Land Lease
Circa: October 1764
Most of the Proprietors were men. Yet the land the Theatre was built on formerly belonged to two women, Bethia Richards and her widowed sister-in-law, Ann Packer.
When she died, Ann's share passed to her late husband’s children from an earlier marriage: Mrs Ann Crump and Joseph Packer. Ann Crump's husband, Edward, persuaded the relevant parties to lease the land to the Proprietors.
He and Ann were given 'bearer tickets' for their help. Like the Proprietors' silver tickets, these allowed free access to any performance at the Theatre, but unlike the silver tickets they couldn't be traded or loaned to anyone else.
