Peg Woffington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peg Woffington
Margaret Woffington, by John Lewis, 1753
Born	18 October 1720
Died	28 March 1760  (aged 39)

Margaret Woffington (born 18 October 1720 – died 28 March 1760) was a famous Irish actress. She was known professionally as Peg Woffington. During her time, "Peg" and "Peggy" were common nicknames for people named Margaret. She was a well-known figure in society during the Georgian era.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Peg Woffington was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her family was not wealthy. Her father was likely a bricklayer. After he died, her family became very poor. Her mother had to take in washing clothes to earn money. Peg helped by selling watercress door to door.

A famous tightrope walker named Madame Violante noticed Peg. She took Peg on as her apprentice. Peg's sister, Mary, also became an actress. However, Mary did not become as famous as Peg.

Peg Woffington's Acting Career

Around 1730, Madame Violante's theatre company featured young Peg. She performed in The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay. Her role as Mackheath made her very popular in Dublin. She continued to dance and act in plays. In 1735, she played Dorinda in The Tempest at the Theatre Royal, Dublin. Later, she joined the Smock Alley Theatre. There, she performed with the famous actor, David Garrick.

Peg acted in Dublin theatres until her early twenties. Her growing fame led to an offer from John Rich. He was the manager of the Covent Garden Theatre in London. In London, she quickly became successful. Her role as Sylvia in The Recruiting Officer by George Farquhar was a big hit.

A painting of Peg Woffington visiting a poet named Triplet. This painting was made by Rebecca Solomon about 100 years after Peg Woffington died.

Peg gained a lot of public attention. She played Sir Harry Wildair in The Constant Couple. This role was usually played by men. Audiences were very interested because the role was strongly linked to actor Robert Wilks. He had died seven years earlier. Still, her performance was well-received. People enjoyed her new way of playing the part. She became a very well-known actress after this.

She performed at Drury Lane for several years. Later, she went back to Dublin. There, she acted in many different plays. Her best performances were in funny roles. She was great at playing elegant women, like Lady Betty Modish. She also excelled in breeches roles, where she dressed as a man. She found it harder to perform in sad plays. This was because her voice sometimes sounded harsh. She worked hard to improve it.

While in London, Peg lived with fellow actor Charles Macklin. She became good friends with David Garrick, who was a leading actor of the time.

Peg Woffington was popular with important people in society. She entertained famous figures like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding. However, other actresses sometimes did not like her. She often had rivalries with actresses who played similar roles. She even upset actresses who performed tragedies. They felt her "queenly ways" were too much. Her biggest rivalry was with the actress Kitty Clive. According to Garrick's biographer, Thomas Davies, these two actresses "hated each other more unreservedly." When Peg returned to Covent Garden, her rivalries with these women and the manager, Mr. Rich, eventually sent her back to Dublin. In Dublin, she was celebrated at the Smock Alley Theatre.

Margaret Woffington in bed after she became paralyzed, around 1758.

In 1749, John Rich, the manager of Covent Garden, started a club. It was called the Beefsteak Club. Famous members included Garrick and William Hogarth. In 1750, Peg Woffington became the first female member of this club. She was even elected president! She also helped her sister Mary (often called Polly) get an education. Peg also took care of her mother and provided her with money.

Peg left David Garrick around 1744. She then moved to a house called 'Teddington Place' in Teddington. This village is by the Thames River in Middlesex. The house was taken down in 1946. Its old grounds are now a park and a church. In 1754, she received money from the will of an Irish theatre manager named Owen Swiny. In 1756, she played Lady Randolph in the play Douglas. This part was later famously played by Sarah Siddons.

On May 3, 1757, Peg was performing as Rosalind in As You Like It. She suddenly collapsed on stage. She recovered a little, but she never acted again. She suffered from a long illness until 1760.

Death and Legacy

Monument for Margaret Woffington in St Mary's church, Teddington.

Peg Woffington built some almshouses (homes for poor people) in Teddington. She left money for them in her will. She died on March 28, 1760, when she was 39 years old. Her body was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary's Church in Teddington. She was born into a Catholic family. However, she became a Protestant on December 31, 1753. She was buried as a Protestant. Peg Woffington died a wealthy woman. She left most of her money to her sister, Mary.

Portraits and Cultural Impact

Peg Woffington was considered very beautiful in her time. Several artists painted her. These included Jacobus Lovelace in 1744, Peter van Bleeck in 1747, and John Lewis in 1753. A poet named Henry Jones also wrote a poem praising her.

She has been shown as a character in plays. These include A Laughing Matter by April De Angelis and Mr Foote's Other Leg by Ian Kelly.

Peg Woffington in Popular Culture

In 1852, Charles Reade and Tom Taylor wrote a play called Masks and Faces. Peg Woffington was a main character in it. After the play was successful, Charles Reade wrote a novel called Peg Woffington in 1855. Another play, Pretty Peggy (1902) by Frances Aymar Mathews, starred Grace George as Woffington.

Peg Woffington also appeared in several films. Many of these were silent films. They were mostly based on the works of Reade and Taylor. Some examples include Peg Woffington (1910), Peg Woffington (1912), and Masks and Faces (1917). In 1935, Anna Neagle played Woffington in the comedy Peg of Old Drury. Cedric Hardwicke played David Garrick in that film. Her character also appeared in the 2015 play Mr Foote's Other Leg. In this play, she was a friend and colleague of Samuel Foote.

Peg Woffington is also mentioned in the book Ulysses by James Joyce.

Images for kids

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  Margaret Woffington, by John Lewis, 1753

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  A painting of Peg Woffington visiting a poet named Triplet. This painting was made by Rebecca Solomon about 100 years after Peg Woffington died.

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  Margaret Woffington in bed after she became paralyzed, around 1758.

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  Monument for Margaret Woffington in St Mary's church, Teddington.