C 54/1947 number 5
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Document-specific information
Creator: Chancery and Supreme Court of Judicature
Date: November 11, 1608
Repository: The National Archives, Kew, UK
Call number and opening: C 54/1947 no. 5
View online bibliographic record
Images reproduced by permission of The National Archives, London, England.
Terms of use
The National Archives give no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or fitness for the purpose of the information provided.
Images may be used only for purposes of research, private study or education. Applications for any other use should be made to The National Archives Image Library, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, Tel: 020 8392 5225 Fax: 020 8392 5266.
Document-specific information
Creator: Chancery and Supreme Court of Judicature
Date: November 11, 1608
Repository: The National Archives, Kew, UK
Call number and opening: C 54/1947 no. 5
View online bibliographic record
Alan H. Nelson, "Deed of transfer of the Globe and other properties from John Collett to Sir Thomas Bodley, listing William Shakespeare," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/298.
The National Archives, C 54/1947 number 5. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/298.
Dated November 11, 1608, this is the third of five enrolled indentures of bargain and sale for the Globe site, naming William Shakespeare as a leasee. The Globe playhouse was first built in 1599 on land leased from Sir Nicholas Brend. Though the lease of February 19, 1599 has not survived, it is referenced in nearly a dozen legal documents, including the five indentures: two from 1601 (October 7 and October 10) and one each from 1608, 1622, and 1624. Though the originals are lost, their full texts are enrolled in the C 54 series of Close Rolls now held at The National Archives.
This third indenture is wide-ranging, covering properties in the parish of All Hallows, Breadstreet, London, including a public house called the Star; and on Maid Lane, Southwark, including the “playhouse.” Here, properties in Bread Street, London, and Maid Lane, Southwark, are sold by John Collett to John Bodley. As in the first and second indentures, Richard Burbage and Shakespeare are named as leasees of the playhouse in Maid Lane.
While the “playhouse” is not given a name in this indenture, its association with “Richard Burbage and William Shakespeare, gentlemen” is sufficient to identify the playhouse as the Globe. In the fifth indenture (1624), the property is positively identified as “the Playhowse comonly called or knowne by the name of the Globe.”
[Transcription by Alan H. Nelson. This transcription is pending final vetting]
[Image 1: no. 5]
[Left margin:] Collett et Bodley
This Indenture made the eleaventh daye of November Anno Domini 1608 & in the yere of the raigne of our
soueraigne lord James by the grace of god King of England ffraunce & Ireland defender of the faith &c the
sixt & of Scotland the twoe and ffortieth betweene John Collett cittizen & marchauntaylor of London on
thone partie & John Bodley of Stretham in the Countie of Suff’ Esquier on the other partie Witnesseth that
the said John Collett aswell for & in consideracion of a certaine some of Lawfull moneye of England to
him in hand paid at & before thensealing hereof by the said John Bodley whereof he acknowledgeth
the receipte by theise presentes & for & in consideracion of the trust & confidence reposed in him by the said
John Bodley as alsoe for & vppon divers other good & lawfull causes & reasonable consideracions him
the said John Collett herevnto speciallie moving Hath graunted aliened bargained & sould & by
theise presentes doth fullie cleerelie & absolutelye graunt alien bargaine & sell vnto the said John
Bodley his heires & assignes forever All that messuage or Inne with thappurtenaunces whatsoever commonlye
called or knowne by the name or signe of the Starre scytuat lying or being in or neere Breadstreete
in the parishe of Alhallowes in Breadstreete within the Citye of London somtyme in the tenure or
occupacion of one John Dunscombe late of London marchauntaylor deceased or of his assignes And
sithence in the tenure or occupacion of one Peter Jeffrey & nowe in the tenure or occupacion of Adam
Taylor or of his assignes And all & singuler yardes backsides halles chambers stables hayloftes roomes
lightes easementes watercourses commodities & hereditamentes whatsoever to the said messuage or Inne
belonging or in anye wise apperteynyng or nowe or at anye tyme heretofore accepted reputed
taken knowne letten or occupied as parte or parcell of the said messuage or Inne or as therevnto
apperteynyng or belonging And alsoe all & singuler warehowses roomes yardes void groundes & hereditamentes
whatsoever of him the said John Collett in the said parishe of Alhallowes in Breadstreete aforesaid
late in the tenure or occupacion of one Johan [=Joan] Dunscombe widdowe the late wife of the said John
Dunscombe deceased or of her assignes And also all those twoe messuages or tenementes with theire
appurtenaunces scituat lying & being togethers in Breadstreete aforesaid in the said parishe of Alhallowes
in Breadstreete London on the southside of the Gateroome or waye leading out of Breadstreete
aforesaid into the said messuage or Inne called the Starre And all other the landes tenementes & hereditamentes
whatsoever of the said John Collett in the parishe of Alhallowes in Breadstreete aforesaid being late
the inheritance of Nicholas Brend Esquier deceased And alsoe all those messuages tenementes howses edifices
buildinges chambers roomes playhowse gardens orchardes void roomes & other landes & hereditamentes
whatsoever with all & singuler theire appurtenances nowe or late in the severall tenures or occupacions
of ffrauncis Carter tanner John Ouldfeild tanner Hugh Tooker waterman John Kene dyer, Henrie Draper
brewer Averye Butcher waterman Hendricke Sturman armorer Nicholas Zetchwell baker John Treherne
gent’ Georg Archer porter Lawrence Bushe draper John Johnson taylor John Knolls Abraham Campion
berebrewer Richard Burbadg & William Shakespeare gent’ John Brigham sadler & Roberte Bromfeild
gent’ & everie or of anye of them theire & everie or anye of theire assignee or assignes or in the tenure
or manuraunce holding or occupacion of anye other parson or parsons scytuatt lying & being in
Maiden Lane in the parishe of Saint Savior alias Saint Marye Overyes in Southworke in the Countie
of Surr’ And all other the messuages landes tenementes & hereditamentes whatsoever of him the said John Collett
scituat lying & being in the said parishe of Saint Savyor alias Saint Marye Overies in Southwarke
aforesaid being late alsoe onelye the inheritaunce of the said Nicholas Brend And the revercion &
revercions remainder & remainders whatsoever of all & singuler the premisses & of everie part & parcell
thereof And all yeerelye rents some & somes of moneye & other profittes & payments whatsoever reserved
or payeable or covenaunted to be paid or vpon anye demise lease or graunt leases or grauntes
heretofore made of the premisses or anye of them or of anye parte or parcell thereof together with all
& singuler deedes evidences escriptes writinges & mynymentes whatsoever touching or concerning the premisses
& everie or anye parcell thereof To have & to hould the said messuage or Inne called the Starre
with thappurtenances & all other the said messuages landes tenementes hereditamentes & premisses by theise presentes
bargained & sould or ment or intended to be herebye bargained & sould with theire & everie of theire
appurtenances to the said John Bodley his heires & assignes forever to the onelye vse & behoof of the said
John Bodley & of his heires & assignes for ever absolutlye without anye manner of condicion or condicions
In witness whereof the said parties to these present Indentures interchaungeablie have sett
theire seales Yeoven the daye & yere first above written
Et memorandum [+est] quod die et Anno suprascriptis prefatus Johannes Collett venit
coram dicto domino Rege in Cancellaria sua et recognouit Indenturam
predictam ac omnia et singula in eadem contenta et specificata in
forma supradicta
Irrotulata’ xijo die Novembris anno predicto
To learn more, read Alan H. Nelson's essay on the 1599 lease of the Globe playhouse site.
Written by Alan H. Nelson
Last updated February 1, 2020
