Mrs Webb or Mrs Richard Webb or Mrs Day born Lydia or Lucia Child (1736/7 – 1797) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

comic actress and singer. For fifteen years she appeared at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

and at the Haymarket theatres where she was a popular comedian.

Life

She is thought to have been born with the name Lydia Child in 1736 or 1737 (Some give her name as Lucia). She first came to notice in 1764 when she made her acting debut in Norwich. The following year she was working in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

when she is said to have interceded to save the job of "Plausible Jack" Palmer. In 1772 she was acting in Edinburgh where she was using the name of "Mrs Day" although in 1774 she was using the name of Mrs Dicky Webb and she was in Scotland until 1779. She was now known for comedy roles although she also appeared in Shakespeare plays. She played

Mrs Malaprop A malapropism (; also called a malaprop, acyrologia or Dogberryism) is the incorrect use of a word in place of a word with a similar sound, either unintentionally or for comedic effect, resulting in a nonsensical, often humorous utterance. An examp ...

, Mrs Peachum in

The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sati ...

and also appeared in

The Recruiting Officer ''The Recruiting Officer'' is a 1706 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar, which follows the social and sexual exploits of two English Army officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, in the town of Shrewsbury (the town where ...

Love for Love ''Love for Love'' is a Restoration comedy written by English 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 Valenti ...

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...

and

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

. She had an adopted daughter and possibly a son. Her daughter was introduced to the stage in England in 1788 but she made her name as "Mrs Wilmot" in America. She was said to be the second most popular actress in America and a favourite of General Washington. She appeared at Covent Garden and at the Haymarket theatres where she was one of the most popular comedians for fifteen years. In 1787 she appeared as "Mrs Dove" in Cumberland's comedy and she was recorded in this role in her Samuel de Wilde painting.

Legacy

In 1790 she published her "Secret History of the Green Room" which was an autobiography. In 1833

Samuel De Wilde Samuel De Wilde (1751 – 19 January 1832), born and died in London, was a portrait painter and etcher of Dutch descent famous for his theatrical paintings. He was the leading painter of actors and actresses between 1770 and 1820. He lived in Cl ...

exhibited a painting of her which is now in the possession on the

Garrick Club The Garrick Club is a private members' club in London, founded in 1831 as a club for "actors and men of refinement to meet on equal terms". It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world. Its 1,500 members include many actors, writers, ...

. Webb had a daughter who is referred to as Lucia or Lydia who also acted but with less success than her mother.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Mrs 18th-century English actresses English stage actresses 1730s births 1797 deaths