduce the prices at the Theatre to what they were forty years since, tho' it is notorious the Expence of Theatrical Entertainments are more than doubled. For these reasons he looked upon the Occasion of the present disturbance only as a prelude to future violence; as the first not the last salutation of this extraordinary kind to be expected, and apprehended that too easy an acquiescence might possibly prove rather encouragement than prevention. Nevertheless in gratitude for the many favours and indulgencies received from the Publick, and from an earnest desire to promote that order and decorum so essential in all Public Assemblies, the Proprietors have now jointly authorized Mr Beard to declare that they shall think themselves equally bound with the managers of the other Theatre to an observance of those limitations which they have agreed to." This letter repeated in Public Advertiser, 3 March.

Event Comment: [This year was published The Companion to the Playhouse; or, An historical account of all the Dramatic Writers, and their works that have appeared in Great Britain and Ireland to the year 1764. Composed in the form of a Dictionary. for the more readily turning to any particular author or performance. Two vols. Dedicated to Garrick. (Who receives eleven and one-half columns of comment, more than any other dramatist.) This is the beginning of the Biographia Dramatica. This year was published Essays on Important Subjects intended to establish the Doctrine of Salvation by Grace, by John Witherspoon (President of Princeton). Vol. II, contained a Serious Enquiry into the nature and effects of the Stage," being an attempt to show that contributing to the support of a Public Theatre is inconsistent with the character of a Christian (112 pp).

Event Comment: Benefit for Miss Young. Afterpiece: Not acted in 20 years. Music by Dr Arne. [See John Lockman's Reflections concerning Operas, &c." in his introduction to his edition of Rosalinda (London, 1760), p. iv: 'A gentleman, well known for his musical compositions, is of opinion, that the reason why the Opera Rosamond tho' adorned with all the graces of lyric poetry, does not please from the stage, so much as might be expected, is owing to a circumstance that forms a beauty in the drama itself; I mean the suppos'd poisoning of Rosamond at the end of the second act, and her appearing no more upon the stage. Whilst this sheet was at press, I was told that Mr Arne has reduc'd this opera into one act, and set the whole anew; and so managed matters, that Rosamond appears throughout the whole drama. Tis said that the music of this new Rosamond is as delightful as that of another performance of Mr Arne's which now affords the town so agreeable an Entertainment."

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Benefit for Mrs Cibber. Send servants to keep places at 3 o'clock. Tickets deliver'd for King John will be taken. Garrick returned [from trip to France and Italy] to his house in Southampton St. (Winston MS 9)

Event Comment: Benefit towards the Increase of a Fund, established by the Performers of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden for the Support of Decayed Actors and their Families. This Fund having been begun by voluntary contributions among the performers, improved by a proportionable Weekly Deduction on their salaries, and intended as a reciprocal Provision for them their widows and children, in sickness and infirmity, it is humbly hoped and appeal to the Generosity of the Public will not be taken amiss. Such of the Nobility, Gentry, &c. who are pleas'd to favour this Undertaking, are desired to send for places, Box or Pit tickets, to Mr Sarjant, at the Stage Door. Mainpiece [by John Banks]: Not acted these 20 years. Occasional Prologue, written by Hull [printed in the Jester's Magazine, May 1766, p. 241]

Event Comment: Paid Mr Wegg 3 quarter's rent due Mich. last past #52 10s.; Paid John Bottomly for scarlet cloath #4; Miss Berkley on note #11 11s. Rec'd stoppages #4 11s. (Treasurer's Book). Thespis publish'd at 2s. Receipts: #261 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing the bagpipes in Midas 3 nights 15s. Paid Samuel Norman, carver, for 4 Grand state chairs #63 (Account Book). Receipts: #194 11s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Desire. Rec'd from Blackmore #6 6s. for two spring velvet suits of cloaths in his last bill. Paid John Sutherland playing the Bag Pipes in Faustus 4 nights #1 (Account Book). Receipts: #193 19s. (Account Book)

Event Comment: Paid Blandford (tallow chandler) 4th bill #34 6s. 6d.; Paid Colthorpe on acct for half season #157 10s.; Paid John Palmer for Spermacetti candles #118 14s. 6d.; Paid Daniel Malthus Esq one year's rent #30 7s. 6d.; Gave the Knight's Marshall men Xmas boxes 10s. 6d.; Duke of Cumberland's Footmen Xmas box, #2 2s.; Beadle and Watchmen Xmas Box 12s. 6d.; the Bricklayer man 2s. 6d.; Paid Roberts, shoemaker, on account #3 3s. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #139 5s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: By Particular Desire. Rec'd stopages #1 8s.; from John Palmer in part of his bond #70; Paid 5 days salary list #367 13s. 4d. Receipts: #173 16s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Went to the 2 shilling Gallery to see the new tragedy, with its musical entertainment The Cunning Man, a sort of translation of Rousseau's Devin du Village. Holland, Powell and Bensley played Warwick, Edward and Pembroke very well. Mrs Yates did great justice to Queen Margaret. Mrs Palmer did Elizabeth. The Prologue was spoken by Bensley, the Epilogue by Mrs Yates. The characters were very richly dressed in the dresses of the time. The improper use of ridiculous modern dresses on the stage often offends me (Diary of Sylas Neville, unpublished MS portion)

Event Comment: Paid John Sutherland for playing the Bagg Pipes 4 nights in Dr Faustus #1 (Account Book). Receipts: #190 3s. 6d. (Account Book)