A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Oldfield, (Anne)
OLDFIELD (ANNE), a celebrated Actress, born in London, 1683.
Her father was formerly an officer in the guards, and possessed a competent estate; which he spent in extravagance, leaving his family, at his death, unprovided for. In these unhappy circumstances, his widow was forced to live with her sister, who kept a tavern in St. James's market, and the daughter was placed with a sempstress, in King-street, Westminster. In the mean time. Miss Oldfield shewed an extravagant fondness for reading plays, and was entertaining her relations at the tavern with her talent in this way, when her voice chanced to reach the ear of Capt. George Farquhar, who happened to dine there that day. He immediately perceived something uncommonly sweet in it, and struck with her agreeable person and carriage, instantly pronounced her admirably formed for the stage. This concurring with her own inclination, her mother opened the matter to Sir John Vanbrugh, a friend of the family; who, upon trial, finding her qualifications promising, recommended her to Mr. Rich, then patentee of the king's theatre, who immediately took her into the play-house. However she gave no great hopes of being an accomplished actress till the year 1703, when she first shone out in Leonora in Sir Courtly Nice, and established her theatrical reputation the following year, in that of lady Betty Modish in the Careless Husband.
Near or a little before this time it was, that she engaged the regard and affection of Arthur Maynwaring, Esq; who interested himself greatly in the figure she made on the stage; and it was in some measure owing to the pains he took in improving her natural talents, that she became, as she soon did, the delight and entertainment of the town. This gentleman dying in 1712, she engaged in a like correspondence with brigadier-general Churchill. She had by Mr. Maynwaring one son, and another by the brigadier-general, who afterwards married the lady Anna-Maria Walpole, natural daughter of the earl of Oxford. About the year 1718, Mr. Savage, natural son to the earl of Rivers, being reduced to the extremest necessity, Mrs. Oldfield was so affected with his very singular case, that she allowed him a fixed provision of 50 l. a year, which was regularly paid as long as she lived. This added to several other tender, humane, and disinterestedly generous actions, together with a distinguished taste in the elegance of dress, conversation, and manners served as a veil to cover her failings. It does not appear she had any love affair, except with the two gentlemen above-mentioned, towards whom she is said to have behaved with all the fidelity, duty and affection of a good wife. She was the darling of the town as long as she lived; and after her death, which happened 1730, her corpse was conveyed to the Jerusalem Chamber, to lie in state, and from thence to Westminster Abbey, the pall being supported by the lord De la Warr, lord Hervey, the right hon. George Bubb Doddington, Charles Hedges, Esq; Walter Carey, Esq; and capt. Elliot; her eldest son, Arthur Maynwaring, Esq; being chief mourner. She was interred toward the west end of the south isle, between the monuments of Mr. Craggs and Mr. Congreve, being elegantly dressed in her coffin, with a very fine Brussels laced head, a holland shift, with a tucker and double ruffles of the same lace, a pair of new kid gloves, and her body wrapt up in a winding sheet. She left the bulk of her substance to Arthur Maynwaring, Esq; from whose father she had received it, yet did not neglect a proper regard to her other son Charles Churchill, and her own relations.
In her person she was of a stature just rising to that height where the graceful can only begin to shew itself; of a lively aspect, and commanding mein. Nature had given her this peculiar happiness, that she looked and maintained the agreeable at a time of life, when other fine women only raise admirers by their understanding. The qualities she had acquired were the genteel and the elegant; the one in her air, and the other in her dress. The Tatler, speaking of her, says, 'Whatever character she represented, she was always well dressed. The make of her mind very much contributed to the ornament of her body. This made every thing look native about her; her clothes were so exactly fitted, that every thing appeared, as it were, part of her person. Her most elegant deportment was owing to her manner, and not to her habit. Her beauty was full of attraction, but more of allurement. There was such a composure in her looks, and propriety in her dress, that you would think it impossible she should change the garb you one day saw her in for any thing so becoming, till you next day saw her in another.'