English Fugitives, The

William Haughton (1600)


Historical Records

Payments to Playwrights (Henslowe's Diary)

F. 68v (Greg, I. 120)

Lent vnto wm harton the 16 of aprell 1600 in
earneste of a Boocke called the Ingleshe
fegetives the some of ………… xs
W Haughton


Item receiued more of mr Henchelowe in
earnest of ye englishe fugitiues on the 24th</sup
of Aprill. by me receiued ………… 20<sups
W Haughton




Theatrical Provenance


The Admiral's men, for whom Henslowe purchased "The English Fugitives" from William Haughton, were anticipating a move to the Fortune playhouse in April 1600, when this sale took place. The company were performing at their new playhouse by the fall of the year.

Probable Genre(s)


Topical Play? (Harbage)


Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues


Greg offers several suggestions on the subject and thus sources of "The English Fugitives" (II. 212, Item # 201):

•He suggests that it might be the similarly lost "Robin Hood's Pennyworths", perhaps thinking of Robin Hood's band as the fugitives; also he is looking for other partial payments to Haughton that might add up to the purchase of an entire play; there are such payments totalling £4 for the Robin Hood play in Dec-Jan 1600-1
•He offers a guess by John Payne Collier that the play might have been about the Duchess of Suffolk, a topic dramatized by Thomas Drue in 1624 for Palsgrave's men; Greg repeats Collier's further guess that Drue was working from an old script from Palgrave's stock, i.e., The English Fugitives.
• But he is enthusiastic only about two tracts published in 1595: "The Estate of English Fugitiues vnder the king of Spaine and his ministers," and "A Discourse of the Vsage of the English Fugitiues by the Spaniard." He suggests that the two texts, one of which is connected to Sir. L. Lewkenor, "might repay investigation" (II. 212, Item# 201).



References to the Play

None known.


Critical Commentary




For What It's Worth


F. G. Fleay has nothing to offer on the content of "The English Fugitives," nor does Andrew Gurr in Shakespeare's Opposites.

Works Cited



Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; created 31 October 2009, updated 13 August 2012.