3 June. On 5 July they were at the Earl of Derby's at Lathom, and on 6 and 7 September at another house of the Earl's at Knowsley. On 22 September Lord Scrope wrote from Carlisle to William Asheby, the English ambassador in Scotland, that they had been for ten days in that town. He had heard from Roger Asheton of the King's desire that they should visit Scotland, and had sought them out from 'the furthest parte of Langkeshire'.[1] One would be glad to know whether they did in fact visit Scotland. In any case they were back in England and at Bath by November. During 1588-9 they were also at Reading, at Nottingham, and twice at Coventry. Both the Nottingham records and those of Leicester furnish evidence that for travelling purposes they divided themselves into two companies. At Leicester the town account for 1588-9 shows 'certen of her Maiests playars' as coming on 6 November, and 'others moe of her Mayestyes playars' as coming on 20 May; that of Nottingham for the same year has an entry of 'Symons and his companie, being the Quenes players' and another of 'the Quenes players, the two Duttons and others'. The arrangement was of course natural enough, seeing that even in London the Queen's men were sufficiently numerous to occupy more than one inn-yard. Laurence Dutton was evidently by now a member of the company with his brother John. It is to be presumed that Symons is the John Symons who on not less than five occasions presented 'activities' at Court, in 1582-3 with Strange's (q.v.), in 1585 with Oxford's, in 1586 with 'Mr. Standleyes boyes', in 1587-8 with a company under his own name, and in 1588-9 either with the Admiral's or possibly with the Queen's itself.
Doubtless the incorporation of Symons into the Queen's service explains the appearance of the Queen's tumblers at Bath in 1589. Performances at Court, for which John Dutton and John Laneham received payment, took place on 26 December 1589 and 1 March 1590. During 1589-90 the company were at Coventry, Ludlow, Nottingham, Bridgnorth, and Faversham, on 22 April 1590 at Norwich, on 24 June under the leadership of 'Mr. Dutton' at Knowsley, and on 30 October at Leicester. Acrobatic feats still formed a part of their repertory, and in these they had the assistance of a Turkish rope-dancer.[2] There were further Court performances on 26 December and on 1, 3, and 6 January, and 14 February 1591. It is to be noted that payment was made for the play of 1 January to 'John Laneham and his companye her maiesties players' and for the rest by a separate warrant
