Nat Gould

Richard Peake 1757-1829

Richard Peake was born in 1757, the son of Samuel Peake and his wife nee Margaret Pigeon, and was baptised in June 1757 at St. Mary's church in Stafford.

Drury Lane Theatre 1775

Richard Peake was Treasurer of Drury Lane Theatre in London (1) for over forty years, and a friend and protege of the playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan 1751-1816.

On 7 November 1790 he married Anne Downs, the daughter of Michael Downs. She was born in about 1771, and died on 8 July 1818.

They had the following children:

Richard Brinsley Peake. He was born on 19 February 1792. He died on 4 October 1847.

Charles Peake. He was born on 25 July 1793. He became a Lieutenant, and died on 2 January 1847.

Anna Peake. She was born on 30 September 1795.

John Hosendon Peake. He was born on 8 August 1797. He died on 4 January 1833 in Ireland.

Harry Peake. He was born on 7 January 1799.

William Peake. He was born on 8 August 1802.

Julia Peake. She was born on 30 July 1806.

Their father Richard Peake died on 10 January 1829 at Boulogne in France.

Drury Lane Theatre 1805

(1) Drury Lane Theatre in London was first erected under a charter granted by Charles II in 1662. It opened in 1663 but burned down in 1672. The second theatre opened in 1674 but fell into disrepair. The third Drury Lane Theatre opened in 1794, but burned down in 1809. The fourth and present theatre opened in 1812.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan (born in Dublin in 1751) became part-owner of the second Drury Lane Theatre in 1776, when he bought David Garrick's controlling share, and the theatre opened under his management. He was a playwright, theatre proprietor, and politician.

The fire from Westminster Bridge

His plays include the comedies The Rivals (1775) and The School for Scandal (1780). He was a Member of Parliament from 1780 to 1812. From 1791 to 1794, Sheridan was occupied in complicated financial dealings to fund the building of the theatre. He and his fellow proprietors became involved in law suits alleging financial mis-management.

The third theatre burned down on 24 February 1809. Discovered drinking a glass of wine in the street while watching the fire, Sheridan remarked: "A man may surely be allowed to take a glass of wine by his own fireside." (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (Third Edition) 1985 page 506.

The disaster left him deeply in debt, and he had to allow Samuel Whitbread to take charge of funding the rebuilding. When the fourth Drury Lane Theatre opened in 1811, Sheridan had no share in the management. He died penniless in 1816.