Actress and mistress of Charles II, better known to history as 'Moll Davis'. Her parentage and early life is shrouded in rumour of illegitimacy and a possible ducal father. In the 1660's she was performing with the Duke's Company, and was mentioned by Pepys in '62 and '64. Her career blossomed enough for her to have parts written specifically for her, such as Gatty in 'She Would if She Could'. She excelled at singing and dancing roles. She retired from acting in '68 after becoming a mistress of the King, who provided her with a house and financial maintenance. She was pensioned off at £1000 a year and a rumour arose that she fell from the King's favour afer being fed sweetmeats laced with laxatives by Nell Gwynne before her assignations with His Majesty. Her daughter by the King, Mary, was born in '73. She continued acting in Court productions into the '80s. In 1686 she married the composer and instrumentalist James Paisible. They went into exile with James II, but gained passports to return to England in '93, where they eventually settled in Dean Street, Soho, where Mary died in 1708.
Actress and mistress of Charles II, better known to history as 'Moll Davis'. Her parentage and early life is shrouded in rumour of illegitimacy and a possible ducal father. In the 1660's she was performing with the Duke's Company, and was mentioned by Pepys in '62 and '64. Her career blossomed enough for her to have parts written specifically for her, such as Gatty in 'She Would if She Could'. She excelled at singing and dancing roles. She retired from acting in '68 after becoming a mistress of the King, who provided her with a house and financial maintenance. She was pensioned off at £1000 a year and a rumour arose that she fell from the King's favour afer being fed sweetmeats laced with laxatives by Nell Gwynne before her assignations with His Majesty. Her daughter by the King, Mary, was born in '73. She continued acting in Court productions into the '80s. In 1686 she married the composer and instrumentalist James Paisible. They went into exile with James II, but gained passports to return to England in '93, where they eventually settled in Dean Street, Soho, where Mary died in 1708.
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