Petition to Build Fortune Playhouse

This petition to build a playhouse (the Fortune) offers a glimpse into the way that new businesses were started in the early modern era. The petitioners highlight the remote location of the building and its potential to help the poor.

The authors note the remoteness of the new playhouse, assuring the city that it will not be near any "person or Place of accompt." This phrase is difficult to interpret. The OED records "accompt" as a simple variant spelling of "account," which is deployed similarly to how we would use it today: "A financial record or statement." In which case, a person or place of account seems to refer to other businesses, which might be "annoyed" at a playhouses in the neighborhood. It is unclear why other business would be annoyed at a playhouse moving into their neighborhood. One would think that a playhouse, which would regularly draw over a thousand people to the area (which was in the outside the city walls, near Finsbury Field), would be welcome news as it would provide local businesses with new customers.

It is possible that the "place of accompt" is a reference to other playhouses, which might resent the competition. Indeed, this petition seems to be a response to the Privy Council's own petition to the Middlesex justices, asking them to stop construction on the Fortune because they think there are already too many playhouses. But in that petition, the Privy Council is not worried about financial competition; they are concerned about the disruptions and crowds that playhouses bring to London and simply don't want another one. In any case, there already was a theater in the vicinity -- the Curtain, which was less than a mile away from planned cite of the Fortune, a short walk across Finsbury Field. So it seems unlikely that the petitioners were speaking of competition here since they were very much going to be in competition with another theatre, which had been in operation for decades.

If the "place of accompt" doesn't refer to another theatre, but is a reference to other businesses, whose day to day operations may be disrupted by the crowds from a play, then the petitioners aren't framing their own venture as a "real business." Their fellow playhouse owners and competing playhouses were not actually persons or places of "accompt."

Their second point also suggests that they do not view their playhouse as a modern business. They do not highlight the jobs or capital that their playhouse will bring to the area. Instead, they promise to use their profits to help the poor, which is needed because the local parish has failed to do so. In some ways, the playhouse promises to function more like a non-profit entity that replaces traditional charities. Indeed, the cite of the Fortune is directly next to Draper's Almshouse.

To the righte honorable the Lordes and others of her maiesties most honorable privie Councell : In all humblenes, wee the Inhabitantes of the Lordshipp of Fynisburye, within the parrishe of St. Gyles without Creplegate, London, doe certifie vnto your honnours, That wheare the Servantes of the right honorable Earle of Nottingham haue latelie gone aboute to erect and sett vpp a newe Playehowse within the said Lordshipp, Weecould be contented that the same might proceede and be Tollerated (Soe it stande with your honnours pleasuers) For the reasons and Causes followeinge.

First, because the Place appoynted oute for that purpose Standeth very tollerable, neere vnto the Feildes, and soe farr distant and remote frome any person or Place of accompt, as that none cann be Annoyed thearbie :

Secondlie, because the Erectours of the saied howse are contented to give a very liberall porcion of money weekelie, towardes the releef of our Poore, The nomber and necessity whereof is soe greate that the same will redounde to the contynuall comfort of the saied Poore :

Thirdlie and lastlie, wee are the rather Contented to accept this meanes of releif of our Poore, because our Parrishe is not able to releeue them, neither hath the Justices of the Sheire taken any order for any Supplie oute of the Countrye, as is enioyned by the late Acte of Parliamente :

[Twenty-seven signatures follow.]

[Endorsed. ] The Certificate of the Inhabitantes of the Lordship of Fynisburye of theire Consent to the Tolleracion of the Erection of a newe Plaiehowse theare.