They were leased by the Bishop of Winchester to William Payne in 1540. His widow Joan Payne assigned them to John White and John Malthouse on 1 August 1582, and White's moiety was assigned to Malthouse on 5 February 1589.[1] From him Henslowe bought the lease in 1593-4.[2] The tenements upon it were in his hands as 'Mr. Malthowes rentes' in 1603 and Alleyn was living in one of them.[3] And the lease of the Barge, Bell and Cock passed to Alleyn and was assigned by his will towards the settlement of his second or third wife, Constance, daughter of Dean Donne.'[4] To the west of this property in 1540 was a tenement once held by the prioress of Stratford. This passed to the Crown, and then to Thomas and Isabella Keyes under a Crown lease which was in Henslowe's hands by 1597. Some notes of deeds—leases, deputations, bonds—concerning the Bear Garden were left by Alleyn. Four of the deeds have since been found by Mr. Kingsford in the Record Office. It appears that, before Henslowe, both Pope and Burnaby had some of the Keyes land on a sub-lease, and that Burnaby probably had the Keyes lease itself. Payne carried on baiting in a ring just south of the Barge. The site was called Orchard Court in 1620, and stood north of the Hope. This agrees with the relation suggested by Mr. Rendle between the two courtelages'. The object of the suit of 1620 was to determine whether the Hope also stood upon episcopal, or upon Crown land. Taylor's testimony was ambiguous. But it follows that the transfer southwards must have been due to a tenant who held under both leases. It was suggested in 1620 that Pope rebuilt the scaffold standings round the ring as galleries with a larger circuit. This was doubtless after the ruin of 1583. Nothing is said of a change of site at this time. Moreover, both Pope and Burnaby seem to have used the site of the Hope and its bull-house as a dog-yard. Probably, therefore, the change was made by Henslowe and Alleyn.by twyxt the sayd Phillyp Henslow and me consaning a bargen of the beargarden I say Reseved vj^{ll}. By me John Mavlthouse. Wittnes I E Alley.' I take the words in square brackets, which are cancelled in the diary, to represent 'if he proceed'. In Henslowe, i. 43, are further receipts for 40s. 'in part of the bargen for the tenymentes on the bankes syd' in Dec. 1595, and sums of £10, £20, and £4 for unspecified purposes in Jan. and Feb. 1596. Kingsford, 177, gives the date of Henslowe's purchase.]
- ↑ Henslowe, ii. 25, from Egerton MS. 2623, f. 13, and Dulwich MS. iv. 21.
- ↑ Henslowe, i. 71, 'Ano do 1595 the xxviij^{th} of Novembere Reseved of M^r Henslow the day and yeare abov written the som of syx poundes of curant mony of England and is in part of a mor som [yf he the sayd
- ↑ Henslowe, i. 209; cf. Henslowe Papers, 109.
- ↑ Henslowe, ii. 25.
