Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Doggett, Thomas
DOGGETT, THOMAS (d. 1721), actor, was born in Castle Street, Dublin. After an unsuccessful appearance at Dublin he joined a travelling company, and found his way to London, playing among other places at Bartholomew Fair, at Parker and Doggett's booth near Hosier End, in a droll entitled ‘Fryar Bacon, or the Country Justice.’ His first recorded appearance took place in 1691 at Drury Lane, then the Theatre Royal, as Nincompoop in D'Urfey's ‘Love for Money, or the Boarding School.’ The following year he was the original Solon in the ‘Marriage Hater Match'd’ of the same author. In these two parts he established himself in public favour. In 1693 he appeared as Fondlewife in the ‘Old Bachelor’ of Congreve. Other parts in forgotten plays of Bancroft, Southerne, Crowne, &c., followed. When in 1695 the theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields was opened by Betterton [q. v.], Doggett ‘created’ in the opening performance Ben in ‘Love for Love,’ which Congreve is reported to have shaped with a view to Doggett. Downes says of him: ‘On the stage he's very aspectabund, wearing a farce on his face, his thoughts deliberately framing his utterance congruous to his look. He is the only comic original now extant. Witness Ben, Solon, Nikin, the Jew of Venice, &c.’ (Roscius Anglicanus, 1708, p. 52). In 1696 he played, among other parts, Young Hob in his own solitary dramatic production, ‘The Country Wake,’ Vaunter in the ‘She Gallants’ of George Granville, lord Lansdowne, Sapless in Dilke's ‘Lover's Luck,’ and in 1697, at Drury Lane, Mass Johnny, a schoolboy, in Cibber's ‘Woman's Wit,’ Bull Senior in ‘A Plot and No Plot,’ by Dennis, and Learchus in Vanbrugh's ‘Æsop.’ For the three following years he disappears from London. It seems probable that this time was spent in revisiting Dublin. Hitchcock (Irish Stage, i. 23) states that many performers of eminence, including Doggett, visited Ireland during the management of Ashbury subsequent to 1692. In 1701 at Lincoln's Inn Fields he played Shylock to the Bassanio of Betterton in the ‘Jew of Venice,’ an adaptation by Lord Lansdowne of the ‘Merchant of Venice,’ in which Shylock is exhibited as a comic character. Between this period and 1706 he was the original of several characters. During the seasons 1706–7, 1707–1708 he was not engaged, and was possibly on tour. Tony Aston met him in Norwich. On 1 March 1708, for Cibber's benefit, he played at Drury Lane Ben in ‘Love for Love,’ and was announced on the bills as to act but six times. On 13 April 1709 he took part in the famous benefit of Betterton, playing once more Ben, acting on one occasion only.
In 1709–10 Doggett with Cibber and Wilks joined Swiney in the management of the Haymarket. To Doggett's objection it was due that Mrs. Oldfield was not also in the management. Doggett, who looked after the finances of the partnership, now recommenced to act, the parts he played at the Haymarket in this season comprising Marplot, Tom Thimble in the ‘Rehearsal,’ Dapper in the ‘Alchemist,’ First Gravedigger in ‘Hamlet,’ &c. At Drury Lane, in the management of which he was associated with Collier, and afterwards with Steele, and at the Haymarket he continued to play until 1713, when he retired from the stage, the last part he ‘created’ being Major Cadwallader in Charles Shadwell's ‘The Humours of the Army,’ 29 Jan. 1713.
When, at the beginning of the season 1713–1714, a new license was issued in which the name of Barton Booth was by order added to those of Wilks, Cibber, and Doggett, a difficulty arose with regard to the disposal of the property belonging to the original partners. On this question Doggett dissociated himself from his fellows, and ceased to act. He insisted, however, on his full share of the profits. Refusing the half share offered him by Wilks and Cibber, he commenced proceedings in chancery, and after two years' delay got a verdict, by which, according to Cibber, he obtained much less than had been offered him. On 11 Nov. 1713 he played at Drury Lane Sir Tresham Cash in the ‘Wife's Relief’ of Charles Johnson. In 1717 he appeared three times at Drury Lane. He played Ben, by command of George I, in ‘Love for Love,’ 25 March, and, again by royal command, Hob in his own comedy, ‘The Country Wake,’ 1 April. In the latter part of October 1721, according to Genest, 21 Sept. according to Reed's ‘MS. Notitia Dramatica,’ 22 Sept. according to Bellchambers's ‘Notes to Cibber's Apology,’ he died, and was buried at Eltham. Doggett was a strong Hanoverian. On 1 Aug. 1716 appeared a notice: ‘This being the day of his majesty's happy accession to the throne, there will be given by Mr. Doggett an orange colour livery with a badge representing liberty, to be rowed for by six watermen that are out of their time within the year past. They are to row from London Bridge to Chelsea. It will be continued annually on the same day for ever.’ The custom is still maintained, the management of the funds left by Doggett being in the disposition of the Fishmongers' Company. Colley Cibber bears a handsome tribute to Doggett's merits as an actor, stating that ‘he was the most an original and the strictest observer of nature of all his contemporaries. He borrowed from none of them, his manner was his own; he was a pattern to others whose greatest merit was that they had sometimes tolerably imitated him. In dressing a character to the greatest exactness he was remarkably skilful. … He could be extremely ridiculous without stepping into the least impropriety to make him so’ (Apology, ed. Bellchambers, 422–3). Cibber speaks of the great admiration of Congreve for Doggett. In private affairs Doggett is said to have been ‘a prudent, honest man’ (p. 323), and obstinate in standing upon his rights. A story is told of his resisting successfully an attempted act of oppression on the part of the lord chamberlain. Tony Aston, in his ‘Supplement to Colley Cibber,’ pp. 14, 15, tells of an attempt of Doggett to play Phorbas in ‘Œdipus,’ which was interrupted by laughter, and closed his progress in tragedy. He calls him ‘a lively, spract man, of very good sense, but illiterate.’ Steele in a letter tells him, ‘I have always looked upon you as the best of comedians.’ Numerous references to Doggett are found in the ‘Tatler’ and the ‘Spectator.’ Doggett's one comedy, ‘The Country Wake,’ 4to, 1690, is a clever piece, the authorship of which, on no good authority, has been assigned to Cibber. It was reduced by Cibber into a ballad farce, entitled ‘Flora, or Hob in the Well,’ which was played so late as 1823.
According to George Daniel (Merrie England, ii. 18), the only portrait known is a small print representing him dancing the Cheshire Round, with the motto ‘Ne sutor ultra crepidam.’ This print Daniel reproduces. A memoir appears in Webb's ‘Compendium of Irish Biography,’ Dublin, 1878, p. 153. A portrait of Doggett is in the reading-room of the Garrick Club. It shows him with a fat face and small twinkling eye, but is of dubious authority.
[Books cited; Genest's Account of the English Stage; Biographia Dramatica; Doran's Their Majesties' Servants; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. v. 237, vii. 409, 471, 6th ser. ii. 269, x. 349, 437, xi. 319. ]