Mary "Moll" Davis (c. 1648 – 1708), also spelt Davies or Davys, was a courtesan and mistress of King Charles II of England. She was an actress and entertainer before and during her role as royal mistress.

Early life

Mary Davis was born in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, as a presumed illegitimate child of Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Berkshire. The diarist

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

called her "a bastard of Collonell Howard, my Lord Barkeshire." Her parentage is also attributed to Thomas's elder brother Charles Howard. Mary's birth date is disputed, but believed to be around 1648. In 1663 Mary had installed herself as an actress in the Duke's Theatre Company and boarded with the company's manager, Sir William Davenant.Olive Baldwin and Thelma Wilson, ''Davis avies; married name Paisible Mary oll(c.1651–1708), actress and royal mistress'' in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'' (Oxford University Press, 2004) There she quickly became a popular singer, dancer and comedian, and began using the name "Moll". Although Pepys wrote good tidings about Moll, his wife Elisabeth called her "the most impertinent slut in the world".Samuel Pepys Diary 1668 – complete
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Royal mistress

Moll met King Charles II in a theatre or a

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

in 1667, and soon became his mistress. As a mistress, she was said to have flaunted the wealth she acquired from her association with Charles and gained a reputation for vulgarity and greed. She showed off her "mighty pretty fine coach" and a ring worth £600.The Mistresses of Charles II: by Brenda Ralph Lewis
at Britannia.com Moll left the stage in 1668.

Fall from affection and exile

In 1669 Moll gave birth to a daughter, Mary. King Charles was the father. Shortly after the child's birth, Charles dismissed Moll, possibly due to some chicanery caused by

Nell Gwyn Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English people, English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances ...

, a new rival for his affection. Nell and Moll were such rivals for the king's affection that Nell was said to have purposely dropped a powerful

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into food Moll was to eat before she was to leave for the king's chamber. But Moll did not leave empty-handed: Charles awarded her an annual pension for life of £1,000. In January 1667–68, Pepys notes that the king had furnished a house specifically for Moll Davis, writing, "in Suffolke Street most richly, which is a most infinite shame." At the time this street belonged to James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk, a nephew of Thomas Howard, the presumed father of Moll. She is given in the home rate books of 1672–73 but not earlier. As a celebrated actress and society lady, she was the subject of many portraits by the preeminent artist

Sir Peter Lely Sir Peter Lely (14 September 1618 – 30 November 1680) was a painter of Dutch origin whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court. He became a naturalised British subject and was kn ...

House in St James's Square

In October 1673 Moll Davis bought a new house in

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian architecture, Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was ...

, paying £1800.'St James's Square: Army and Navy Club', in ''Survey of London'', volumes 29 and 30 (St James Westminster, Part 1 (1960) pp. 180–186, online a
St James's Square: Army and Navy Club
at british-history.ac.uk(accessed 18 January 2008) Moll, listed as "Madam Davis", first appears in the ratebook for the year 1675 and last in 1687. This house (which

John Soane Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professor ...

surveyed in 1799) was almost square and had three storeys, each with four evenly spaced windows, all dressed with a wide architrave and cornice. The staircase hall was south of a large room in front, and two smaller rooms and a secondary staircase at the rear. There was a massive cross-wall, containing a few fireplaces. It would be Number 22, St James's Square, if it had survived. It was demolished in 1847 to make way for a new clubhouse for the

Army and Navy Club The Army and Navy Club, commonly known as The Rag, is a private members' club in London that was founded in 1837 for officers of the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.

Marriage

In December 1686, Moll married the French musician and composer James Paisible—a member of James II's ''private musick''. Sir George Etherege wrote scornfully of the marriage: "Mrs Davies has given proof of the great passion she always had for music, and Monsieur Peasible has another bass to thrum than that he played so well upon." The Paisibles joined James' court in exile at St Germain-en-Laye, but in 1693 returned to England, where Paisible became a composer to

Prince George of Denmark Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (; 2 April 165328 October 1708), was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708. ...

, the husband of

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...

, heir to the throne.Lasocki, David, ''Paisible, James acques(c.1656–1721), composer and recorder player'' in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP, 2004)

Death

Moll died in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, at her home in Dean Street, in 1708. She was buried at St Anne's Church in

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

on 24 February. Moll's daughter, Mary, earned through marriage to Edward Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Derwentwater the title of Countess, and became an actress herself.Urban, Sylvanus (1794). The Gentleman's Magazine: And Historical Chronicle For The Year MDCCXCIV (1794). Vol. LXIV (64). London (Church Yard, Ludgate-Street): Arkose Press. p. 889.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Moll 1640s births 1708 deaths English courtesans Mistresses of Charles II of England 17th-century English actresses English stage actresses Moll