Harriet Waylett

The daughter of a tradesman in Bath, Somerset, Harriet Waylett, née Cooke, was born there in 1798. Her uncle was a member of the Drury Lane Theatre company, and Sarah Cooke was her cousin. After receiving some instruction in music from John David Loder, she first appeared on the Bath stage on 16 March 1816 as Elvina in W. R. Hewetson's Blind Boy.^[1] She then acted at Coventry, where she met and married on 24 July 1819 Mr. Waylett, an actor in the company.^[2] In 1820 she was at the Adelphi Theatre, where she was the original Amy Robsart in James Planché's adaptation of Kenilworth, and the first Sue to her husband's Primefit in William Moncrieff's Tom and Jerry. She played as "Mrs. Waylett late Miss Cooke of Bath".^[3]

In 1823 she was acting in Birmingham under Alfred Bunn, playing in Sally Booth's part of Rose Briarly in Husbands and Wives. Her singing of Rest thee, Babe, in Guy Mannering established her in favour.^[3][4]

On 24 February 1823 she was given a benefit evening at the Adelphi Theatre, Strand, of Tom and Jerry and she sang "Taste, oh! Taste this spice's wine" and "'Twas within a mile of Edinbro' town".^[5] She accompanied her manager Alfred Bunn to Drury Lane Theatre, with a reputation for chambermaid parts and as singer. She appeared as Madge in Love in a Village on 4 December 1824. On 14 January 1825 she played Mrs. Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. However, she had incurred the jealousy of Bunn's wife, and shortly moved on.^[3]

On 12 May 1825, she played Zephyrina in The Lady and the Devil, her first appearance at the Haymarket Theatre.^[6] She stood in high favour as a singer and actress also in Dublin and Cork.^[3][7]

After her return from Dublin, Waylett played at the Haymarket, Drury Lane, Queen's Theatre, the Olympic Theatre, Covent Garden, and other houses. In 1832, she was acting at the Strand Theatre, where in 1834 she was sole manager. Here she also played original parts.^[8] The performances were nominally gratis: admission to the house was in fact by paying four shillings an ounce at a neighbouring shop for sweetmeats, or purchasing tickets for the Victoria Theatre. There were few London houses at which she was not seen, and she was a favourite in the country. In May 1833, she appeared at the King's Lynn theatre with Frederick Henry Yates of the Adelphi Theatre.^[9] In January 1834 she was appearing in the Theatre Royal, Dublin as Letitia Hardy, Phoebe in Paul Pry, False and Constant, The Haunted Tower, The Marriage of Figaro, and Clari, the Maid of Milan.^[10] In October 1835, she received in Dublin £800 and half a clear benefit for twenty-one nights' performances. In 1838, she was engaged again at the Haymarket.^[3]