Mary Woffington

Mary Woffington Cholmondeley (1729 – 4 April 1811) was an Irish socialite of the Georgian era. Her sister was the famous actor Peg Woffington. After a failed attempt at an acting career, Mary married the second son of the Earl of Cholmondeley and chose to live as a socialite. With connections in both English and French high society, she came to have a "modest salon", and was close friends with Frances Burney and Samuel Johnson.

Early life and acting career

Mary Woffington was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1729. She was nicknamed Polly, and was the second daughter of Catholic bricklayer Arthur or John Woffington and his wife Hannah. Mary's older sister Margaret "Peg" Woffington would later become a successful stage actor in Ireland and England. Little is known about Mary's youth but it is likely she had minor roles in her sister's productions, including nearly 100 performances of The Beggar's Opera at New Booth Theatre, Dublin. Her father died when she was young, and she remained in Ireland with her mother while her sister pursued an acting career in England. Woffington joined her sister in London in 1740. On 20 April 1741, Mary had a minor role as a child dancer in a performance of The Double Gallant at Covent Garden Theatre. Later that year, Peg funded Mary's education at a Catholic convent school in Paris.

In mid 1744, aged 15, Woffington returned to England and moved into her sister's country house at Teddington, where she began courting members of the local gentry. During this period, Mary determined to become an actor like her sister and fortune-tellers predicted a successful career. Peg, with the help of David Garrick, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, George Anne Bellamy and others, aided Mary by staging a practice performance of The Distrest Mother at Teddington. Mary's professional debut occurred on 30 March 1745, when she performed the role of the maidservant Cherry in The Beaux' Stratagem at Drury Lane Theatre. Her performance was mediocre, though critics and audience were "indulgent" and "courteous". After this, Mary lost interest in acting and did not take to the stage again.

Life as a socialite Following her brief acting career, Mary Woffington returned to Teddington and continued to court the local gentry. By mid 1746, she courted Robert Cholmondeley, a disgraced captain in the 3rd Foot Guards and the second son of George Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley. The couple married on 30 November 1746 at St Anne's Church, Soho, without the approval of either of their families. The marriage was initially opposed by Earl Cholmondeley and Horace Walpole, Robert's maternal uncle. In a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, the already-impoverished Earl Cholmondeley wrote the marriage had alarmed his creditors, forcing him to sell much of his remaining property. Walpole wrote to Sir Horace Mann: "My family has just undergone a severe trial: my nephew has married the sister of a play-actress", and stated the marriage threatened to ruin the Cholmondeley family. Upon meeting Woffington, however, Walpole was charmed by "her beauty, grace, and wit", and he insisted on introducing her to the Dauphin of France. Earl Cholmondeley was convinced by Peg, who said: "My lord, I have much more reason to be offended at it than your lordship, for I had before but one beggar to maintain, and now I have two", because the couple lived in a house in Westminster that Peg rented and furnished.

Historian Ethna Byrne-Costigan describes Mary Woffington as: more beautiful than her sister... as vivacious as she was playful in her conversation. Lively, amusing, full of life, she succeeded in attracting people. Well fitted to fascinate those she moved among, she could be serious, grave, even austere when she judged such an attitude necessary to win a good opinion for herself. Above all she excelled in subtle flattery, not going out of her way to be complimentary, but it was quite natural, quite uncalculating. On every possible occasion when she was with friends she would praise the absent.

Woffington was quickly welcomed into high society, becoming close friends with Frances Burney and Samuel Johnson. Among the actors who portrayed Mary are Lucile Gleason, Mabel Van Buren, Evelyn D'Alroy, and Margaret Mayo.