single sheet (28 November)
Be it knowne vnto all men by theis presentes That I Sir William Steward Knight have receaved and had the day of the date hereof of Phillip Henslowe and Edward Allen of the parishe of St Saviouers in Southwarke in the Countye of Surrey Esquiers the somme of ffoure hundreth and ffiftye poundes of lawfull money of England in full satisfaccion payment and discharge for the absolute bargayne sale and assignement of a Certen Patent to me made and graunted by our soueraigne Lord the Kinges Maiestie that now is, of the mastership of his maiesties games of Beeres Bulls and dogges and the ffees profittes and appurtenaunces whatsoeuer to the same place or office belonginge or appertayninge, The Receipte of which ffoure hundreth and ffiftye poundes in forme aforesaid receaved I doe acknowledge by theis presentes and thereof and of euery parcell thereof I Clerelye acquite and discharg the said Phillip Henslowe and Edward Allen and either of them their executours and administratours for by theis presentes And further I the said Sir William Steward knight have remised released and altogeather for me my executours and administratours foreuer quite Claymed vnto the said Phillip Henslowe and Edward Allen and either of them their executours and administratours, All and all manner of accons sutes debtes accomptes recconninges somme and sommes of money Claymes dutyes and demaundes whatsoeuer which againste the saide Phillip Henslowe and Edward Allen or either of them ever I have had now have or hereafter shall or may move or have by reason or force of anye matter cause bargaine Contract or thinge whatsoeuer from the begininge of the worlde vntill the day of the date hereof In witness whereof I have herevnto sett my hand and seale dated the eight and Twentith daye of November 1604 and in the Second yere of the Raigne of our soueraigne Lorde Kinge Iames &c.
(signed) Williame steuarte
Sealed and deliuered in
The presence of vs (signed) Edward
Taylor servant to
Harman
(signed) Iacinth Bradshawghe
For an abstract of this record and details of its transcription in other printed sources, see the related EMLoT event.
Record title: Mastership of Bears, Acquittance from Sir William Stewart to
Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn
Repository: Dulwich College
Shelfmark: MS II
Repository location: Dulwich
Sir William Stewart became master of Bears, Bulls and Mastiff Dogs in 1604, following the death of John Dorrington; see TNA: C 66/1658, 26 July. Here he acknowledged Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn's payment of £450 in return for the assignment to them of the patent of the mastership. This patent had been confirmed four days earlier; see Royal Patent to Henslowe and Alleyn for the Office of Master of the Royal Game of Bears, Bulls and Mastiff Dogs.
For an image of the original manuscript, see Ioppolo, Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project.
28 November 1604; paper; English; bifolium; 305mm x 200mm; unnumbered; f 1 carries a blind stamped seal, endorsed on f [2v]: 'Sir William Stewardes | acquiitance for ccccl. li.'; mounted on a modern guard and bound with other documents in a 19th-c. brown cloth binding with gold tooling, title on spine: 'DULWICH | COLLEGE. | ALLEYN | PAPERS. | VOL.II. | BEAR | GARDEN | 1598-1626 |.' Foliated 11–12 in pencil by Warner; cited on p 68 of his Catalogue.