Thomas Merry (Beech's Tragedy)

John Day, William Haughton (1599)

Historical Records

Henslowe's Diary

F. 65^v (Greg I.114)

Lent vnto w^m Harton the 21 novmb[er]

in earneste of her boocke called merie

the some of … x^s

Lent vnto w^m harton & John daye the 27 of

novmb[er] in earneste of a tragedie called

mereie the some of … xx^s

                as may a pere

F. 29 (Greg I.57)

Receiued of m^r. Henseslowe in earnest of the tragedie

of merie the some of xx^s. The 27th of noueb.

___________________ xx^s.

           W Haughton.      J D.

Recd of M^r Hinchloe more in ernest of The

Tragedy of Thomas Merrye 20^s

          Joh. Day.

          W Haughton

Recd more of mr Hinchloe vpon the same booke 10^s

          By John Day.

F. 66 (Greg I.115)

Lent vnto wm hawton & John day the

5 of desemb[er] 1599 in earneste of ther boocke

called mereye at the apoyntment of

Robart shawe the some of … xx^s

as may a pere

Lent vnto John daye the 6 desemb[er]

1599 in earneste [called] of a Boocke called

merye [the] as maye a pere … x^s

pd vnto w^m hawghton & John daye the

6 of desemb[er] 1599 in full payment of ther

boocke called the tragedie of merie the some of … xxxx^s

F. 67 (Greg I.117)

pd vnto the m^r of the Revelles man for

lycen[c]singe of a Boocke called Beches

tragedie the some of … viij^s

Theatrical Provenance

The Admiral's Men performed The Tragedy of Thomas Merry (or, Beech's Tragedy) at the Rose starting in the late winter of 1599-1600. It was one of several "true crime"plays acquired in response to the arrival of the Chamberlain's Men across the street at the Globe and anticipation of the move northward to the Fortune playhouse.

Probable Genre(s)

Tragedy (Harbage)

Critical Commentary

Two issues drive the commentary on The Tragedy of Thomas Merry. One is the identity of Robert Yarington, whose name appears in the authorial position on the title page of Two Lamentable Tragedies (1601). The other is the relationship of first of the two plays in Two Lamentable Tragedies to the play for which the Admiral’s Men paid Haughton and Day £5 in 1599. A question related to the identification of Thomas Merry with the first of two tragedies printed in 1601 is the relationship of the second, called in the Yarington printing “The other of a young childe murthered in a Wood by two Ruffins, with the consent of his Vnckle,” to The Orphans Tragedy for which Henry Chettle was paid 10s. on 27 November 1599 and 10s. on 24 September 1601 (this last apparently for the same project). Another layer of contention is the relationship of The Italian Tragedy for which John Day was paid 40s. on 10 January 1600.

For What It's Worth

<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>

Keywords

London, True crime, Robert Yarington, Lamentable

Works Cited

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Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; updated 31 October 2009.