The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to James Currie[?], 12 July 1806
“12th July.
“. . . Fox is a
great deal better to-day certainly than he has ever been yet, and is walking
about in his garden; so I hope to G— we shall all do. . . . We had a
devil of a business last night altogether. We got off from the House to
Sherry’s a little before
8—about 14 of us—without him, so I made him give me
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| 1806-08.] | SHERIDAN’S JIBS. | 81 |
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a written order to his two cooks to serve up the turtle in his absence, which
they did, and which we presently devoured. In the midst of the second course, a
black, sooty kitchenmaid rushed into the room screaming ‘Fire!’ At
the house door were various other persons hallooing to the same purpose, and it
turned out to be the curtains in Mrs.
Sheridan’s dressing-room in a blaze, which Harry Scott had presence of mind to pull down
by force, instead of joining in the general clamour for buckets, which was
repeated from all the box-keepers, scene-shifters, thief-takers, and sheriffs
officers who were performing the character of servants out of livery. So the
fire was extinguished, with some injury to Harry’s thumb.
“Half an hour afterwards we were summoned to a
division which did not take place till three, and another at four. Our
situation in the House was as precarious as at Sheridan’s. His behaviour was infamous.* . . . He said he
had stayed away all the session from disapproving all
our military measures, and finally made a motion which, if the Addingtonians
had supported, would have left us in a minority. . . . Grey made one of his best speeches, full of honor, courage and
good faith—it made a great impression, and Sherry
was left to the contempt from all sides he so justly deserved. . . . Prinney† sent McMahon to me yesterday desiring to know whether I would induce
Tufnell to withdraw his pretensions
to Colchester. He was asked to make this request to me by Sir Wm. Smith, that —— of a fellow
you may remember at Brighton, and who himself has started. But I returned
Prinney such a bill of fare of
Tuffy’s merits and pretensions, that I have no
doubt old Smith in his turn will be asked to give
way.”
Charles James Fox (1749-1806)
Whig statesman and the leader of the Whig opposition in Parliament after his falling-out
with Edmund Burke.
Charles Grey, first earl Grey (1729-1807)
Military officer who distinguished himself in the Seven Years' War and American War of
Independence; he was made a peer in 1801.
Charles Grey, second earl Grey (1764-1845)
Whig statesman and lover of the Duchess of Devonshire; the second son of the first earl
(d. 1807), he was prime minister (1831-34).
William Lewis Hughes, baron Dinorben (1767-1852)
The son of Reverend Edward Hughes of Kinmel Park; educated at Felsted, he was a Whig MP
for Wallingford (1802-31) and personal friend of the Duke of Sussex.
Sir John McMahon, first baronet (1754 c.-1817)
Irish politician who was MP for Aldeburgh (1802-12); he was a friend of Sheridan and
secretary to the Prince Regent.
Harry Harmood Scott (d. 1832)
He was captain in the Light Infantry of S. Hampshire (1798), paymaster of the Navy
(1806), and British consul in Bordeaux (1818-24). He was a friend of Richard Brinsley
Sheridan.
Elizabeth Ann Sheridan [née Linley] (1754-1792)
Much-admired English singer, daughter of the musician Thomas Linley; she was compelled to
give up her career upon marrying Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1773.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
Anglo-Irish playwright, author of
The School for Scandal (1777),
Whig MP and ally of Charles James Fox (1780-1812).
Sir William Cusack Smith, second baronet (1766-1836)
Irish barrister and friend of Edmund Burke; he was educated at Eton and Christ Church,
Oxford, was MP for Donegal (1795) and baron of the Exchequer (1800).
William Tufnell (1769-1809)
Of Tufnell Park in Islington; he was MP for Colchester (1806-07) and father of the
politician Henry Tufnell.
