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| Owners of the Globe Theatre site | |
|---|---|
| Name | Globe Theatre site |
| Location | Bankside, Southwark, London |
| Coordinates | 51.5069°N 0.0979°W |
| Established | 1599 (original Globe) |
| Reconstructed | 1997 (Shakespeare's Globe) |
| Original owner | James Burbage (lessee), Richard Burbage (actor-shareholders) |
| Current owner | Shakespeare Globe Trust |
Owners of the Globe Theatre site
The ownership of the Globe Theatre site on Bankside interweaves the biographies of William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, James Burbage, John Heminges, Henry Condell and commercial interests represented by Southwark landholders, City of London institutions, Lord Chamberlain's Men associates and later trusts; it reflects legal contests involving Lord Strange, Earl of Pembroke, Sir Thomas Cawarden and modern entities such as English Heritage and the National Theatre. The sequence of proprietors and claimants intersects with events like the Spanish Armada, the Elizabethan era, the English Civil War, the Great Fire of London (1666), the Victorian era, and twentieth-century heritage movements led by figures such as Sam Wanamaker and institutions including the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The site’s documented tenure begins amid land transactions in Southwark involving Bishop of Winchester estates, leased parcels owned by John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, managed by patentees such as James Burbage and subsequently alienated to actor-shareholders like William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage. Overlapping claims emerged from feudal tenures tied to Guildable Manor, disputes with Surrey County officials and interventions by royal officers including Lord Chamberlain (office). The site’s fate was altered by the 1613 fire during a performance attended by courtiers of James I and later by purveyance and confiscation during the Interregnum (England), with post-Restoration property rearrangements involving figures like Oliver Cromwell's associates and George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham.
Before 1599 the Bankside parcel lay within manorial holdings of the Bishop of Winchester and the Veres; freehold interests circulated among merchants such as Richard Whittington-era families, Mercers' Company affiliates, and landowners like Thomas Brend whose leases underpinned later playhouse construction. The Burbage family secured long-term leases from jurors of Guildable Manor while adjacent properties were held by entrepreneurs including Thomas Pope, theatrical suppliers tied to Blackfriars Theatre, and speculative investors such as Philip Henslowe whose business papers later recorded dealings across Southwark.
From the Globe’s establishment in 1599 ownership blended the theatrical corporate model of actor-shareholders—Lord Chamberlain's Men partners including William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, John Heminges, Henry Condell—with landlords like Thomas Brend and successors Matthew Brend who granted rents and leases. Legal instruments invoked Star Chamber precedents and conveyances often referenced patrons such as Earl of Pembroke and noble guarantors including Lord Strange. The Globe’s operations faced municipal pressures from City of London aldermen, policing by Constable (parish) officers, and wartime requisitions associated with policies of James I and later Charles I.
After the 1644 demolition and Parliamentary prohibitions under the Republic of England theatre properties were repurposed, seized or sold to private citizens like Nicholas Hayman and speculative builders tied to Southwark’s river trade. Ownership passed through families connected to the Globe Wharf and industries patronized by merchants from the Merchant Taylors' Company and the Haberdashers' Company; nineteenth-century conveyancers included John Ruskin-era antiquarians, Charles Dickens-contemporary surveyors, and developers linked to Great Fire of Southwark rehabilitation schemes. Estate transactions registered with Surrey County clerks recorded incumbents such as William Taylor (developer) and corporate entities formed during the Industrial Revolution.
Twentieth-century interest led antiquarians and theatre historians like A. H. Bullen, Algernon Charles Swinburne allies, and later activists such as Sam Wanamaker to trace documentary evidence in archives held by British Library, London Metropolitan Archives, and the National Archives (UK). Land parcels were surveyed under planning regimes of London County Council and contested by municipal bodies including Greater London Council and trusts like English Heritage; acquisition campaigns culminated in purchases and leases involving the Shakespeare Globe Trust and fundraising supported by institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and benefactors connected to The Globe Theatre Trust.
The reconstructed open-air playhouse, completed in 1997, stands under stewardship of the Shakespeare Globe Trust with governance involving trustees drawn from cultural institutions including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Historic England and patrons like representatives of United Kingdom Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Management partnerships extend to Bankside development agencies, the Museum of London consultancies, and educational collaborations with universities such as King's College London, University of London and Royal Holloway. Operational arrangements coordinate with the Arts Council England funding frameworks and performance agreements involving touring companies like Cheek by Jowl and the English Touring Theatre.
Legal contests have involved leasehold reversions, freehold claims, and chancery suits referencing precedents from Star Chamber, Court of Chancery and statutory instruments such as the Statute of Uses. Notable litigants historically included the Burbage family, Brend heirs, Henslowe successors, and nineteenth-century claimants recorded in Assize Court rolls; twentieth-century disputes engaged municipal planners, heritage bodies like English Heritage, and trusts such as the Shakespeare Globe Trust over compulsory purchase powers exercised under statutes administered by Secretary of State for the Environment and adjudicated in courts including the High Court of Justice. Contemporary agreements specify covenants, easements and lease terms enforced through Land Registry (England and Wales) entries and arbitration panels associated with Heritage Lottery Fund funding conditions.
Category:Theatres in London