Moll Davis: Difference between revisions
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† 1708 London, England | † 1708 London, England | ||
Moll Davis can be considered "one of a bevy of obscure young women who took advantage of the new opportunities open to women as actresses on the Restoration stage (before the Civil War, all female parts had been played by boys)" (Hartley 131). | Career: | ||
Moll Davis can be considered "one of a bevy of obscure young women who took advantage of the new opportunities open to women as actresses on the Restoration stage (before the Civil War, all female parts had been played by boys)" (Hartley 131). She started her career as a young child. In February 1662 she did her first performance in Davenant´s ''The Law against Lovers'' as the character Viola. | |||
In 1667 she played the role of Celania in Davenant´s ''The Rivals'' and performed the song "My Lodging It Is on the Cold Ground" (131). | |||
Moll had a tense relationship with Nell Gwyn, another well-known actress and lover of the king. | |||
Family and Private Life: | |||
Moll Davis is the daughter of the Earl of Berkshire, whose name was Colonel Thomas Howard (Hartley 131). | |||
In May 1668 Davis gave up her profession and gave birth to her daughter "Lady Mary Tudor", who is the biological child of King Charles II (Melville 81). She received 1000 pounds annually from the king as a support measure (82). Moreover, King Charles II gifted her an expensive ring (Hartley 131) as well as a house to live in on the north side of Pall Mall and later in 79 Pall Mall, addresses close to the palace and St. Jame´s Park ( Jordan and Walsh ch. 13). | |||
'''Bibliography''' | '''Bibliography''' | ||
Revision as of 13:05, 8 December 2022
Moll Davis, whose real name is Mary Davis, was a famous actress, singer, dancer and comedian during the Restoration Era. Furthermore, she was also known as a popular courtesan and she was one of the many royal mistresses of King Charles II of England. As she was very popular at the time, there are many portraits of her by the famous painter Sir Peter Lely.
* 1648 Westminster, London, England † 1708 London, England
Career: Moll Davis can be considered "one of a bevy of obscure young women who took advantage of the new opportunities open to women as actresses on the Restoration stage (before the Civil War, all female parts had been played by boys)" (Hartley 131). She started her career as a young child. In February 1662 she did her first performance in Davenant´s The Law against Lovers as the character Viola. In 1667 she played the role of Celania in Davenant´s The Rivals and performed the song "My Lodging It Is on the Cold Ground" (131). Moll had a tense relationship with Nell Gwyn, another well-known actress and lover of the king.
Family and Private Life:
Moll Davis is the daughter of the Earl of Berkshire, whose name was Colonel Thomas Howard (Hartley 131).
In May 1668 Davis gave up her profession and gave birth to her daughter "Lady Mary Tudor", who is the biological child of King Charles II (Melville 81). She received 1000 pounds annually from the king as a support measure (82). Moreover, King Charles II gifted her an expensive ring (Hartley 131) as well as a house to live in on the north side of Pall Mall and later in 79 Pall Mall, addresses close to the palace and St. Jame´s Park ( Jordan and Walsh ch. 13).
Bibliography
Hartley, Cathy. A Historical Dictionary of British Women. Taylor & Francis, 2013.
Melville, Lewis. Nell Gwyn The Story of Her Life. Hutchinson, 1923.
Walsh, Michael, and Jordan, Don. The King's Bed: Sex, Power and the Court of Charles II. Little, Brown Book Group, 2015.
Wilson, John Harold. All the King´s Ladies: Actresses of the Restoration. University of Chicago Press, 1958.
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