Whether John Travers, who became Serjeant of Tents on Farlyon's death in 1539, had any supervision over John Bridges, who became Yeoman of Revels, is rather doubtful.[1] But the position becomes quite clear in 1545, when the Serjeantship of Tents was converted into a Mastership, and its holder, Sir Thomas Cawarden, was also appointed, under a separate patent of 11 March 1545, to an entirely new post as a permanent Master of the Revels, to whom the Yeoman naturally became subordinate.[2] This continued to be John Bridges until 1550, when he was succeeded by John Holt, who had acted as his deputy since 1547.[3] Cawarden enlarged the establishment by securing the appointment of a Clerk Comptroller to check and of a Clerk to keep the books, thus leaving the Yeoman free to devote himself to the practical side of the business.[4] Both these officers served, and continued throughout our period to serve, alike for the Tents and the Revels. John Barnard was Clerk Comptroller from 1545 to 1550, when he was succeeded by Richard Lees.[5] The first Clerk was Thomas Philipps, who was appointed in 1546, and held his post until 1560.[6] But from 1551 most of the duties were performed by a deputy, Thomas Blagrave, who succeeded to the Clerkship on 25 March 1560.[7] Blagrave was a personal 'servant' of Cawarden, who probably saw to it that all the subordinate officers appointed after the retirement of Bridges were his own nominees. Each, however, held his post under a patent direct from the Crown, and this arrangement bore the promise of administrative complications when the personal relation with the Master had terminated. The following document illustrates the organization of the office as settled by Cawarden about 1546:[8]
- ↑ Brewer, xiv. 1. 574; 2. 102, 159.
- ↑ Patent in Feuillerat, Eliz. 53. The appointment was retrospective from 16 March 1544. Cawarden had taken an inventory of Revels stuff for the King as far back as 10 Dec. 1542 (Feuillerat, M. P. 27). The historical memorandum of 1573 (cf. p. 82) printed in Tudor Revels, 2, says, 'After the deathe of Travers Seriaunt of the said office. Sir Thomas Carden knight, beinge of the kinges maiesties pryvie Chamber, beinge skilfull and delightinge in matters of devise, preferred to that office, did mislyke to be tearmed a Seriaunt because of his better countenaunce of roome and place beinge of the kinges maiesties privye Chamber. And so became he by patent the first master of the Revelles.'
- ↑ Patent in Feuillerat, Eliz. 70; cf. Feuillerat, Edw. and M. 4, 9.
- ↑ Tudor Revels, 2, from memorandum of 1573.
- ↑ Brewer, xx. I. 213; Feuillerat, M. P. 28; Edw. and M. 49; Patent to Lees in Feuillerat, Eliz. 56.
- ↑ Patent in Feuillerat, Eliz. 66.
- ↑ Patent in Feuillerat, Eliz. 68; cf. Edw. and M. 74, 180, 272. Blagrave is described as Cawarden's 'servant' in 1546-7, and again in Cawarden's will of 1559. He was aged about 50 on 27 June 1572 (M. S. C. ii. 52).
- ↑ Kempe, 93.
