LR65 - National Archive - Patent Roll, 19 James I - C 66/2251, no. 15

Warrant for the reversion of the office of Master of the Revels to Jonson, 5 Oct. 1621. The possibility of Jonson holding this office, which censored plays for production, was dependent upon Sir George Buck (or Buc, 1560-1622, Master of the Revels)   and Sir John Astley (c . 1565-1640, courtier)   dying before him, following the death of Sir Edmund Tilney (c . 1536-1610).   As Jonson predeceased Astley, he never took up the position. The document is number 15 of a series of documents sewn into a roll.
Eugene Giddens

De Concessio Offici
Beniamino
Ionson generoso

Rex Omnibus ad quos &c salutem. Cum nos per literas nostras patentes magno sigillo nostro Anglie sigillat gerentes datum apud Westmonasterium vicesimo tercio die Iunij, anno regni nostri Anglie Francie & hibernie primo & Scocie tricesimo sexto, dederimus & concesserimus dilecto seruiens nostro Georgio Buck militi, per nomen Georgij Buck Armigeri, Officium magistri Iocorum revellorum & mascarum omnium& singulorum nostrorum Heredum & successorum nostrorum communiter vocatur Revells and maskes, Ac ipsum Georgium Buck magistrum iocorum revellorum & mascarum praedictorum fecerimus ordinauerimus & constituerimus per praedictas literas nostras patentes, habendis gaudendis occupandis & exercendis Officium illum eidem Georgio, perse vel per sufficientem deputatum suum, siue deputatos suos sufficientes, a tempore mortis Ed mundi Tylney Armigeri, vel quamcito Officio praedicto per resignacione forissfacturam siue sursumreddicionem vel alia quouis legali modo vacaret pro termino vite naturalis ipsius Georg Buck cum omnibus domibus mansionibus regardis profic iuris libertates & aduantagiis eidem Officium quouismodo pertinentibus siue spectantibus , vel tali Officium pertinere vel spectare debentibus . Et insuperdederimus & concesserimus per praefatis literas nostras patentes eidem Georgio Buck pro exercicio & occupacio Officium praedictum vadis & feodis decem librarum legalis monete Anglie per annum habendis & precipiendis dictis vadis sibi vel assignis suis, a tempore mortis dictis Edmundi Tylney, vel a tempore quo idem Officium per Forissfacturam sursumreddicionem vel aliquo alio modo proxime vacaret protermino vite ipsius Georgij Buck de thesauro nostro heredum vel successorum nostrorum ad recepttam Scacarij nostri Westmonasterium heredum & successorum nostrorum per manus Thesaurarii & Camerariorum nostra heredum & successorum nostrorum ibidem pro tempore existente, ad festa sancti Iohannis Baptiste et Natalis domini perequales porcion es soluendes, pro ut pereasdem literas nostras patentes plenius liquet & apparet. Cumque etiam nos peralias literas nostras patentes gerentes datum apud Westmonasterium tercio die Aprilis anno regni nostri Anglie Francie & hibernie decimo pro consideracione in eisdem expressa& contenta, dederimus & concesserimus dilectco & fideli seruiens nostro Iohanni Ashley militi vni Generosus Camere nostre priuate Officium magistri iocorum revellorum & mascarum omnium & singulorum nostris heredis & successorum nostrorum communitervocatur Revells and maskes, Ac ipsium Iohannem Ashley magistrum iocorum revellorum & mascarum praedictis fecerimus ordinauerimus & constituerimus per praedictas literas nostras patentes herend gaudendis occupandis & exercendis Officio praedicto praesat Iohanni Ashley militi p se vel per sufficientum deputatum suum siue deputatos suos sufficientos a tempore mortis praenominati Georgij Buck, vel quamcito Officio praedicto per resignacionem sursumreddicionem vel aliis quouis legali modo vacaret pro termino vite naturalis ipsius Iohannis Ashley cum omn ibus domibus mansionibus regardis proficius iuris libertat & aduantagiis eidem Officium quouismodo pertinentibus siue spectantibus vel tali Officio pertinere siue spectare debentibus, Et insuper per easdem literas nostras patentes dederimus & concesserimus eidem Iohanni Ashley militi pro exercitio & occupacione Officii praedicti, vadis & feodis decem librarum legalis monete Anglie perAnnum, habendis & precipiendis dictis vadis & feodis sibi vel Assignis suis a tempore mortis dicti Georgij Buck militis, vel a tempore quo idem Officium per forissfacturam sursumreddicion em vel aliquo alio modo proxime vacaret pro termino vite naturalis ipisus Iohannis Ashley militis de thesauro nostro heredum & successorum nostrorum, ad receptam Scaccarij nostri heredum & successorum ⎡nostrorum permanus Thesaurarii & Camerariorum nostri heredis & successorum ⎤ nostrorum ibidem pro tempore existentead Festa Natiuitatis sancti Iohannis Baptis te et Natalis domini pro equales porcion es soluendes , pro ut pereasdem literas nostras patentes plenius liquet & apparet, Quiquidem Georgius Buck & Iohannes Ashley adhuc superstites sunt, et praenomin ate Georgius Buck ratione mortis praefatis Ed mundi Tylney Officii praedicti& cetera premissa modo habet & exercet, vt certam inde habemus noticiam. Sciatis quod nos pro diuversis bonis causis & consideracionibus nos ad praesens specialitermouentibus , de gratia nostra speciali, ac ex certa sciencia & mero motu nostris, dedimus & concessimus , ac per praesentes pro nobis heredibus & successoribus nostris damus & concedimus dilecto seruiens nostro Beniamino Ionson generoso, dictum Officium magistri iocorum revellorum & mascarum omnium& singularum noster heredes & successorum nostrorum communiter vocatur Revells and maskes. Ip mq BeniaminumIonson magistrum iocorum Revellorum & mascarum praedictum facimus ordinamus & constituimus per praesentes. Habendum gaudendum occupandum & exercendum Officium praedictum praefatis Beniamino Ionson perse vel persufficientem deputatum suum, siue deputatos suos sufficientes, a tempore mortis praenomin at Georgij Buck & Iohannis Ashley militis, vel quamcito Officio praedicto per resignacion e sursumreddicion em vel alio quouis legalis modo vacauerit pro termino vite naturalis ips ius Beniamini Ionson cum omn ibus domibus mansionibus regardis pro ficuis iuris libertatibus & aduantagiis eidem Officium quouismodo pertinentibus siue spectantibus , vel tali Officio pertinere siue spectare debentibus . Et insuperde vberiori gratia nostra dedimus & concessimus ac per praesentes pro nobis heredibus & successis nostris damis & concedimus eidem Beniamino Ionson pro exercicio & occupacion e Officij praedicti, vadis & feodis decem librarum legalis moneteAnglie perannum , habendis & percipiendis dictis vadis & feodis sibi vel assignis suis a tempore mortis praenominan tes Georgij Buck & Iohannis Ashley militis vel a tempore quo idem Officium per forissfacturam sursumreddicionem vel aliquo alio modo proxime vacauerit pro termino vite naturalis ipsius Beniamini Ionson de thesauro nostro heredum & successorum nostrorum, ad receptam Scaccarii nostri Westmonasterium heredum & successorum nostrorum pro manus Thesaurarii & Camerariorum noster heredum & successorum nostrorum ibidem pro tempore existente ad Festa Natiuitatis sancti Iohannis Baptiste & Natalis domini per equales porciones soluendis. Prima solucione inde incipiendis ad illis Festis Festorum praedictis, quod primum & proximum euenerti postquam praesat Beniaminus Ionson Officium praedictum & cetera praemissis gauis fuerit Eo quod expressa mencio &c. In cuius rei &c T.R. apud Westmonasterium quinto die Octobris.

perbrevarium de priuato Sigillo &c.


[Trans.: Of the grant of office
Benjamin Jonson gentleman

The King to all to whom etc. greeting. Whereas we by our letters patents sealed by our great seal of England bearing date at Westminster the twenty-third day of June, in the year of our reign of England France and Ireland the first and of Scotland the thirty-sixth, gave and granted to our well-beloved servant George Buck knight, by the name of George Buck esquire, the office of master of all and singular the plays [not a literal translation: 'joke, jest, or sport'] revels and masques of ourselves [our] heirs and successors commonly called revels and masques, and by our aforesaid letters patents we made ordained and constituted the same George Buck master of the plays revels and masques to have enjoy hold and exercise that office by the same George, by himself or by his sufficient deputy, or his sufficient deputies, from the time of death of Edmund Tylney esquire, or as soon as the aforesaid office be vacant by resignation forfeiture or surrender or any other lawful means for term of the natural life of the same George Buck with all houses mansions rewards profits rights liberties and advantages in any way to the same office pertaining or belonging, or which should pertain or belong to such office. And as mentioned above we gave and granted by our aforesaid letters patents to the same George Buck for the exercise and occupation of the aforesaid office wages and fees of ten pounds of lawful money of England per annum to have and receive the said wages to him or his assigns, from the time of death of the said Edmund Tylney, or from the time at which the same office is next vacant by forfeiture surrender or any other means for the term of the life of the same George Buck out of the treasury of ourselves our heirs or successors at the receipt of the Exchequer of ourselves our heirs or successors at Westminster by the hands of the Treasurer and Chamberlains of ourselves our heirs or successors there for the time being at the feasts of St John the Baptist and the birth of the lord by equal portions paid, as by the same our letters patents more plainly it does and may appear. And whereas also we by other our letters patents bearing date at Westminster the third day of April in the year of our reign of England France and Ireland the tenth for the consideration in the same expressed and contained we gave and granted to our well-beloved and faithful servant John Ashley knight one of the gentlemen of our privy chamber the office of master of all and singular the plays revels and masques of ourselves our heirs and successors commonly called revels and masques, and the same John Ashley by our aforesaid letters patents we made ordained and constituted master of the plays revels and masques aforesaid to have enjoy occupy and exercise the office aforesaid by the aforesaid John Ashley knight himself or by his sufficient deputy or his sufficient deputies from the time of death of the aforenamed George Buck , or as soon as the aforesaid office be vacant by resignation surrender or any other lawful means for term of the natural life of the same John Ashley with all houses mansions rewards profits rights liberties and advantages in any way to the same office pertaining or belonging, of which should pertain or belong to such office, and as mentioned above by the same our letters patents we gave and granted to the same John Ashley knight for the exercise and occupation of the aforesaid office wages and fees of ten pounds of lawful money of England per annum to have and receive the said wages to him or his assigns, from the time of death of the said George Buck knight, or from the time at which the same office is next vacant by forfeiture surrender or any other means for the term of the natural life of the same George Buck knight out of the treasury of ourselves our heirs or successors at the receipt of the Exchequer of ourselves our heirs or successors by the hands of the Treasurer and Chamberlains of ourselves our heirs or successors there for the time being at the feasts of the birth of St John the Baptist and the birth of the lord by equal portions paid, as by our same our letters patents more plainly it does and may appear. Which George Buck and John Ashley are until now living, and the aforenamed George Buck by reason of the death of the aforesaid Edmund Tylney the aforesaid office and the other things mentioned before lately has and exercises, as of which we have certain knowledge. May you know that we for divers good causes and considerations we to these presents specially moving, of our special grace, and of our certain knowledge and mere motion, give and grant, and by these presents for ourselves our heirs and successors give and grant to our well-beloved servant Benjamin Jonson gentleman, the said Office of master of all and singular the plays revels and masques of ourselves our heirs and successors commonly called revels and masques. The same Benjamin Jonson by these presents we make ordain and constitute master of the aforesaid revels and masques. To have hold occupy and enjoy the aforesaid office to the said Benjamin Jonson by himself or by his sufficient deputy, or his sufficient deputies, from the time of death of the aforenamed George Buck and John Ashley knight, or as soon as the aforesaid office shall have been vacated by resignation surrender or any other lawful means for the term of the natural life of the same Benjamin Jonson with all houses mansions rewards profits rights liberties and advantages in any way to the same office pertaining or belonging, of which should pertain or belong to such office. And as mentioned above of our abundant grace we give and grant and by these presents for ourselves our heirs and successors give and grant to the same Benjamin Jonson for the exercise and occupation of the office aforesaid, wages and fees of ten pounds of lawful money of England per annum, to have and receive the said wages and fees to him or his assigns from the time of death of the aforenamed George Buck and John Ashley knight or from the time at which the same office by forfeiture surrender or any other means next shall have been vacated for the term of the natural life of the same Benjamin Jonson out of the treasury of ourselves our heirs and successors at the receipt of the Exchequer of ourselves our heirs or successors at Westminster by the hands of the Treasurer and Chamberlains of ourselves our heirs or successors there for the time being at the feasts of the birth of St John the Baptist and the birth of the lord by equal portions paid. The first payment thereof to be begin at that feast of the feasts aforesaid, which first and next shall occur after the said Benjamin Jonson shall be enjoying the aforesaid office and the other things mentioned. Although express mention etc. In which thing etc. Witness the King at Westminster the fifth day of October.

By writ of the privy Seal etc.]

Bibliography
H&S, 1.237-9