Head Masters:—Richard Mulcaster (1561-86); Henry Wilkinson (1586-92); Edmund Smith (1592-9); William Hayne (1599-1625).
The London school of the Merchant Taylors was founded
in 1561, and its first master was Richard Mulcaster, or Moncaster,
as his name is spelt in some of the earlier records.[1]
He was a student of King's, Cambridge and Christ Church,
Oxford, who had been teaching in London since 1559. The
first performances by his boys, of which record remains,
were in 1572-3. In that and the following year they played
before the Merchant Taylors Company at the Common Hall.[2]
Unfortunately the audience, who had paid for their seats,
and very likely Mulcaster himself, paid more attention to
the plays than to the dignitaries in whose hall they were
given. The plays were therefore stopped, and the following
pleasing example of civic pomposity inserted in the archives
of the Company on 16 March 1574:[3]
'Whereas at our comon playes and suche lyke exercises whiche be
comonly exposed to be seene for money, everye lewd persone thinketh
himself (for his penny) worthye of the chiefe and most comodious place
withoute respecte of any other either for age or estimacion in the
comon weale, whiche bringeth the youthe to such an impudente
famyliaritie with theire betters that often tymes greite contempte of
maisters, parents, and magistrats foloweth thereof, as experience of
late in this our comon hall hath sufficyently declared, where by reasone
of the tumultuous disordered persones repayringe hither to see suche
playes as by our schollers were here lately played, the Maisters of this
Worshipful Companie and their deare ffrends could not have entertaynmente
and convenyente place as they ought to have had, by no
provision beinge made, notwithstandinge the spoyle of this howse, the
charges of this Mystery, and theire juste authoritie which did reasonably
require the contrary. Therefore and ffor the causes ffirst above saide,
yt is ordeyned and decreed by the authoritie of this presente Courte,
with the assente and consente of all the worshipfull persones aforesaide,
that henceforthe theire shall be no more plays suffered to be played in
this our Comon Hall, any use or custome heretofore to the contrary in
anywise notwithstandinge.'
Mulcaster, however, found more tolerant critics than his
own employers. His first appearance at Court was on
- ↑ G. C. Moore Smith (M. L. R. viii. 368) has an ingenious identification of him with the Wrenock of Spenser's Shepheards Kalendar, xii. 41.
- ↑ Clode, Hist. of Merchant Taylors Company, i. 235, from Master's Accounts. Before they opened their own school the Company had plays by the Westminster boys (q.v.).
- ↑ Clode, i. 234.
