November 16th, 1809 (November 4th O.S). This morning a gorgeously attired equerry from the palace cantered up to our tumbledown shack on a shining black horse to deliver a wafer of thick cream-coloured pasteboard with [more…]
October 24th, 1809. We are at Romford in Essex, after a circuitous journey to throw pursuers off the scent. Our coaches crossed London Bridge as if bound for Dover, but instead we soon left the [more…]
October 20th, 1809. Fred is to be hanged on Monday the 23rd – a perilously short date. We have been conferring as to how to contrive his rescue. Jem was in favour of blowing down [more…]
October 18th, 1809. Fred goes up before the judge at the Old Bailey tomorrow, accused of the murder of poor Mr Armitage. We visit him daily in his cell, bringing bribes for the gaoler and [more…]
September 25th, 1809. I write this after our customary afternoon performance, as the scenery is being set up for the opening night of La Vestale. The past few days have been a furious succession of [more…]
September 5th, 1809. It has been a busy month. Our aimless wanderings took us to Guildford, where we have been encamped in a tumbledown barn. The farmer is quite content with our presence, as we [more…]
July 15th, 1809. After our success at Carlton House it would be tempting to expect offers from impresarios of the leading London theatres eager to stage our performance. But we have been – bears and [more…]
June 25th, 1809. We are returned to London. Our journey from Portsmouth was necessarily a slow one, as no stagecoach driver will countenance adding eight bears to his passengers. In any case, Fred deemed it [more…]
May 20th, 1809. We are at sea again – on a merchant ship, Pride of Scunthorpe, under the command of Jonas Swigger, a jovial captain who was more than happy to take us bears and [more…]
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