David Garrick 1717-1779

David GARRICK 1717-1779

Garrick's bookplate (British Museum Franks Collection 11710)

Biographical Note

Born at Hereford, son of Peter Garrick, an army officer; they were descended from a Huguenot refugee family. He grew up in Lichfield, where he spent some time being taught by Samuel Johnson, with whom he moved to London in 1737. After a brief spell at Lincoln's Inn he began to make his name as an actor, and by 1750 he had become a leading figure on the London stage. He went on to combine his acting career with theatre management, while cultivating a wide circle of literary and cultural friends. He became wealthy, and had a villa by the Thames as well as a house in central London. As a celebrity of his time he is noted not only for his influence on the London stage, but also for helping to develop the literary canon of English drama, and the centrality of Shakespeare.

Books

Garrick was a bibliophile who acquired a significant library throughout his life; he bought many books in the London trade, and also acquired them during trips to Europe. He kept his books at both his houses. He was particularly noted for his holdings of early English drama, which he used to help to develop his stage performances (George Steevens thought he had the greatest collection of old English plays of his generation), but he was fluent in Latin, Greek, French, Italian and Spanish, and had books in all those languages.

He bequeathed his books to his nephew Carrington Garrick, with the exception of his English drama (to go to the British Museum), and up to £100-worth of books to be selected by his widow Maria. In fact Maria wished to keep more of the library, and bought out Carrington's share for £770. After her death, the library was auctioned in London, beginning 23 April 1823; the catalogue comprised 2678 lots, and the sale was a financial success, with very little left unsold. Garrick's copy of the Shakespeare First Folio (now at Queen's College, Oxford) made £34 2s 6d.

Characteristic Markings

Garrick regularly used a pictorial bookplate (Franks 11710). He had many of his books handsomely bound; there is a celebrated anecdote of Samuel Johnson mocking him for frippery in spending money on bindings.

Sources

• A catalogue of the library ... of David Garrick, London, 1823.
• Clarke, Stephen, The libraries of twelve early members of The Club, part 7: David Garrick, The Book Collector 71 (2022), 322-5.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.
• Ross, John C., David Garrick, in Baker, W. and Womack, K. (eds), Pre-nineteenth century book collectors and bibliographers, Detroit, 1999, 104-16.
• Smith, Nicholas D., An actor's library: David Garrick, book collecting and literary friendships, New Castle, 2017.
• Thomson, Peter."Garrick, David (1717–1779), actor and playwright." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• West, A. J., The Shakespeare First Folio ... volume II, Oxford, 2003.
• David Garrick (Herefordshire Museum Service).
• David Garrick (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust).