Shakespeare of Stratford/The Biographical Facts/Fact 39

by Tucker Brooke

Layout 2

 

XXXIX. GRANT OF RED CLOTH TO SHAKESPEARE AS GROOM OF THE KING’S CHAMBER IN JAMES I’S CORONATION PROCESSION (1604).

From the accounts of the Master of the Wardrobe, March 15, 1604. (Public Record Office.)

The Accompt of Sir George Hume, Knight, Master of the great Wardrobe to the high and mighty Prince, our Gracious Sovereign Lord, James by the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, & Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c, as well of all his receipts as of his emptions and deliveries of all manner of furnitures and provisions whatsoever by him bought and provided for his Majesty’s use and service against his royal entry and proceeding through his honorable city of London, together with our Sovereign Lady, Queen Anne, his wife, and the noble Prince Henry his son, solemnized the xv^th day of March, 1603 [i.e. 1604] and in the first year of his reign of England, France, & Ireland, & of Scotland the seven-and-thirtieth. . . . Red Cloth bought of sundry persons and given by his Majesty to divers persons against his Majesty’s said royal proceeding through the City of London, viz.: . . . The Chamber . . .

			Red cloth
Players	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	William Shakespeare	iiij yards di.[1]
		Augustine Phillipps	iiij yards di.
		Lawrence Fletcher	iiij yards di.
		John Hemminges	iiij yards di.
		Richard Burbidge	iiij yards di.
		Willian Slye	iiij yards di.
		Robert Armyn	iiij yards di.
		Henry Cundell	iiij yards di.
		Richard Cowley	iiij yards di.

Note. The King’s formal entry into London had been delayed for nearly a year by reason of the plague, which raged through the year 1603.

1. Four yards and a half (dimidium).