Charlotte Atkyns

• In NOTES AND QUERIES - London 1903 : MISS CHARLOTTE WALPOLE . This lady, according to enest, made her début at Drury Lane,2 October, 1777, as Rosetta in Love in aVillage, and is frequently found in the bills for two seasons. She took her benefit,16 April, 1779, as Sir Harry Wildair in Farquhar's Constant Couple, and the last record of Genest is on the 19th of the same month, as Clarinda in Cibber's ' DoubleGallant.' As the season did not close till 1 June, this may not have been her last appearance. Miss Walpole was married to Mr.Atkyns on 18 June (not May), 1779. I find no mention of her as Mrs. Atkyns. The 21. Adm Kennet," Lord Mayor " of " London." engraving by Bunbury to which your correspondent refers evidently represents Miss Walpole in the character of Nancy, disguised in male attire as a young recruit, in ' The Camp,' a musical entertainment attributed to Sheridan, but the work of his brother- inlaw, Richard Tickell. This pièce de circonstance was produced at Drury Lane 15 October,1778, and owed much of its success to MissWalpole's adroitness in military exercises.It was written for the sake of exhibiting a representation of the military manœuvres at Coxheath, near Maidstone, where 15,000 troops were encamped ; the scene was attractive as a fashionable resort, and honoured by Royalty.

And:

MISS CHARLOTTE WALPOLE was not, of course, Charlotte, Lady Huntingtower, who was married in 1770, not 1760,and died without issue 1789, but was Charlotte Walpole the actress, daughter of William Walpole, of Athlone, who was called the pretty Miss Walpole of Drury Lane Theatre." I do not know the exact dates of her entrance on and exit from the stage, but, as she married Edward Atkyns, of Ketteringham, great - grandson of the Lord ChiefJustice of the Exchequer, 18 May, 1779, who was just twenty-one years of age, she could
not have been long on the stage at that period. She evidently did not leave the stage immediately, as I have an engraving of her by Bunbury dated the next year, 1780, in the character of a grenadier doing sentry-go with a musket on the outskirts of a camp. Underneath is "Nancy," but on the gable of a hut are her initials C. W. Her only son, Wright Edward Atkyns, who was captain in the 1st Royals, was born in 1780, and died unmarried 16 November, 1804. She soon after must have left the stage, as Lady Jerningham writes from Lille, November,
1784 :-
" A great many people have taken refuge here, to fly from their creditors in England ; among the rest a Norwich family and a Mrs. Atkins of Ket- ringham. She was a player, a friend of Miss Younger. You may remember to have heard of her, and he was always a great simpleton or else he would not have married her. ". Jerningham Letters,' vol. i. p. 9, and see note at bottom of p. 10.
She survived both her only child and her husband, who died 27 March, 1794.
H. S. VADE-WALPOLE.

• At the Bibliotheque Nationale de France BNF Charlotte Atkyns (1758-1836)
• BNF : Louis XVII et le Secret de Mme Atkyns
• see also: Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the High Court of Chancery
• KL Magazine : The very strange history of Charlotte Atkyns
• Wikipedia: Charlotte Atkyns (née Walpole) (1757–1836) was an English actress and agent, foremost known for her attempts in rescuing the members of the former royal family of France from imprisonment during the French Revolution.
• Her will in "A friend of Marie Antoinette - Lady Atkyns" Frederic Barbey 1906

" January 6, 1835.

" I, Charlotte Atkyns, give to Victoire Ilh, my maid-servant, at present in my service, all effects of furniture, linen, wearing-apparel and silver that I possess ; and, generally, all objects which may be found in my room, in my house, or lodging, at the date of my decease, whatever they may be; and also my carriage. I give moreover to the said Victoire Ilh, the sum of £120 sterling, which is due to me to-day from Nathaliel William Peach, of 13, Saville Street, London, and of Ketteringham in the County of Norfolk, or from his heirs, which sum shall be payed on demand to the said Victoire Ilh, after my decease. I further give to Victoire Ilh the sum of £1000 sterling, which shall be paid to her within three months of my death.

I charge these gifts on the Norfolk property, which is at present in the possession of the said Nathaliel W. Peach as a guarantee for all my debts, I having mortgaged the said property in favour of my sister-in-law, the late Mary Atkyns, for £18,000 sterling, and in addition for an annuity of £500 sterling payable quarterly each year ; and as in consequence the freehold belongs to me, I charge it with the payment of my lawful debts, and of my funeral expenses.

" I desire that my body be taken to Ketteringham and interred in the family vault ; and that my name and age be inscribed on a plain marble stone, near the monument of my late dear son. I have mentioned in another will the names of some friends from whom I beg acceptance of some souvenirs of my consideration and esteem. I give the box which I have left with Messrs. Barnard and Co., N. Bankers, Cornhill, London, to Mr. Nathaliel W. Peach. It contains some pieces of silver. I left it there, I think, on November 10, 1832. I give the freehold of all my properties in Norfolk to Nathaliel W. Peach for the payment of all charges and debts, present and future. I give £100 sterling to my servant, Jean-Baptiste Erard, native of Switzerland, who has served me faithfully for five years, and whose conduct has always been regular. As to that of Victoire Ilh, ever since she came into my service, it has been beyond all praise. This girl was not born to wait upon others ; she belonged to a very respectable family of Munich. I appoint Nathaliel W. Peach my executor. I request that immediately after my death the Counsel for the British Embassy, Mr. Okey (or whoever may be Counsel at the time) be sent for ; and I desire him to be good enough to act for Mr. Nathaliel W. Peach here at Paris.

" In the name of Grod, I sign the present testament."