Thomas Doggett (or Dogget) (20 September 1721) was an Irish actor. The birth date of 1640 seems unlikely. A more probable date of 1670 is given in the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Biography

Doggett was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, and made his first stage appearance in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1691 as Nincompoop in Thomas D'Urfey's ''Love for Money''. In this part, and as Solon in the same author's ''

The Marriage-Hater Matched ''The Marriage-Hater Matched'' is a comedy play by the English writer Thomas D'Urfey. It was first staged by the United Company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in January 1692. The original cast included John Bowman as Brainless, William Mou ...

'', he became popular. He followed Betterton to

Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in develo ...

, creating the part of Ben, specially written for him, in William Congreve's ''

Love for Love ''Love for Love'' is a Restoration comedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered on 30 April 1695 at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. Staged by Thomas Betterton's company the original cast included Betterton as Valentin ...

'', with which the theatre opened (1695); and the following year played Young Hobb in his own play, ''The Country Wake''. He was associated with Colley Cibber and others in the management of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, and Drury Lane, and he continued to play

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

parts at the former until his retirement in 1713. Doggett is highly spoken of by his contemporaries, both as an actor and as a man, and is frequently referred to in the '' Tatler'' and ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''Th ...

''. Thomas Doggett is buried in the churchyard of St Johns Church in Eltham High Street, SE9 and there is a plaque on the outside of the church in his memory, which states that Doggett died a "pauper".

Doggett's Coat and Badge Prize

In 1715 Doggett founded the prize of

Doggett's Coat and Badge Doggett's Coat and Badge is the prize and name for the oldest rowing race in the world. Up to six apprentice watermen of the River Thames in England compete for this prestigious honour, which has been held every year since 1715. The 4 mile 5 ...

in honour of the

House of Hanover The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...

, in commemoration of King

George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the fir ...

's accession to the Throne on 1 August 1714. The winner's prize is a traditional watermen's orange coat with a silver badge added to the sleeve, displaying the white horse of the House of Hanover and Brunswick, with the word "Liberty". The race had to be rowed annually on August first on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

, by six young watermen who were not to have exceeded the time of their apprenticeship by twelve months. By 1864 the race report comments: The race continues under modified conditions to this day, and is believed to be the oldest continuously contested sporting event. The executors of Doggett's will (Sir George Markham and Thomas Reynolds) along with Edward Burt, Chief Clerk at the Admiralty Office, entrusted the management of his prize to the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, although reputed to be a liveryman, of the Fishmongers' Company, this has yet to be proved. The Company has carried out the instructions in his will to the present day.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doggett, Thomas Irish male stage actors Male actors from Dublin (city) 1640 births 1721 deaths 17th-century Irish male actors 18th-century Irish male actors