be observed under Edward VI. Some of the existing members seem to have retired, and four new ones, Richard Coke, John Birch, Henry Heryot, and John Smyth, were appointed.[1] The first three of these, together with two others, Richard Skinner and Thomas Southey, received a warrant to the Master of the Great Wardrobe on 15 February 1548, for the usual livery assigned to yeomen officers of the household, which consisted of three yards of red cloth, with an allowance of 3s. 4d. for the embroidering thereon of the royal initials.[2] The fees of these five, and of George Birch and Robert Hinstock, who were survivors from Henry VIII's time, are traceable, as well as the annual reward of £6 13s. 4d., in the Chamber Accounts.[3] Each now got £3 6s. 8d. a year, under a warrant of 24 December 1548. The same names appear in a list of 30 September 1552, with the exception of Robert Hinstock, whose place had probably been taken by John Browne, appointed as from the previous Christmas by a warrant of 9 June 1552, which introduced the innovation of granting him a livery allowance of £1 3s. 4d. a year instead of the actual livery.[4] If we suppose that John Smith and John Young continued to be borne on the Exchequer pay-roll, the total number of eight interlude-players provided for in fee-lists of Edward's reign is made up.[5] John Smith is probably to be identified with the 'disard' or jester of that name who took part in George Ferrers's Christmas gambols of 1552-3.[6] John Young may be the 'right worshipful esquire John Yung' to whom William Baldwin dedicated his Beware the Cat in 1553. He certainly survived into Elizabeth's reign and was still drawing an annuity of £3 6s. 8d. as 'agitator comediarum' in 1569-70.[7] I have not noticed any provincial performances by the company during 1547-53, except at
- ↑ Royal MS. 7, C. xvi, f. 97 (cited Collier, i. 137). The names are in a list of servants 'nuely in ordinary of the Chamber', and some illegible names of players are in an accompanying list of 'Offycers in ordynary of the Chamber of the late Kynges Majestie now discharged'.
- ↑ Lord Chamberlain's Records, Misc. v. 127, f. 23 (also with the error 'E. and P.' in Sullivan, 249), 'three broade yerdes of redd wollen clothe for a liuery coate of suche prices as the yeomen officers of oure howseholde are accustomed to haue and iij^s and iiij^d vnto euery of them for the Enbrauderinge of theire saide coates withe the lettres E and R on the backe and on the breste'.
- ↑ Chamber Accounts in Trevelyan Papers, i. 195-205; ii. 17-31, and Collier, i. 136, 138, 148.
- ↑ S. P. D. Edw. VI, xiv.
- ↑ Stowe MS. 571, f. 27^v; Harl. MS. 240, f. 13.
- ↑ Feuillerat, Edw. and Mary, 89, 90, 97, 98, 119; cf. Mediaeval Stage, i. 406, where I think I was in error in taking John Smith as a name assumed by Will Somers.
- ↑ Hist. MSS. iii. 230, from book of annuities at Penshurst.
