Category:Christopher Beeston

Christopher Beeston (alias Hutchinson) belonged to a multi-generational family of players (including his son William). Christopher, who began his career as apprentice to Augustine Phillips, may indisputably be found with the Chamberlain's players in the mid-1590s. Sometime before 1602 he moved to Worcester's players (as did John Duke and William Kempe). His emergence as administrator for Worcester's may be tracked through the records in Philip Henslowe's Diary for 1602-3, when the company played at the Rose. When Worcester's acquired the patronage of Queen Anne (Anna), Beeston continued as a company leader, succeeding Thomas Greene in 1612. As the commercial environment for companies shifted through the Jacobean period, Beeston handled business for Prince Charles'scompany (1619-22), Lady Elizabeth's men (1622-25), Queen Henrietta's men (1625-37), and the King and Queen's Young Company (also called Beeston's Boys, 1637-9). Beeston's business activities concerning the Red Bull and Phoenix/Cockpit playhouses may be tracked through various sets of law suits.

Beeston was born c. 1580. He married Jane Sands on 10 September 1602 (he was at the time living in St. Botolph Bishopsgate; Jane was of St. Leonard Shoreditch; the marriage took place in St. Mildred Poultry). Some time after Jane's death in 1607, there was a second marriage, to a woman named Elizabeth, who survived him. Beeston's children were born in St. Leonard Shoreditch, beginning with Augustine on 16 November 1604 (d. 17 November 1604). Beeston died in 1638.

Roles

Attendant, Soldier ("Envy"); Captain ("Sloth"), "The Second Part of the Seven Deadly Sins" Actor list, Every Man in his Humour

Works Cited