King's Men Personnel
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King's Men personnel were the people who worked with and for the
Lord Chamberlain's Men The Lord Chamberlain's Men was an English company of actors, or a "playing company" (as it then would likely have been described), for which William Shakespeare wrote during most of his career. Richard Burbage played most of the lead roles, includ ...
and the King's Men (for all practical purposes a single continuous theatrical enterprise) from
1594 Events January–March * January 3 – Longvek, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, is conquered by the army of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (now Thailand), commanded by King Naresuan, after more than two years of war. King Che ...
to
1642 Events January–March * January 4 – King Charles I of England, accompanied by soldiers, arrives at a session of the Long Parliament and attempts to arrest his chief opponents, the Five Members, John Hampden, Arthur Haselri ...
(and after). The company was the major theatrical enterprise of its era and featured some of the leading actors of their generation –
Richard Burbage Richard Burbage (6 January 1567 – 13 March 1619) was an English stage actor, widely considered to have been one of the most famous actors of the Globe Theatre and of his time. In addition to being a stage actor, he was also a theatre owne ...
,
John Lowin John Lowin (baptized 9 December 1576 – buried 18 March 1659 or 16 March 1669) was an English actor. Early life Born in St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, Lowin was the son of a tanner. Like Robert Armin, he was apprenticed to a goldsmit ...
, and Joseph Taylor among other – and some leading clowns and comedians, like Will Kempe and
Robert Armin Robert Armin (c. 1568 – 1615) was an English actor, and member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600. Also a p ...
. The company benefitted from the services of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, John Fletcher, and
Philip Massinger Philip Massinger (1583 – 17 March 1640) was an English dramatist. His plays, including '' A New Way to Pay Old Debts'', '' The City Madam'', and '' The Roman Actor'', are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and soci ...
as regular dramatists. The actors who performed the plays have left the most evidence of their lives and activities; but they were supported by musicians and other functionaries, and were enabled by managers and financial backers like
Cuthbert Burbage Cuthbert Burbage (1565 – 15 September 1636) was an English theatrical figure, son of James Burbage, builder of the Theatre in Shoreditch and elder brother of the actor Richard Burbage. From 1589 he was the owner of the ground lease of the The ...
. For more information on specific individuals, see individual entries:
Robert Armin Robert Armin (c. 1568 – 1615) was an English actor, and member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600. Also a p ...
, Christopher Beeston, Robert Benfield, etc.


Terms

* " Sharer" – an actor who was a partner in the company and so received a share of the profits, as opposed to a simple "hired man" who earned a wage. * A "householder" or "housekeeper" was an investor and sharer in one (or both) of the two theatres used by the troupe, the
Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...
and the Blackfriars. (The term "lessee" is also used, since the Globe was built on leased land and the Blackfriars facility was also leased. Partners in the theatres were partners in the leases.) The two theatres were organized separately from the acting company; actors could rise to be "sharers" in the company without being householders in the theatres, and some householders were not actors. * "Necessary attendant" refers to the hired men on Sir Henry Herbert's list (dated 27 December 1624) of 24 "musicians and other necessary attendants" of the King's Men who could not be arrested or "pressed for soldiers" without the consent of the
Master of the Revels The Master of the Revels was the holder of a position within the English, and later the British, royal household, heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels". The Master of the Revels was an executive officer under the Lord Chamberla ...
or the
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...
. * "Principal actor" – The
First Folio ''Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies'' is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is cons ...
provided a list of 26 "principal actors" in Shakespeare's plays, down to
1623 Events January–March * January 21 **Viscount Falkland, England's Lord Deputy of Ireland, issues a proclamation ordering all Roman Catholic priests to leave Ireland, affecting negotiations over the "Spanish match" (which resume in ...
. The list includes only sharers in the company, and omits hired men. * ''S.D.S.'' – '' The Seven Deadly Sins'', probably by
Richard Tarlton Richard Tarlton (died 5 September 1588) was an English actor of the Elizabethan era. He was the most famous clown of his era, known for his extempore comic doggerel verse, which came to be known as "Tarltons". He helped to turn Elizabethan theat ...
. A production c. 1591 involved a group of players who would later go on to form the Lord Chamberlain's Men.


After 1642

Twice in 1648, in January and December, different groups of former King's Men tried to re-activate the troupe, despite the formal prohibition on play-acting by the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
regime. The January endeavor involved Benfield, Bird, Clark, Hammerton, Lowin, Pollard, and Robinson (all of whom signed the dedication to the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio in
1647 Events January–March * January 2 – Chinese bandit leader Zhang Xianzhong, who has ruled the Sichuan province since 1644, is killed at Xichong County, Xichong by a Qing archer, after having been betrayed by one of his officer ...
, along with Allen, Swanston, and Taylor). The December effort was by Baxter, Blagden, Burt, Clun, Cox, Hall, Kettleby, Loveday, and Charles and William Hart. Neither effort was successful, though groups of King's Men personnel were arrested at least twice in 1648 and 1649 for clandestine acting. When the
King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure 1642, London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 166 ...
was formed in
1660 Events January–March * January 1 ** At daybreak, English Army Colonel George Monck, with two brigades of troops from his Scottish occupational force, fords the River Tweed at Coldstream in Scotland to cross the Anglo-Scottish ...
, the troupe included Loveday, Clun, Burt, Blagden, Bird, Baxter, and Charles Hart.


Personnel

* John Adson – musician (cornet). He played a ghost "with a brace of greyhounds" in '' The Late Lancashire Witches'' in 1634. He married Jane Balls, sister of Richard Balls. * William Allen – actor and sharer. Like
Theophilus Bird Theophilus Bird, or Bourne, (1608 – 1663) was a seventeenth-century English actor. Bird began his stage career in the Stuart era of English Renaissance theatre, and ended it in the Restoration period; he was one of the relatively few acto ...
,
Michael Bowyer Michael Bowyer (1599–1645) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He spent most of his maturity with Queen Henrietta's Men, but finished his career with the King's Men. With the former company, he was ...
, Hugh Clark, and William Robbins, he came to the company from
Queen Henrietta's Men Queen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors of the Caroline era in London, England. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men. Beginnin ...
sometime in the 1637–40 period. He became a
Groom of the Chamber Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Household of the monarch in early modern England. Other ''Ancien Régime'' royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in Eng ...
on 22 January 1641, along with Bird, Bowyer, Clark, Robbins, and Stephen Hammerton. *
Robert Armin Robert Armin (c. 1568 – 1615) was an English actor, and member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He became the leading comedy actor with the troupe associated with William Shakespeare following the departure of Will Kempe around 1600. Also a p ...
– principal actor. * Edward Ashborne – "necessary attendant." * John Bacon – actor; hired man, 1635–37. He appeared in the 1635 revival of '' Love's Pilgrimage''. * Francis Balls – hired man; possibly a musician and walk-on actor. He had a non-speaking role in ''
Believe as You List ''Believe as You List'' is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship. Censorship The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the ...
'' in 1631. * Richard Balls – composer. He taught music in the King's service, and played for the City of London. *
Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist church leader and theologian from Rowton, Shropshire, who has been described as "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". He ma ...
– actor. * Ambrose Beeland, or Byland – musician (violinist), 1624–28; "necessary attendant." * Christopher Beeston – actor, hired man, 1598–1602. * Robert Benfield – principal actor. * George Birch – actor, c. 1616–25; hired man. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Cowley. He started out as a
boy player A boy player was a male child or teenager who performed in Medieval theatre, Medieval and English Renaissance theatre, English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for adult companies and performed the female roles, since women ...
; among his roles were Fine Madame Would-be in ''
Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...
'' and Doll Common in '' The Alchemist''. A prolific performer, he was also in ''
The Double Marriage ''The Double Marriage'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger, and initially printed in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647. Date and performance Though firm evidence on the play's da ...
'', '' The False One'', '' The Island Princess'', ''
The Laws of Candy ''The Laws of Candy'' is a Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy that is significant principally because of the question of its authorship. Date The play received its initial publication in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647. Scholars ...
'', ''
The Lovers' Progress ''The Lovers' Progress'' (also known as ''The Wandering Lovers'', ''Cleander'', or ''Lisander and Calista'') is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. As its multiple titles indica ...
'', '' The Pilgrim'', '' The Prophetess'', ''
Sir John van Olden Barnavelt ''The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt'' is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political ...
'', '' The Spanish Viceroy'', and '' A Wife for a Month''. *
Theophilus Bird Theophilus Bird, or Bourne, (1608 – 1663) was a seventeenth-century English actor. Bird began his stage career in the Stuart era of English Renaissance theatre, and ended it in the Restoration period; he was one of the relatively few acto ...
– actor, sharer. His father, William Bird or William Bourne, may have been with the Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1597, before moving on to other companies in a long career. * Nicholas Blagden – actor. He was one of ten men to tried to re-activate the King's Men in December 1648. * Richard Bowers – actor, hired man, 1636–42. *
Michael Bowyer Michael Bowyer (1599–1645) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre in the Jacobean and Caroline eras. He spent most of his maturity with Queen Henrietta's Men, but finished his career with the King's Men. With the former company, he was ...
– actor, sharer. * Robert Browne – a householder in the Globe, after he inherited a share though
William Sly William Sly (died August 1608) was an English actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men. Biography Nothing is known of Sly's early life. ...
's last will and testament in 1608. Brown, an actor, had a four-decade-long career with other companies; he soon sold his share to Heminges and Condell in partnership. (He should not be confused with the "other" Robert Browne the actor.) *
George Bryan George Bryan (1731January 27, 1791) was an Irish/American Pennsylvania businessman, and politician of the American Revolution, Revolutionary era. He served as the first Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania#Vice-Presiden ...
– principal actor. * Alexander Bullard – musician (recorder player); "necessary attendant." *
Cuthbert Burbage Cuthbert Burbage (1565 – 15 September 1636) was an English theatrical figure, son of James Burbage, builder of the Theatre in Shoreditch and elder brother of the actor Richard Burbage. From 1589 he was the owner of the ground lease of the The ...
– manager/investor. *
James Burbage James Burbage ( 1531 – 2 February 1597) was an English actor, theatre impresario, joiner, and theatre builder in the English Renaissance theatre. He built The Theatre, the first permanent dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times. ...
– theatre manager. *
Richard Burbage Richard Burbage (6 January 1567 – 13 March 1619) was an English stage actor, widely considered to have been one of the most famous actors of the Globe Theatre and of his time. In addition to being a stage actor, he was also a theatre owne ...
– principal actor. * Winifred Turner Burbage – the widow of Richard Burbage, she became a householder in both theatres when her husband died. She later married Richard Robinson. *
Nicholas Burt Nicholas Burt (1621 ? — after 1689), or Birt or Burght among other variants, was a prominent English actor of the seventeenth century. In a long career, he was perhaps best known as the first actor to play the role of Othello in the Restora ...
– actor. He began as a boy player, an apprentice to
John Shank John Shank (also spelled Shanke or Shanks) (died January 1636) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a leading comedian in the King's Men during the 1620s and 1630s. Early career By his own testimony, Shank began his stage career with P ...
. He was one of the King's Men arrested on 5 February 1648, while playing in '' Rollo Duke of Normandy''. His career continued into the Restoration; he played Othello in 1660 and 1669. * William Carver – "necessary attendant." * William Chambers – musician; "necessary attendant." * Hugh Clark – actor and sharer. * Mary Clark, or Mary Woods – a householder in the Globe Theatre from 1604.
Thomas Pope Sir Thomas Pope (150729 January 1559) was a prominent public servant in mid-16th-century England, a Member of Parliament, a wealthy landowner, and the founder of Trinity College, Oxford. Early life Pope was born at Deddington, near Banbury, O ...
left part of his share in the Globe to Mary Clark in his last will and testament; she later married a John Edmunds or Edmans, who shared in her share. * Robert Clark – "necessary attendant." * Henry Clay – "necessary attendant." * Walter Clun – actor. Like Charles Hart, he was a boy player prior to the closing of the theatres in 1642, who continued his career as an adult actor in 1660. * Jeffrey Collins – musician; "necessary attendant." He died c. 1641. * Elizabeth Condell – widow of Henry Condell, she became a householder in both the Globe and Blackfriars through her husband's will. In 1635, the year of her death, she owned a quarter-interest in the Globe (four of sixteen shares), and one of eight shares in the Blackfriars. *
Henry Condell Henry Condell ( bapt. 5 September 1576 – December 1627) was a British actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. With John Heminges, he was instrumental in preparing and editing the First Folio, the c ...
– principal actor. *
Alexander Cooke Alexander Cooke (died February 1614) was an actor in the King's Men and the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the acting companies of William Shakespeare, John Heminges and Richard Burbage. Cooke was most likely introduced to the theatre by John Heming ...
– principal actor. * Robert Cox – actor. He was one of the ten men who attempted to restart the King's Men in December 1648. Cox then became famous as a performer of the "
droll A droll is a short comical sketch of a type that originated during the Puritan Interregnum in England. With the closure of the theatres, actors were left without any way of plying their art. Borrowing scenes from well-known plays of the Elizabe ...
s" that were an allowed form of theatre during the
Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...
. *
Ralph Crane Ralph Crane (''fl.'' 1615 – 1630) was a professional scrivener or scribe in early seventeenth-century London. His close connection with some of the First Folio texts of the plays of William Shakespeare has led to his being called "Shakespear ...
– scribe. *
Richard Cowley Richard Cowley (died 1619) was an English actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men. Career Cowley was in the c. 1591 production of '' The Se ...
– principal actor. * Samuel Crosse – actor; listed among the 26 "principal actors" of Shakespeare's plays in the First Folio, but mentioned nowhere else in the company's documentation. He may have become a sharer in the company in 1604, but died soon after. * Rowland Dowle – actor, hired man, 1628–36. He played small parts in ''
Believe as You List ''Believe as You List'' is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship. Censorship The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the ...
'' and the 1635 revival of '' Love's Pilgrimage''. He left the company for
Queen Henrietta's Men Queen Henrietta's Men was an important playing company or troupe of actors of the Caroline era in London, England. At their peak of popularity, Queen Henrietta's Men were the second leading troupe of the day, after only the King's Men. Beginnin ...
, and was in their 1636 revival of '' The Witch of Edmonton''; but he returned to the King's Men in time for their 1638 revival of '' The Chances''. * John Duke – actor, hired man, 1598–1602. He was cast in ''
Every Man in His Humour ''Every Man in His Humour'' is a 1598 play by the English playwright Ben Jonson. The play belongs to the subgenre of "humours comedy", in which each major character is dominated by an over-riding humour or obsession. First performance All th ...
'', 1598, and appears to have followed Christopher Beeston to
Worcester's Men The Earl of Worcester's Men was an acting company in English Renaissance, Renaissance England. An early formation of the company, wearing the livery of William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, is among the companies known to have toured the coun ...
. * William Ecclestone – principal actor. * Henry Evans – theatre manager. He was associated with the Blackfriars Theatre from the mid-1580s on. * Thomas Evans – agent for Henry Evans. He became a householder in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1608, apparently representing relative Henry Evans. *
Nathan Field Nathan Field (also spelled Feild occasionally; 17 October 1587 – 1620) was an English dramatist and actor. Life His father was the Puritan preacher John Field, and his brother Theophilus Field became the Bishop of Llandaff. One of his bro ...
– principal actor; playwright. * John Fletcher – playwright. * Lawrence Fletcher – actor. * William Gascoyne – "necessary attendant." * Samuel Gilburne – actor; like Crosse, listed among the 26 "principal actors," but little is known of him. A former apprentice of Phillips, he may have become a sharer c. 1605, but died soon after. * Alexander Gough – actor; hired man. Born in 1614, he was the son of Robert Gough. Boy player, 1626–32, possibly an adult actor to c. 1637. * Robert Gough – actor, one of the 26 "principal actors" in the First Folio list. He may have been associated with the original actors group from ''S.D.S.'' He was in ''
The Second Maiden's Tragedy ''The Second Maiden's Tragedy'' is a Jacobean play that survives only in manuscript. It was written in 1611, and performed in the same year by the King's Men. The manuscript was acquired but never printed by the publisher Humphrey Moseley afte ...
'' and ''
Sir John van Olden Barnavelt ''The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt'' is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political ...
''. He died in 1624; father of Alexander Gough. * Curtis Greville – actor; hired man, 1626–33. He played Mountain the goldsmith in '' The Soddered Citizen''; he was in ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
'' and '' The Swisser''. He probably was the "Curtis" who played small roles in ''
The Two Noble Kinsmen ''The Two Noble Kinsmen'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from "The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbury Tales'' (1387–140 ...
''. By 1634 he was a sharer in the King's Revels Men. * William Hall – actor. He was one of ten men who tried to re-activate the King's Men in December 1648. His long stage career started by 1630; in 1660 his compatriots agreed to pay him a small pension if he would retire from the troupe. He complied, but the others stopped paying him a year later. Hall sued them. * Stephen Hammerton – actor, sharer. * Charles Hart – actor. * William Hart – actor; hired man, 1636–37. Father of Charles Hart. Both Harts were among the ten players who tried to re-activate the troupe in December 1648. * Richard Hawley – actor; hired man, 1636–40. He died in the later year. *
John Heminges John Heminges (bapt. 25 November 1566 – 10 October 1630) was an English actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. Along with Henry Condell, he was an editor of the First Folio, the collected plays of Sha ...
– principal actor. * Thomasine Heminges Ostler – daughter of John Heminges and wife of William Ostler, she should have become a householder in both theatres upon her husband's death in December 1614. But Ostler died intestate, and John Heminges was able to seize control of the theatre shares; Mary took her father to court in 1615, apparently unsuccessfully. All of Heminges's shares eventually passed to his son, dramatist
William Heminges William Heminges (1602 – c. 1653?), also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was an English playwright and theatrical figure of the Caroline period. He was the ninth child and third son of John Heminges, the actor and colleague of William ...
. * Thomas Hobbs – actor; hired man, 1626–37. He had a role in ''
Believe as You List ''Believe as You List'' is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship. Censorship The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the ...
'' (1631). * Thomas Holcombe – actor; boy player, 1618–25. He was in ''
The Custom of the Country ''The Custom of the Country'' is a 1913 tragicomedy of manners novel by the American author Edith Wharton. It is a sharp and biting satire about consumerism that tells the story of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern young woman who attempts to ascend ...
'', ''
The Knight of Malta ''The Knight of Malta'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647. Date and source No firm information is ava ...
'', '' The Little French Lawyer'', '' The Prophetess'', ''
The Queen of Corinth ''The Queen of Corinth'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy in the canon of John Fletcher and his collaborators. It was initially published in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647. Date Scholars have dated the play to the 1 ...
'', and '' Women Pleased''. He died in August 1625; his widow married actor Ellis Worth the next year. * John Holland – actor, hired man. He was one of the ''S.D.S.'' actors, and joined the Chamberlain's Men on their foundation in 1594. Thomas Pope's 1603 will noted Holland as a lodger in Pope's house. *
John Honyman John Honyman (1613 – April 1636), also Honeyman, Honiman, Honnyman, or other variants, was an English actor of the Caroline era. He was a member of the King's Men (playing company), King's Men, the most prominent playing company of its era ...
– actor; playwright? * James Horn – actor, hired man, 1620s. He was in '' The Pilgrim'' (1621) and ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
'' (1628). * Edward Horton – actor; boy player and singer, 1629–30. He played a female role in '' The Deserving Favourite'' in 1629, and had a part in '' The Mad Lover''. * Anthony Jeffes – actor, hired man, was probably with Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1594–97. He was with Pembroke's Men in the difficult year of 1597, then with the
Admiral's Men The Admiral's Men (also called the Admiral's company, more strictly, the Earl of Nottingham's Men; after 1603, Prince Henry's Men; after 1612, the Elector Palatine's Men or the Palsgrave's Men) was a playing company or troupe of actors in the Eli ...
to 1613. * Humphrey Jeffes – actor, hired man, was probably with Lord Chamberlain's Men c. 1594–97. Like his brother Anthony, above, he passed through Pembroke's Men to the Admiral's, to c. 1616. *
Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting on his landmark 1936 and 1937 recordings have influenced later generations of musicians. Although his r ...
– composer, particularly associated with productions at the Blackfriars Theatre. *
William Kempe William Kempe ( 1560 – 1603), commonly referred to as Will Kemp, was an English actor and dancer who specialised in comic roles. He was best known as one of the original stage actors in early dramas by William Shakespeare, and roles associa ...
– principal actor. * George Kettleby – actor. He was one of the ten who tried to restart the King's Men in December 1648. * Anthony Knight – "necessary attendant." * Edward Knight – prompter and "book-keeper;" "necessary attendant." * William Lawes – composer. * Thomas Loveday – actor. He was one of the ten men who tried to re-activate the company in December 1648. His career began in 1634, and lasted until his death in 1671. * G. Lowen – the boy player who took the role of Barnavelt's Daughter in the 1619 production of ''
Sir John van Olden Barnavelt ''The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt'' is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political ...
''. *
John Lowin John Lowin (baptized 9 December 1576 – buried 18 March 1659 or 16 March 1669) was an English actor. Early life Born in St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London, Lowin was the son of a tanner. Like Robert Armin, he was apprenticed to a goldsmit ...
– principal actor. * William Mago – actor; hired man, 1624–31; "necessary attendant." He was in ''
Believe as You List ''Believe as You List'' is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship. Censorship The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the ...
''. He died in 1632. *
Philip Massinger Philip Massinger (1583 – 17 March 1640) was an English dramatist. His plays, including '' A New Way to Pay Old Debts'', '' The City Madam'', and '' The Roman Actor'', are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and soci ...
– playwright. * Basil Nicoll – a householder in the Globe. In his will, Thomas Pope left his share in the Globe to Mary Clark (see above) and a Thomas Bromley. Nicoll, a scrivener who was one of the executors of Pope's will, appears to have acted as a trustee for Bromley (a minor), since Nicoll is named as a householder in legal documents in 1615. *
William Ostler William Ostler (died 16 December 1614) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare. Ostler started out as a boy player in the Children of the Chapel troupe; he was cast in their ...
– principal actor. * Robert Pallant – actor; "necessary attendant." Born 1605, he was a boy player and apprentice to Heminges, 1620; a hired man, 1620–25. His father, another Robert Pallant (died 1619), had a two-decade acting career with several companies, perhaps including a short stint with the Lord Chamberlain's Men, c. 1597–98. * William Patrick – actor, 1624–37; "necessary attendant." He played minor roles in ''
The Roman Actor ''The Roman Actor'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger. It was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629. A number of critics have agreed with its author, and judged it one of Massinger's best plays. ...
'' and ''
Believe as You List ''Believe as You List'' is a Caroline era tragedy by Philip Massinger, famous as a case of theatrical censorship. Censorship The play originally dealt with the legend that Sebastian of Portugal had survived the battle of Alcácer Quibir, and the ...
''. * William Penn – actor, a hired man with a long career in several companies. He started as a boy player, in '' Epicene'' in 1609. He was with the King's Men, 1626–37; he had parts in ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
'' and '' The Picture''. * Andrew Pennycuicke – actor. * Richard Perkins – actor, with the company 1623–25. *
Augustine Phillips Augustine Phillips (died May 1605) was an English actor in the Elizabethan theatre who performed in troupes with Edward Alleyn and William Shakespeare. He was one of the first generation of English actors to achieve wealth and a degree of socia ...
– principal actor. * Thomas Pollard – actor, sharer. *
Thomas Pope Sir Thomas Pope (150729 January 1559) was a prominent public servant in mid-16th-century England, a Member of Parliament, a wealthy landowner, and the founder of Trinity College, Oxford. Early life Pope was born at Deddington, near Banbury, O ...
– principal actor. * Timothy Read – actor. A famous clown in his own era, Read may have been a member of the King's Men in 1641. * John Rhodes – "necessary attendant." A disputed figure: either John Rhodes the company's wardrobe keeper, or another man of the same name, a musician who died in February 1636. * John Rice – actor; one of the 26 "principal actors," and the last-named on the list; a
boy player A boy player was a male child or teenager who performed in Medieval theatre, Medieval and English Renaissance theatre, English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for adult companies and performed the female roles, since women ...
and Heminges' apprentice in 1607. He was in ''
Sir John van Olden Barnavelt ''The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt'' is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political ...
'' in 1619; he became a sharer c. 1620, but retired after 1625 to become a parish clerk. * George Rickner – musician? (trumpeter?); "necessary attendant." * William Robbins – actor and sharer. * Richard Robinson – principal actor. *
William Rowley William Rowley (c. 1585 – February 1626) was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626 in ...
– actor, with the company 1623–25. * James Sands, or Saunder – boy player and Augustine Phillips's apprentice. Phillips left Sands 40 shillings and three musical instruments in his 1605 last will and testament; but William Sly left Sands £40 in his 1608 will. An obscure figure, Sands may have been with
Queen Anne's Men Queen Anne's Men was a playing company, or troupe of actors, in Jacobean-era London. In their own era they were known colloquially as the Queen's Men — as were Queen Elizabeth's Men and Queen Henrietta's Men, in theirs. Formation The group ...
c. 1617. * William Saunders – musician (bass viol and
sackbut A sackbut is an early form of the trombone used during the Renaissance music, Renaissance and Baroque music, Baroque eras. A sackbut has the characteristic telescopic slide of a trombone, used to vary the length of the tube to change Pitch (m ...
); "necessary attendant." He died in 1674. * Edward Shakerley – actor, musician; a "necessary attendant" in December 1624, he is also listed in the cast of Massinger's ''
The Renegado ''The Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice'' is a late Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy written by Philip Massinger and first published in 1630. The play has attracted critical attention for its treatment of cultural conflict between Christian ...
'' (printed 1630). *
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
– principal actor; playwright. *
John Shank John Shank (also spelled Shanke or Shanks) (died January 1636) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a leading comedian in the King's Men during the 1620s and 1630s. Early career By his own testimony, Shank began his stage career with P ...
– principal actor. * Richard Sharpe – actor; "necessary attendant." * John Sinklo or Sincler – actor; a hired man who played "thin man" comedy parts, like Pinch in ''
The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...
'' and Shadow in ''
Henry IV, Part 2 ''Henry IV, Part 2'' is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by '' Richard II'' and ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and succeeded by '' Henry V''. The p ...
''. He filled five minor roles in ''S.D.S.'', and was with the troupe at least until '' The Malcontent'' in 1604. *
William Sly William Sly (died August 1608) was an English actor in English Renaissance theatre, a colleague of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage in the Lord Chamberlain's Men and the King's Men. Biography Nothing is known of Sly's early life. ...
– principal actor. * Anthony Smith – actor; hired man, 1626–31. He was in ''
The Roman Actor ''The Roman Actor'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger. It was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629. A number of critics have agreed with its author, and judged it one of Massinger's best plays. ...
'', ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
'', '' The Deserving Favourite'', '' The Soddered Citizen'', and '' The Swisser''. He had been with
Prince Charles's Men Prince Charles's Men (known as the Duke of York's Men from 1608 to 1612) was a playing company or troupe of actors in Jacobean and Caroline England. The Jacobean era troupe The company was formed in 1608 as the Duke of York's Men, under the titu ...
, 1616–25. * William Styles – actor, hired man 1636–37. * Eliard Swanston – actor. * R. T. – he played small Messenger roles in ''
Sir John van Olden Barnavelt ''The Tragedy of Sir John van Olden Barnavelt'' is a Jacobean play written by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger in 1619, and produced in the same year by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. Based on controversial contemporaneous political ...
''. * William Tawyer, or Toyer – musician (trumpeter); "necessary attendant." According to the
First Folio ''Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies'' is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare's death. It is cons ...
, he led the Athenian "mechanicals" onstage with his trumpet, for their playlet in Act V of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. * Joseph Taylor – principal actor. * John Thompson – actor, sharer. * Nicholas Tooley – principal actor. * William Trigg – actor; hired man, 1625–37; a boy player apprenticed to Heminges. He played female roles in ''
The Roman Actor ''The Roman Actor'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger. It was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629. A number of critics have agreed with its author, and judged it one of Massinger's best plays. ...
'', '' The Picture'', '' The Soddered Citizen'', '' The Swisser'', and the 1632 revival of '' The Wild Goose Chase''. He had an unspecified part in ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
''. He was with
Beeston's Boys Beeston's Boys was the popular and colloquial name of The King and Queen's Young Company, a troupe of boy actors of the Caroline period, active mainly in the years 1637–1642. Origin The troupe was formed in early 1637, under a royal warrant, ...
in 1639, and served as a captain in the Royalist army during the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
. * Thomas Tuckfield – "necessary attendant." * Nicholas Underhill – actor and musician (trumpeter), 1619–31; "necessary attendant." He was Beeland's apprentice in music, 1620–32. He died in 1637. * John Underwood – principal actor. * George Vernon – actor; hired man, 1617–30; "necessary attendant." He was in ''
The Lover's Melancholy ''The Lover's Melancholy'' is an early Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Ford. While the dating of the works in Ford's canon is very uncertain, this play has sometimes been regarded as "Ford's first unaided drama," an antici ...
'' and ''
the Roman Actor ''The Roman Actor'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragedy written by Philip Massinger. It was first performed in 1626, and first published in 1629. A number of critics have agreed with its author, and judged it one of Massinger's best plays. ...
''. * Henry Wilson – musician (lutenist and singer), 1624–31; "necessary attendant." Apprenticed to Heminges in 1611, he played Balthazar in ''Much Ado About Nothing''. He would become professor of music at the University of Oxford in 1656. * John Wilson (composer), John Wilson – composer. * John Witter – a householder in the Globe, after he married the widow of Augustine Phillips. He forfeited his share in 1613, when the Globe burned down; he declined to invest in its replacement.Adams, pp. 4–5.


Notes


References

* Joseph Quincy Adams, Jr., Adams, Joseph Quincy. "The Housekeepers of the Globe." ''Modern Philology'' Vol. 17 No. 1 (May 1919), pp. 1–8. * Edmund Kerchever Chambers, Chambers, E. K. ''The Elizabethan Stage.'' 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923. * Cutts, John P. "New Findings with Regard to the 1624 Protection List." ''Shakespeare Survey'' Vol. 19 (1966), pp. 101–7. * Grote, David. ''The Best Actors in the World: Shakespeare and His Acting Company.'' Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 2002. * Andrew John Gurr, Gurr, Andrew. ''The Shakespeare Company 1594–1642.'' Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004. * F. E. Halliday, Halliday, F. E. ''A Shakespeare Companion 1564–1964.'' Baltimore, Penguin, 1964. * Lasocki, David. "Professional Recorder Playing in England 1500–1740. I: 1500–1640." ''Early Music'' Vol. 10 No. 1 (January 1982), pp. 23–9. * Milhous, Judith, and Robert D. Hume. "New Light on English Acting Companies in 1646, 1648, and 1660." ''Review of English Studies'' New Series, Vol. 42 No. 168 (November 1991), pp. 487–509. * Nunzeger, Edwin. ''Dictionary of Actors and Other Persons Associated with the Public Representation of Plays in England Before 1642.'' New Haven, Yale University Press, 1929. * Sisson, C. J. "Notes on Early Stuart Stage History." ''Modern Language Review'', Vol. 37 No. 1 (January 1942), pp. 25–36.


External links


Biographical Index of English Drama Before 1660.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kings Men Personnel King's Men (playing company)