Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Peachum family
fictional characters
Peachum family, fictional characters in John Gay’s play The Beggar’s Opera (produced 1728) and in a version of that play adapted two centuries later by Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera (1928). The family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Peachum and their daughter Polly, lives by dealing in stolen goods.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.