Historical Register, For the Year 1736

work by Fielding

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June 29, 2026

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The Historical Register, For the Year 1736 was a satirical play written by Henry Fielding in 1737. The play was performed at the Haymarket Theatre in London and is notable for its sharp criticism of the British government, particularly Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. Fielding used the play to ridicule Walpole and his policies, leading to Walpole's introduction of the Licensing Act of 1737. This act required all new plays to be approved by the lord chamberlain before performance, effectively ending Fielding's career as a playwright and pushing him towards writing novels.12

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Henry Fielding
Early life.
…the Haymarket Theatre), London, his Historical Register, For the Year 1736, in which the prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, was represented practically undisguised and mercilessly ridiculed. It was not the first time Walpole had suffered from Fielding’s pen, and his answer was to push through Parliament the Licensing Act, by…
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…the Haymarket Theatre), London, his Historical Register, For the Year 1736, in which the prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, was represented practically undisguised and mercilessly ridiculed. It was not the first time Walpole had suffered from Fielding’s pen, and his answer was to push through Parliament the Licensing Act, by…
Read More

history of publishing
England
…satirical piece for the theatre, The Historical Register for the Year 1736, on its publication in the following year. In the expanding literary market, the enterprising publisher tried to collect all the most promising authors to write for him. Through his personal inclinations, his sense of public taste, and his…
Read More
…satirical piece for the theatre, The Historical Register for the Year 1736, on its publication in the following year. In the expanding literary market, the enterprising publisher tried to collect all the most promising authors to write for him. Through his personal inclinations, his sense of public taste, and his…
Read More