Francis Godolphin Waldron

Francis Godolphin Waldron (1744–1818) was an English writer and actor, known also as an editor and bookseller.

Waldron became a member of David Garrick's company at Drury Lane, and is heard of on 21 October 1769, when he played a part in A New Way to Pay Old Debts. On 12 March 1771 he was Dicky in The Constant Couple by George Farquhar. He made little progress as an actor, but Garrick gave him charge of the theatrical fund which he established in 1766, and he was at various times manager of the Windsor, Richmond, and other country theatres. Waldron sold the Windsor theatre, which amounted to a shed, to the manager Henry Thornton in 1791.

On 25 April 1772 Waldron was the original Sir Samuel Mortgage in George Downing's Humours of the Turf. On 17 May 1773 he took a benefit, as the original Metre, a parish clerk, in his own Maid of Kent (published 1778), a comedy based on a story in The Spectator (No. 123). On 12 May 1775, for his benefit and that of a Mrs. Greville, he produced his Contrast, or the Jew and Married Courtezan, played once only and not printed. Tribulation in The Alchemist followed, and on 22 or 23 March 1776 he was the original Sir Veritas Vision in William Heard's Valentine's Day. His Richmond Heiress, a comedy altered from Thomas D'Urfey, unprinted, was acted at Richmond in 1777, probably during his management of the theatre. On 19 February 1778 he was, at Drury Lane, the first Cacafatadri in Abraham Portal's Cady of Bagdad. He also played Shallow in the Merry Wives of Windsor. His Imitation, a comedy that remained unprinted, was brought out at Drury Lane for his benefit on 12 May 1783 and coldly received: it was a reversal of The Beaux' Stratagem with women substituted for men and men for women. Waldron played Justice Clack in the Ladies' Frolic (an adaptation of the Jovial Crew of Richard Brome).

Waldron was a friend of Peter Whalley, and concealed him at a time when he had money troubles. He began to part-publish a revised edition of Whalley's Ben Jonson edition, but it was cut short after two numbers.

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