Sophia Baddeley born Sophia Snow (1745 – July 1786) was an English actress, singer and

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

Early life, musical career

She was born in London, the daughter of Mary and

Valentine Snow Valentine Snow (c. 1700 – December 1770) was the trumpeter for George Frideric Handel. In 1745 Snow and his wife Mary had a daughter named Sophia when he was the sergeant-trumpeter to George II. She was trained for a musical career ...

, who was the sergeant-trumpeter to George II. As a child, she was trained by her father for a future musical career. left, Mrs Baddeley in the role of Joan of Arc At the age of eighteen she eloped with the actor Robert Baddeley, then on the stage at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

. She made her first appearance on 27 April 1765, as Ophelia in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

.'' She also played Cordelia in ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'', Imogen in ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' (), also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concer ...

'' and later Olivia in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

''. In 1769, she joined

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

's theatre company when he staged the Stratford Jubilee. In that year she appeared in a Royal Command Performance of

The Clandestine Marriage ''The Clandestine Marriage'' is a comedy by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, first performed in 1766 at Drury Lane. It is both a comedy of manners and a comedy of errors. The idea came from a series of pictures by William Hogarth entit ...

on 12 October. She appeared as Fanny Sterling with Robert as Canton and Thomas King as Lord Ogleby. These three were painted in that role by

Johan Zoffany Johan / Johann Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810) was a German Neoclassicism, neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy, and India. His works appear in many prominent Briti ...

and the painting is now owned by 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, ...

. Baddeley was noted as a talented singer rather than as an actress, she obtained engagements at

Ranelagh Ranelagh ( , ; , ) is an affluent residential area and urban village on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland in the postal district of Dublin 6. Ranelagh was originally a village called Cullenswood. It has a history of conflict, including the at ...

and

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...

Gardens to public acclaim.

Life as a courtesan

At the height of her success and after separating from her husband in 1770, she discovered that she could sustain herself financially by finding wealthy benefactors and establishing herself as a courtesan to them. Probably her best-known lover was

Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne (29 January 1745 – 22 July 1828), known as Sir Peniston Lamb, 2nd Baronet, from 1768 to 1770, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1793. He was the father of Prime Minister ...

. She was famous for her beauty, and was also noted for her extravagant lifestyle. Her overspending and ultimate failure in managing her finances eventually obliged her to take refuge from her creditors in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland and later

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland. Her benefactors gone, and her own health in decline, she made her last appearance on the stage in

in 1785. She died of consumption, aged 41, the following year at her lodging at Shakespeare Square in Edinburgh at the east end of

Princes Street Princes Street () is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, Edinburgh, New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three quar ...

.Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.346

References

External links

* Sophia is the subject of the second half of this article. {{DEFAULTSORT:Baddeley, Sophia 1745 births 1786 deaths English courtesans Actresses from London English women singers 18th-century English actresses English stage actresses

Early life, musical career

Life as a courtesan

Further reading

References

External links