53:
429:
420:, which allowed the couple to financially prosper. In addition, he was appointed to the lay office Auditor-General of the Revenues of America. Woffington and her husband were also able to acquire wealth through their family's wills. As Peg's designated heir, Woffington received the majority of her sister's property after her death in 1760. Through Walpole's will, she and her family received £1,500 while Earl Cholmondeley, whose finances had partly recovered, made her sons residual legatees of some properties in London in his will.
373:... as vivacious as she was playful in her conversation. Lively, amusing, full of life, she succeeded in attracting people. Well fitted to fascinate those she moved among, she could be serious, grave, even austere when she judged such an attitude necessary to win a good opinion for herself. Above all she excelled in subtle flattery, not going out of her way to be complimentary, but it was quite natural, quite uncalculating. On every possible occasion when she was with friends she would praise the absent.
401:, and clergymen". Woffington was popular in London drawing rooms for her "engaging personality and quick intelligence", as well as her connections in theatrical and intellectual circles, and she came to have a "modest salon". Woffington was a frequent subject of Walpole's letters; he squired her in France and introduced her to
482:
Robert
Cholmondeley died on 6 June 1804. Mary Woffington died in England on 4 April 1811 following a long illness, outliving her sister by 51 years. In her will, Woffington ensured her son George was "amply provided for" and transferred all of the property she received in her sister's will to her
350:: "My family has just undergone a severe trial: my nephew has married the sister of a play-actress", and stated the marriage threatened to ruin the Cholmondeley family. Upon meeting Woffington, however, Walpole was charmed by "her beauty, grace, and wit", and he insisted on introducing her to the
405:, who in turn sponsored her in Parisian high society. After spending a year in France, Woffington became disinterested in high society, preferring to be "in the company of artists, actors, and literary folk". She and Johnson maintained their close friendship until his death in 1784.
446:
Woffington and
Cholmondeley had ten children together, though there are conflicting accounts of how many survived into adulthood. Byrne-Costigan states nine of the ten "made splendid marriages", while according to Philip H. Highfill and
354:. Earl Cholmondeley was convinced by Peg, who said: "My lord, I have much more reason to be offended at it than your lordship, for I had before but one beggar to maintain, and now I have two", because the couple lived in a house in
451:, only four and five, respectively, survived past infancy. Of these five, three died relatively young; one daughter Henrietta Maria died as a child sometime after 1760, another daughter was killed in a carriage accident at
258:
would later become a successful stage actor in
Ireland and England. Little is known about Mary's youth but it is likely she had minor roles in her sister's productions, including nearly 100 performances of
290:, where she began courting members of the local gentry. During this period, Mary determined to become an actor like her sister and fortune-tellers predicted a successful career. Peg, with the help of
265:
at New Booth
Theatre, Dublin. Her father died when she was young, and she remained in Ireland with her mother while her sister pursued an acting career in England. Woffington joined her sister in
408:
According to Byrne-Costigan, Woffington's husband "adored her and treated her like a spoiled child". After leaving the army, he declared himself a "man of peace" and became a priest in the
326:
Following her brief acting career, Mary
Woffington returned to Teddington and continued to court the local gentry. By mid 1746, she courted Robert Cholmondeley, a disgraced captain in the
318:. Her performance was mediocre, though critics and audience were "indulgent" and "courteous". After this, Mary lost interest in acting and did not take to the stage again.
836:
254:, Ireland, in 1729. She was nicknamed Polly, and was the second daughter of Catholic bricklayer Arthur or John Woffington and his wife Hannah. Mary's older sister
346:, the already-impoverished Earl Cholmondeley wrote the marriage had alarmed his creditors, forcing him to sell much of his remaining property. Walpole wrote to
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17:
343:
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711:
683:
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1205:
1200:
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at
Teddington. Mary's professional debut occurred on 30 March 1745, when she performed the role of the maidservant Cherry in
782:
721:
693:
1230:
1032:
A Biographical
Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers and Other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800
776:
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915:
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1123:
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in 1772 and died there on 29 April 1777. Of the two remaining known children, their daughter Hester
Frances married
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1195:
255:
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338:, without the approval of either of their families. The marriage was initially opposed by Earl Cholmondeley and
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In mid 1744, aged 15, Woffington returned to
England and moved into her sister's country house at
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310:
538:(11 May 1745) fairly hid himself, for which he was disgracefully broke at the head of the army".
467:
and their eldest son George James
Cholmondeley was married three times; his fathers-in-law were
464:
386:
1018:"Their Majesties' Servants": Annals of the English Stage, from Thomas Betterton to Edmund Kean
1115:
1064:
491:
456:
276:
261:
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1160:
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974:
468:
362:
8:
1074:
The Life and Adventures of Peg Woffington: With Pictures of the Period in which She Lived
1012:
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and is based on the life of Woffington's sister. Among the actors who portrayed Mary are
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394:
304:
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397:, frequently dining at Reynolds's house. She became acquainted with "scholars, artists,
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535:
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in 1740. On 20 April 1741, Mary had a minor role as a child dancer in a performance of
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222:. After a failed attempt at an acting career, Mary married the second son of the
58:
279:. Later that year, Peg funded Mary's education at a Catholic convent school in
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Woffington was quickly welcomed into high society, becoming close friends with
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and chose to live as a socialite. With connections in both English and French
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Men, Women and Books: Selection of Sketches, Essays, and Critical Memoirs
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Highfill, Philip H.; Burnim, Kalman A.; Langhans, Edward A. (1993).
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557:
385:. Through Johnson, she became associated with other members of
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in 1806 while serving as lady-in-waiting for Crown Princess
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and others, aided Mary by staging a practice performance of
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652:
459:, and their second son Robert Francis travelled to the
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760:
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214:(1729 – 4 April 1811) was an Irish socialite of the
1097:Woffington: A Tribute to the Actress and the Woman
486:Mary Woffington is a character in the stage play
412:. Through his family, he was able to acquire two
1152:
245:
973:
705:
677:
342:, Robert's maternal uncle. In a letter to the
332:George Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley
194:George Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley
1124:"Mary Woffington, the Hon. Mrs. Cholmondeny"
334:. The couple married on 30 November 1746 at
1216:Irish emigrants to Kingdom of Great Britain
1104:
51:
1137:Moore, F. Frankfurt (20 September 1899).
583:
432:Painting of Woffington and her family by
34:For other people with the same name, see
1100:. Troy: Nims and Knight. pp. 66–68.
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158:
29:Irish actress and socialite (1729–1811)
14:
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761:Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1993
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647:Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1993
620:Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1993
579:
577:
575:
567:Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1993
477:John Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney
162:
24:
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1037:Southern Illinois University Press
218:. Her sister was the famous actor
36:Mary Cholmondeley (disambiguation)
25:
1252:
916:"New Bills Draw Well at Theaters"
572:
1132:. 12 September 1897. p. 17.
942:"Grace George in 'Pretty Peggy'"
934:
908:
882:
856:
829:
801:
490:, which was written in 1902 by
358:that Peg rented and furnished.
154:
1191:18th-century English actresses
1071:Molloy, J. Fitzgerald (1897).
966:
842:Museum of the City of New York
817:. 11 November 1905. p. 12
584:Geoghegan, Patrick M. (2009).
520:
369:more beautiful than her sister
365:describes Mary Woffington as:
234:", and was close friends with
13:
1:
1226:18th-century English nobility
896:. 22 February 1906. p. 2
591:Dictionary of Irish Biography
586:"Woffington Margaret ('Peg')"
545:
437:
230:, she came to have a "modest
1206:18th-century Irish actresses
1201:Actresses from Dublin (city)
1035:. Vol. 16. Carbondale:
550:
250:Mary Woffington was born in
246:Early life and acting career
212:Mary Woffington Cholmondeley
18:Mary Woffington Cholmondeley
7:
1231:Nobility from Dublin (city)
870:. 23 August 1905. p. 3
10:
1257:
1077:. London: Downey & Co.
950:. 14 March 1903. p. 3
894:The Beatrice Daily Express
534:in the guards, and at the
33:
1111:The Life of David Garrick
922:. 3 March 1914. p. 2
296:Richard Brinsley Sheridan
256:Margaret "Peg" Woffington
180:
172:
138:
128:
111:
95:
66:
50:
43:
1129:Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper
984:Dublin Historical Record
947:The Indianapolis Journal
864:"'Pretty Peggy' Pleases"
513:
1241:People from Westminster
1196:English child actresses
1021:. Vol. 2. London:
837:"Plays, 'Pretty Peggy'"
1181:People from Teddington
1176:Socialites from London
1116:Simpkin & Marshall
1065:Smith, Elder & Co.
465:Sir William Bellingham
443:
375:
336:St Anne's Church, Soho
330:and the second son of
1211:Irish child actresses
1186:Actresses from London
1023:W. H. Allen & Co.
975:Byrne-Costigan, Ethna
600:10.3318/dib.009099.v1
492:Frances Aymar Mathews
457:Caroline of Brunswick
431:
367:
277:Covent Garden Theatre
868:The Berkeley Gazette
469:John Pitt of Encombe
363:Ethna Byrne-Costigan
311:The Beaux' Stratagem
224:Earl of Cholmondeley
161:; died
1221:Cholmondeley family
706:Byrne-Costigan 1979
678:Byrne-Costigan 1979
395:Sir Joshua Reynolds
322:Life as a socialite
305:The Distrest Mother
300:George Anne Bellamy
144:Robert Cholmondeley
920:The Evening Herald
736:, p. 226–227.
622:, p. 225–226.
536:Battle of Fontenoy
473:Sir Philip Francis
444:
424:Children and death
316:Drury Lane Theatre
272:The Double Gallant
262:The Beggar's Opera
89:Kingdom of Ireland
1106:Fitzgerald, Percy
1046:978-0-8093-1803-2
814:The Dayton Herald
530:, Robert "was an
483:daughter Hester.
410:Church of England
403:Madame du Deffand
352:Dauphin of France
344:Duke of Newcastle
209:
208:
103:(aged 81–82)
16:(Redirected from
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1171:Irish socialites
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1139:"A Poor Actress"
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979:"Peg Woffington"
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71:Mary Woffington
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59:William Hogarth
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45:Mary Woffington
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809:"Pretty Peggy"
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763:, p. 227.
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651:
649:, p. 226.
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612:
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517:
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504:Evelyn D'Alroy
496:Lucile Gleason
425:
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414:church livings
383:Samuel Johnson
379:Frances Burney
340:Horace Walpole
323:
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247:
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240:Samuel Johnson
236:Frances Burney
220:Peg Woffington
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202:(uncle-in-law)
200:Horace Walpole
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188:Peg Woffington
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1118:. p. 81.
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708:, p. 18.
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528:James Boswell
526:According to
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508:Margaret Mayo
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1145:. p. 7.
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1017:
991:(1): 11–21.
988:
982:
954:21 September
952:. Retrieved
945:
936:
926:21 September
924:. Retrieved
919:
910:
900:21 September
898:. Retrieved
893:
890:"Amusements"
884:
874:21 September
872:. Retrieved
867:
858:
848:21 September
846:. Retrieved
840:
831:
821:21 September
819:. Retrieved
812:
803:
768:
729:
713:
701:
685:
615:
605:21 September
603:. Retrieved
589:
522:
488:Pretty Peggy
487:
485:
481:
445:
434:Arthur Devis
407:
389:, including
376:
368:
360:
325:
309:
303:
285:
270:
260:
249:
228:high society
216:Georgian era
211:
210:
101:(1811-04-04)
99:4 April 1811
57:Portrait by
31:
26:
1166:1811 deaths
1161:1729 births
1055:Hunt, Leigh
1013:Doran, John
967:Works cited
718:Molloy 1897
690:Molloy 1897
461:East Indies
453:Leatherhead
441: 1750
356:Westminster
112:Occupations
1155:Categories
1114:. London:
1063:. London:
794:, p.
792:Doran 1864
775:, p.
720:, p.
692:, p.
546:References
449:John Doran
361:Historian
288:Teddington
997:0012-6861
773:Hunt 1870
551:Citations
181:Relatives
118:Socialite
1108:(1899).
1094:(1891).
1057:(1870).
1015:(1864).
1005:30104171
977:(1979).
387:The Club
190:(sister)
173:Children
133:Georgian
167:
151:
147:
106:England
76: (
1043:
1003:
995:
532:ensign
506:, and
475:, and
371:
267:London
252:Dublin
157:
139:Spouse
85:Dublin
61:, 1759
1001:JSTOR
514:Notes
281:Paris
232:salon
165:)
153:(
149:
121:actor
1041:ISBN
993:ISSN
956:2023
928:2023
902:2023
876:2023
850:2023
823:2023
607:2023
393:and
381:and
275:at
238:and
163:1804
159:1746
96:Died
78:1729
74:1729
67:Born
777:300
722:137
694:135
596:doi
416:in
314:at
129:Era
1157::
1141:.
1126:.
1039:.
999:.
989:33
987:.
981:.
944:.
918:.
892:.
866:.
839:.
811:.
784:^
741:^
654:^
627:^
594:.
588:.
574:^
559:^
510:.
502:,
498:,
479:.
471:,
438:c.
436:,
298:,
294:,
283:.
242:.
176:10
155:m.
87:,
1049:.
1007:.
958:.
930:.
904:.
878:.
852:.
825:.
798:.
796:6
779:.
724:.
696:.
609:.
598::
80:)
38:.
20:)
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