Warrant from the Privy Council

Dulwich College: MS I, box C

f [1]

Whereas not longe since vpon some Consideracions we did restraine the Lorde Straunge his servauntes from playinge at the rose on the banckside, and enioyned them to plaie three daies at newington Butts, Now forasmuch as wee are satisfied that by reason of the tediousnes of the waie and yat of longe tyme plaies haue not there bene vsed on working daies, And for that a nomber of poore watermen are therby releeved, Yow shall permitt and suffer them or any other there to exercise yem selues in suche sorte as they haue don heretofore, And that the Rose maie be at libertie without any restrainte, solonge as yt shalbe free from infection of sicknes, Any Comaundement from vs heretofore to the Contrye notwithstanding. ffrom. (blank)

°To the Iustices Bayliffes

Constables and others to

Whome Yt shall Apperteyne:°

  • Footnotes
    • Whereas: W in display script
    • Comaundement: 3 minims for un
  • Modernized Text

    f [1]

    Whereas not long since, upon some considerations we did restrain the Lord Strange his servants from playing at the Rose on the Bankside, and enjoined them to play three days at Newington Butts, now forasmuch as we are satisfied that by reason of the tediousness of the way, and that of long time plays have not there been used on working days, and for that a number of poor watermen are thereby relieved, you shall permit and suffer them or any other there to exercise themselves in such sort as they have done heretofore, and that the Rose may be at liberty, without any restraint, so long as it shall be free from infection of sickness, any commandment from us heretofore to the contrary notwithstanding. From (blank).

    °To the justices, bailiffs, constables, and others to whom it shall appertain:°

  • Endnote

    For an image of the original MS, see the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project, MS 1, article 18.

    The 'tediousnes of the waie' to Newington Butts has been much commented on. The old playhouse, dating back to 1576, was about a mile's walk from Bankside and so less conveniently placed for London playgoers taking the boat or London Bridge to Southwark. The fact that 'of longe tyme plaies haue not there bene vsed on working daies' is worth noting. The leaseholder of the Newington property by this time was Peter Hunningborne, not known as a theatre manager, so Henslowe must have paid for temporary use of the playhouse there, as he probably did later in the summer of 1594. Whether others paid for occasional use after 1587 when the Rose was opened on Bankside remains an open question.

    For an abstract of the document and details of its transcription history, see the related EMLoT event record.

  • Event Entity Pages
  • Document Description

    Record title: Warrant from the Privy Council
    Repository: Dulwich College
    Shelfmark: MS I, box C
    Repository location: Dulwich

    The undated warrant (of which this is a copy) is likely connected to the undated petition by Strange's Men and to the undated petition by the Thames watermen, both of which are also in Dulwich College. For many years, scholars considered the warrant allowing Strange's Men to resume performances at the Rose, together with the two petitions, to have been associated with the restraint of performances during the plague months of 1592 or 1593. However, in an as yet unpublished paper 'Philip Henslowe and the Bankside Watermen: A Fresh Look at Three Familiar Documents,' Alan H. Nelson has studied the seventeen signatures on the watermen's petition, discovering from his local parish register research that two of those signing were dead by 1591; see further 'History of the Playhouse.' Given the earliest of the two death dates, in January 1590/1, the previous summer of 1590 becomes a more plausible date for the restraint, the temporary relocation of Strange's Men to Newington Butts, and the resumption of playing at the Rose.

    c 1590; English; paper; bifolium; 220mm x 320mm; no original foliation; written on f [1] only, dirty, badly deteriorated and repaired; originally folded twice, no endorsement. Article 18 in Warner's Catalogue; foliated 27 in later pencil, formerly bound in MS I but now mounted separately on acid-free paper within modern board covers with other documents of similar size in fascicule 2, box C.

TOOLS
TOOLS
Back To Top
Footnote