John Mottley (1692–1750) was an English writer, known as a dramatist, biographer, and compiler of jokes.

Life

He was the son of Colonel Thomas Mottley, a Jacobite adherent of James II in his exile, who entered the service of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

, and was killed at the

battle of Turin The siege of Turin took place from June to September 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession. A French army led by Louis de la Feuillade besieged the Savoyard capital of Turin, whose relief by Prince Eugene of Savoy has been called th ...

in 1706; his mother was Dionisia, daughter of John Guise of Ablode Court,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. John was born in London, was educated at Archbishop

Thomas Tenison Thomas Tenison (29 September 163614 December 1715) was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death. During his primacy, he crowned two British monarchs. Life He was born at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, the son a ...

's grammar school in the parish of

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval pe ...

, and obtained a clerkship in the excise office in 1708. He was compelled to resign his post in 1720, and from that time gained a precarious subsistence by his pen. He died in 1750, having for some years previously been almost bedridden with

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

Works

He made his debut as a dramatic author with a tragedy in the pseudo-classic style, entitled '' The Imperial Captives'', the scene of which is laid at

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

, in the time of

Genseric Gaiseric ( – 25 January 477), also known as Geiseric or Genseric (; reconstructed Vandalic: ) was king of the Vandals and Alans from 428 to 477. He ruled over a kingdom and played a key role in the decline of the Western Roman Empire during ...

, who with the Empress Eudoxia and her daughter plays a principal part. The play was produced at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in February 1719–20. At the same theatre was produced in April 1721 Mottley's only other effort in tragedy, ''

Antiochus Antiochus (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος) is a Greek male personal name, likely meaning "resolute in contention", or "unwavering". It is derived from the two words αντί ("against") and ὄχη ("support"). It was a dynastic name for rulers of ...

'', based on the story of the surrender by

Seleucus Nicator Seleucus I Nicator (; Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, ''Séleukos Nikátōr'', "Seleucus the Victorious"; ) was a Macedonian Greek general, officer and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the eponymous Seleucid Empire, ...

of his wife Stratonice to his son Antiochus. Both tragedies were printed on their production. In comedy Mottley was more successful. In a humorous vein are his dramatic opera, ''Penelope'', in which he was assisted by Thomas Cooke (1703–1756), a satire on

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

's ''Odyssey'', and his farce ''The Craftsman, or Weekly Journalist'' (both performed at the Haymarket, and printed in 1728 and 1729 respectively). His comedy, ''

The Widow Bewitched ''The Widow Bewitched'' is a 1730 comedy play by the British writer John Mottley. The original Goodman's Fields cast included William Giffard William Giffard (), was the Lord Chancellor of William II and Henry I, from 1093 to 1101, an ...

'', produced at

Goodman's Fields Theatre Two 18th century theatres bearing the name Goodman's Fields Theatre were located on Alie Street, Whitechapel, London. The first opened on 31 October 1727 in a small shop by Thomas Odell, deputy Licenser of Plays. The first play performed was ...

in 1730, and printed, was a successful play. Mottley was joint author with

Charles Coffey Charles Coffey (late 17th century – 13 May 1745) was an Irish playwright, opera librettist and arranger of music from County Westmeath. Following the initial failure of his ballad opera ''The Beggar’s Wedding'' (Dublin, Smock Alley Theatre, ...

of the comic opera, '' The Devil to Pay, or The Wives Metamorphos'd'', a ballad opera produced at Drury Lane on 6 August 1731, and frequently revived. Under the pseudonym of Robert Seymour he edited in 1734 (perhaps with the assistance of Thomas Cooke)

John Stow John Stow (''also'' Stowe; 1524/25 – 5 April 1605) was an English historian and antiquarian. He wrote a series of chronicles of History of England, English history, published from 1565 onwards under such titles as ''The Summarie of Englyshe C ...

's ''Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster'' (London, 2 volumes). Under the pseudonym of Elijah Jenkins he published in 1739 the classic jest-book, ''Joe Miller's Jests, or the Wit's Vade-Mecum'' (see Joe Miller). Mottley is also the author of two historical works: ''The History of the Life of Peter I, Emperor of Russia'', London, 1739, 2 vols.; and ''The History of the Life and Reign of the Empress Catharine, containing a short History of the Russian Empire from its first Foundation to the Time of the Death of that Princess'', London, 1744, 2 vols. He is the reputed author of the ''Compleat List of all the English Dramatic Poets and of all the Plays ever printed in the English Language to the Present Year 1747'', appended to

Thomas Whincop Thomas Whincop (2 June 1697 – 1730) was an English compiler of theatrical history. Life He is identified as the son of Thomas Whincop, D.D., rector of St Mary Abchurch. On that basis he was educated at Merchant Taylor's School and Corpus Christ ...

's ''Scanderbeg'', from internal evidence it being clear he at least wrote the article on himself. A portrait is mentioned by Bromley.

References

;Attribution

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mottley, John 1692 births 1750 deaths English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights