The Welch Heiress

The original cast included John Palmer as Lord Melcourt, James William Dodd as Sir Pepper Plinlimmon, William Barrymore as Mr Fashion, Thomas Hollingsworth as Taffy, John Bannister as Mr Phrensy, Richard Suett as Cautious, Robert Palmer as Mr Fancy, James Aickin as Steward, Elizabeth Farren as Lady Bellair, Jane Pope as Lady Plinlimmon and Dorothea Jordan as Miss Plinlimmon.

[5] Lord Melcourt is engaged to marry an heiress for the sake of her money and the naïve and romantic Miss Plinlimmon is puzzled by the fact that his behaviour does not live up to her expectations of the ideal lover.

Even the false news of his death in the papers does not lead to a revival of his reputation and he therefore plans to have a second item published, announcing that he died while visiting Melcourt for the wedding.

The play is in the Restoration style,[6] where the names of characters suggest their role: the quick-tempered Sir Pepper Plinlimmon, for example; Classical Phrensy, the dramatic poet; and Mr Fancy, the painter.

A contemporary reviewer was reminded by the book of John Vanbrugh's "A Journey to London",[7] but the play was given a generally critical reception mixed with some grudging praise.