Note 23 — Shakespeare’s Gloves

Of this John Ward I read that he was a well-known performer in the time of Betterton, and was in 1723 the original Hazeroth in the tragedy of “Mariamne,” by Elijah Fenton, the friend of Pope. It was for his benefit that Mrs. Woffington at Dublin, in 1760, played Sir Harry Wildair for the first time, and he was the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Siddons, his daughter having married Mr. Roger Kemble, and the great Kembles being the issue of that union. In considering the probabilities of this story, we may therefore conclude that John Ward was not likely to play a huge practical joke upon Garrick. We may further assume that he was a man of the world, not over credulous, or to be imposed upon with ease.—S. W. B.