Privy Council Letters to the JPs of Middlesex and Surrey and the Lord Mayor

TNA: PC 2/26

pp 514–15 (31 December) (Whitehall)

Two Lettres of one tenour to the Iustices of Middlesex & Surrey. It is in vaine for vs to take knowledg of greate abuses & disorders complayned of, and to giue order for redresse, if our directions finde no better execution and observation then it seemeth they do: and wee must needes impute the fault and blame thereof to yow or some of yow the Iustices of the peace that are put in trust to see them executed and perfourmed: whereof wee may giue yow a plaine instance in the great abuse contynued or rather encreased in the multitude of Plaie howses and Stage Plaies in and about the Cittie of London. ffor whereas about a yeare & a half since (vpon knowledge taken of the great enormities and disorders by the overmuch frequentinge of Plaies) wee did carefullie sett downe and prescribe an order to be observed concerninge the number of Playhowses, and the vse and exercise of Stage plaies with lymytacion of tymes and places for the same, (namely that there should be but two howses allowed for that vse, one in Middlesex called the Fortune, and the other in Surrey called the Globe; and the same with observacion of certaine daies and times as in the said order is particularly expressed) in such sorte as a moderate practice of them for honest recreation might be contynued, and yet the inordinate concourse of dissolute and idle people be restrayned; wee do now vnderstande that our said order hath bin so farr from taking dew effect, as in steede of restrainte and redresse of the former disorders the multitude of play howses is much encreased, and that no daie passeth over without many Stage plaies in one place or other within and about the Cittie publiquelie made; The default of perfourmance of which said our said order, we must in greate parte the rather impute to the Iustices of the peace, because at the same tyme wee gaue earnest direction vnto yow to see it streightly executed; and to certifie vs of the execution; and yet we haue neither vnderstoode of any redresse made by yow nor receaved any Certificate at all of your procedinges therein; which default, or omission, wee do now pray and require yow foorthwith to amende; and to cause our said former order to be putt duely in execution; and especiallie to call before yow the Owners of all the other Play howses (excepting the two howses in Middlesex, and Surrey aforementioned); and to take good and sufficient bondes of them, not to exercise vse or practice, nor to suffer from henceforth to be exercised, vsed or practized any Stage playinge in their howses, and if they shall refuse to enter into such Bondes, then to Comitt them to prison, vntill they shall conforme themselues. And so &c.

A lettre to the Lord Maiour & Aldermen of London. Wee haue receaued a lettre from yow, renewing a Complaint of the great abuse and disorder within and about the Cittie of London, by reason of the multitude of Play howses, and the inordinate resort and Concourse of dissolute and idle people daielie vnto publique Stage plaies; for the which information, as wee do commende your lordship because it betokeneth your Care and desire to reforme the disorders of the Cittie; So wee must lett yow know, that wee did muche rather expect to vnderstand that our order (sett downe and prescribed about a yeare and a half since for reformation of the said disorders vpon the like Complaint at that tyme) had bin duelie executed, then to finde the same disorders and abuses so muche encreased as they are. The blame whereof, as wee cannot but impute in great part to the Iustices of the peace or some of them in the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey, who had speciall direction and charge from vs to see our said order executed, for the Confines of the Cittie, wherein the most part of those Play howses are scituate; So wee do wishe that it might appeare vnto vs that any thing hath bin endeavoured by the Predecessours of yow the Lord Maiour and by yow the Aldermen for the redresse of the said enormities, and for observation & execution of our said order within the Cittie; wee do therefore once againe renew hereby our directions vnto yow (as we haue donne by our lettres to the Iustices of Middlesex and Surrey) concerninge the observation of our former order: which wee do praie and require yow to cause duelie and dilligentlie to be put in execution for all poyntes thereof, and especiallie for thexpresse & streight prohibition of any more Play howses then those two that are mentioned & allowed in the said | Order: Charging & streightlie comaunding all such persons as are the Owners of any the howses vsed for Stage plaies within the Cittie; not to permitt any more publique Plaies to be vsed, exercised, or shewed from hencefoorth in their said howses, And to take bondes of them, (if yow shall finde it needefull) for the perfourmance thereof, Or if they shall refuse to enter into bonde, or to obserue our said order, then to comitt them to Prison vntill they shall conforme themselues thervnto. And so praying yow as yourself do make the Complaint and finde the enormitie; so to applie your best endeau<..> to the remedie of the abuse, wee bidd &c.

...

  • Marginalia
  • Footnotes
    • Two: T in display script
    • Middlesex: in a more formal script
    • Fortune: in a more formal script
    • Surrey: in a more formal script
    • Globe: in a more formal script
    • Middlesex: in a more formal script
    • Surrey: in a more formal script
    • A: in display script
    • Order: also written as a catchword at the bottom of p 514
    • endeau<..>: reading lost in gutter; likely for endeauour
  • Modernized Text

    pp 514–15 (31 December) (Whitehall)


    Two letters of one tenor to the justices of Middlesex and Surrey.

    It is in vain for us to take knowledge of great abuses and disorders complained of and to give order for redress if our directions find no better execution and observation than it seems they do. And we must need impute the fault and blame thereof to you or some of you, the justices of the peace that are put in trust to see them executed and performed, whereof we may give you a plain instance in the great abuse continued – or rather increased – in the multitude of playhouses and stage plays in and about the city of London. For whereas about a year and half since (upon knowledge taken of the great enormities and disorders by the overmuch frequenting of plays) we did carefully set down and prescribe an order to be observed concerning the number of playhouses, and the use and exercise of the same (namely that there should be but two houses allowed for that use, one in Middlesex called the Fortune, and the other in Surrey called the Globe, and the same with observation of certain days and times as in the said order is particularly expressed) in such sort as a moderate practice of them for honest recreation might be continued and yet the inordinate concourse of dissolute and idle people be restrained, we do now understand that our said order has been so far from taking due effect, as instead of restraint and redress of the former disorders, the multitude of playhouses is much increased, and that no day passes over without many stage plays in one place or other within and about the city publicly made. The default of performance of which our said order, we must in great part the rather impute to the justices of the peace, because at the same time we gave earnest direction unto you to see it straightly executed, and to certify us of the execution, and yet we have neither understood of any redress made by you, nor received any certificate at all of your proceedings therein, which default or omission we do now pray and require you forthwith to amend, and to cause our said former order to be put duly into execution, and especially to call before you the owners of all the other playhouses (excepting the two houses in Middlesex and Surrey aforementioned), and to take good and sufficient bonds of them, not to exercise, use, or practice, nor to suffer from henceforth to be exercised, used, or practiced, any stage playing in their houses, and if they shall refuse to enter into such bonds, then to commit them to prison, until they shall conform themselves. And so, etc.

    A letter to the lord mayor and aldermen of London. We have received a letter from you, renewing a complaint of the great abuse and disorder within and about the city of London, by reason of the multitude of playhouses and the inordinate resort and concourse of dissolute and idle people daily unto public stage plays, for the which information we do commend your lordship, because it betokens your care and desire to reform the disorders of the city. So we must let you know that we did much rather expect to understand that our order (set down and prescribed about a year and a half since for reformation of the said disorders upon the like complaint at that time) had been duly executed, then to find the same disorders and abuses so much increased as they are, the blame whereof, as we cannot but impute in great part to the justices of the peace, or some of them in the counties of Middlesex and Surrey, who had special direction and charge from us to see our said order executed for the confines of the city wherein the most part of those playhouses are situated. So we do wish that it might appear unto us that any thing has been endeavoured by the precedessors of you, the lord mayor, and by you, the aldermen, for the redress of the said enormities, and for observation and execution of our said order with the city. We do therefore once again renew hereby our directions unto you (as we have done by our letters to the justices of Middlesex and Surrey) concerning the observation of our former order, which we do pray and require you to cause duly and diligently to be put in execution for all points thereof, and especially for the express and straight prohibition of any more playhouses than those two that are mentioned and allowed in the said order, charging and straightly commanding all such persons as are the owners of the houses used for stage plays within the city not to permit any more public plays to be used, exercised, or shown from henceforth in their said houses, and to take bonds of them (if you shall find it needful) for the performance thereof, or if they shall refuse to enter into bond or to observe our said order, then to commit them to prison until they shall conform themselves thereunto. And so praying you as yourself do make the complaint and find the enormity, so to apply your best endeavours to the remedy of the abuse, we bid etc.

    ...

  • Endnote

    The privy councillors named in the marginalia as present at the meeting are as follows: Sir Thomas Egerton (1540-1617), Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, 1596-1617; William Knollys (1544-1632), first Earl of Banbury, Comptroller of the Household, 1596-1602; Thomas Sackville (c. 1536-1608), 1st Baron Buckhurst, Lord Treasurer, 1599-1608; Sir Robert Cecil (1563-1612), Secretary of State,1596-1612; Charles Howard (c.1536-1624), Lord Admiral, 1585-1618/19; Sir John Herbert (c. 1540-1617), Secretary of State, 1600-17; Gilbert Talbot (1552-1616), eleventh Earl of Shrewsbury; and Edward Somerset (c. 1550-1628), ninth Earl of Worcester. The full text of the letter is printed in Greg and Chambers, 'Remembrancia,' pp 83–5.

    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: Privy Council Letters to the JPs of Middlesex and Surrey and the Lord Mayor
    Repository: TNA
    Shelfmark: PC 2/26
    Repository location: Kew

    The aggrieved letters on pages 514–15 to the apparently lax JPs for Middlesex and Surrey and to the more responsive lord mayor of London refer to an order dated 22 June 1600 intended to establish only the Fortune and the Globe playhouses as approved operations and to restrain the continuance or further development of playhouses beyond the city limits in Middlesex and Surrey. The Swan and the Rose on Bankside resisted the restraint and continued operations while the Curtain and the Boar's Head Inn playhouses maintained activities north of the city.

    A copy of the letter to the lord mayor and aldermen was recorded, with only minor variants in spelling, in the city's Remembrancia, LMA: COL/RMD/PA/01/002, ff 94v–5 (31 December).

    7 December 1600–2 January 1601/2; English; paper; i + 307 + i; 405mm x 255mm; ink pagination 1–521, followed by 46 unnumbered 19th-c. leaves (unpaginated index in a different hand); good condition; bound in maroon leather over boards, tooled, spine partially loose, gold- stamped title on spine: 'ELIZABETH. | VOL.XVII. | COUNCIL | REGISTER. | 7. DEC. 1600. | TO | 2.JAN 1602.'

  • Manuscript Images

    The National Archives (UK), ref. PC 2/26

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