Oxford's Men

[5][6] A favourite of Henry VIII, after 1536 Oxford directed Bale to Richard Morison for his campaign against the Pope to write anti-Catholic propaganda plays.

[14] The original members included the well-known actor brothers John and Laurence Dutton, Robert Leveson, Thomas Chesson, and possibly Jerome Savage and Richard Tarlton.

[16] Oxford's players almost immediately got involved in a brawl with some Inns of Court students while playing at The Theatre in Shoreditch, and several members were thrown into gaol, but they were out and on the road by early June.

Burghley's letter is dated 9 June 1580: Where the bearers hereof servauntes to the Right honorable my very good Lord the Erle of Oxford are desierous to repaire to that universitie and there to make shewe of such playes and enterludes as have bene by them heretofore played by them publykely, aswell before the Queens majestie as in the Citie of London, and intend to spend iiij or v. daies there in Cambridg as heretofore they have accustomed to do with other matters and arguments of late yeres, and because they might the rather be permitted so to do without empeachment or lett of yow the vicechauncelor or other the heades of howses, have desired my lettre unto yow in their favor.No record exists of Oxford's players entertaining the court before 1583, so Burghley's claim that they had done so by 1580 is taken by Andrew Gurr as promotional hyperbole.

[17] The company supported itself touring the provinces in what appears to be a regular circuit that wound across England, ranging from Gloucestershire to Kent up to East Anglia, including towns in the Midlands.