the Children of the Revels maintained a separate individuality, at least in theory, during these years, as may be seen from the patent of 3 June 1615, which licensed Rosseter and Reeve, together with Robert Jones and Philip Kingman, to build a new Blackfriars theatre in the house known as Porter's Hall.[1] The main purpose of this undertaking was expressed to be the provision of a new house for the Children of the Queen's Revels instead of the Whitefriars, where Rosseter's lease was now expired, although it was also contemplated that use might be made of it by the Prince's and the Lady Elizabeth's players. Porter's Hall only stood for a short time before civic hostility procured its demolition, and the single play, which we can be fairly confident that the Children of the Revels gave in it, is Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady. This presumably fell after the amalgamation under Henslowe broke up about the time of his death early in 1616. Field appears to have joined the King's men about 1615. The Queen's Revels dropped out of London theatrical life. Their provincial travels under Nicholas Long had apparently terminated in 1612, as in 1614 he is found using the patent of the Lady Elizabeth's men (q. v.) in the provinces. But some members of the company seem to have gone travelling during the period of troubled relations with Henslowe, and are traceable at Coventry on 7 October 1615, and at Nottingham in February 1616 and again later in 1616-17. On 31 October 1617 a new Queen's Revel's company was formed by Rosseter, in association with Nicholas Long, Robert Lee of the Queen's men, and William Perry of the King's Revels.[2]
iii. THE CHILDREN OF WINDSOR
Masters of the Children:—Richard Farrant (1564-80), Nathaniel
Giles (1595-1634).
The Chapel Royal at Windsor was served by an ecclesiastical
college, which had been in existence as far back as the reign
of Henry I, and had subsequently been resettled as St. George's
Chapel in connexion with the establishment of the Order of
the Garter by Edward III, finally incorporated under
Edward IV, and exempted from dissolution at the Reformation.
Edward III had provided for a warden, who afterwards
came to be called dean, 12 canons, 13 priest vicars, 4 clerks,
6 boy choristers, and 26 'poor knights'. The boys were to
be 'endued with clear and tuneable voices', and to succeed
the clerks as their voices changed. Their number was
