Bearward’s Diary, 1608

This extraordinary document is the diary of an unnamed “Bearward” – the term used to describe individuals who looked after and journeyed with a bear (or, as here, multiple bears) around England, showing the game of bearbaiting.

Bearward's Diary, 1608

Page of the bearward’s diary (folio 5v). Photographer: Dr David Cooper. Reproduced by kind permission of the Governors of Dulwich Archives. Please DO NOT download or reproduce elsewhere, but contact Dulwich Archives. For the full diary, visit henslowe-alleyn.org.uk/catalogue/mss-2/article-010

What are you looking at?

This “diary” dates from 1608, and it tells us a great deal about the entertainment culture of Shakespeare’s England, as well as the social world of the time. A modernised itemisation of the journey, as well as a map of these human-animal travels, are included below, alongside a full and faithful “diplomatic” textual transcription. If you look hard at the images above, you will see how the document was written “on the road,” most likely in moments of down time, such as resting in an inn overnight, or at a tavern while eating and drinking during lunch.

Why is it important?

Such a document is extremely rare: it is the only known instance of a bearward’s extensive recording of their travels. It is not a diary in our contemporary sense of the term. Instead, it is more like a memorandum or account book, detailing the places visited and money paid out and received in each one. While such accounting might seem dry, it actually furnishes us with a great deal of information: the routes taken and the major roads of the past; the companions who accompanied bearwards on their tours; both the abuses and the care of the animals at the heart of bearbaiting; and some small sense of the animals themselves.

What does it tell us?

The document lists two named companions to the bearward: Ned the butcher and Bryant. What did these two do while on the road that made them part of the bearbaiting industry? Perhaps Ned was there to see to any animals who died along the way, or perhaps to feed the dogs and bears on the road. The bearward records frequent outlays for the bears’ “bread” or “beer”—terms likely representing more broadly “food” and “drink.” Other moments in the diary give glimpses into the personality of the animals themselves, with occasional payments for “the harme which the bears did” (presumably to the surroundings). At another time, the bearward’s notes give us the sign of how complex human-animal relationships were in an otherwise cruel and exploitative game. One outgoing cost was for oil to apply to and care for a blind bear. “Courses” (the name for rounds of bearbaiting) occurred nearly every day for over a month, with the odd journey day breaking up the schedule. On each occasion, the bear would face and fight several dogs.

The diary therefore also tells us about early modern travel practices. There are occasional payments for new shoes, which perhaps emphasises the intensity of the tour. The bearward and his human and animal companions travelled out from Kensington in London, down to Salisbury, up to Gloucester, and round via Berkshire on the way back. Their journey points to routes for bear-traffic over roadways or highways, which follow some of the key road systems of early modern England, such as part of the Great Western Road and the London-Aberystwith road. The journey is potentially plottable on John Ogilby’s 1675 list of principal roads (Britannia). Another “route” for the south east is included in some rough costings listed regarding a Kent tour: Dartford – Gravesend – Rochester – Maidstone – Sittingbourne – Faversham – Canterbury – Dover – Folkstone – Ashford – Rye (MSS2 Article 008).

Where does it come from?

But why does the diary exist in the first place? It seems this travelling bearward was answerable to the “official” position responsible for “Bears, Bulls, and Mastiff-Dogs”—the Master of the Royal Game (a position licensed by the King). In 1608, this position was held by the famous actor Edward Alleyn and the playhouse-builder Philip Henslowe. The bearward compiled the document above on the move and, it seems, then returned it perhaps to Edward Alleyn for approval, perhaps for some reimbursement and seemingly (according to vague and unclear sums on the back) in order to pay over some of the earnings to these two “Masters” as part of permission for touring with the bears. Its accounting remains enigmatic, including a different (more sophisticated) hand that summarised the full earnings some pages on from the bearward’s own tallies. Yet given the ultimate route back into Alleyn’s paperwork, it seems plausible these bears were “royal” bears, owned by the King and managed by Alleyn and Henslowe, hence their departure from London. Yet it is also possible this bearward had their own bears but was licensed by the Masters at a fee to show their game across the country.

Further Facts

The document itself is fascinating on a material level. The document images above convey how this was compiled on the go, as a working document, in moments when the bearward had time to do the sums on money made and lost and note them down. This bearward author was clearly literate and numerate, but of a (considerably) less polished standard than those with a post-grammar school, or even a grammar school, education. The writing is highly irregular and difficult to read and the spelling extraordinarily idiosyncratic (even by early modern standards). As such, this is a working or practical level of literacy and numeracy, clearly of relevance to the job. Where might the bearward have acquired this literacy? Although we cannot say what other occupations they may have held, it perhaps suggests that even as a travelling bearward one depended on literary practices and on a network of literary exchange. The document accordingly speaks to the words and numbers that undergirded the leisure industry: the administration of entertainment.

Retrace the bearward’s journey, recreated here using Google Earth Studio (copyright images to Google Earth):

Further Links

A white man with blonde hair, thinning at the front and combed over in a light quiff. He is smiling, with green-brown eyes, and wearing a blue button-down shirt.

Author:

Dr Callan Davies is a literary, theatre, and cultural historian at the University of Southampton.

Appendix

TRANSCRIPT 1: “Modernised Itemisation of the Journey”

Open Item

View this PDF for a modernised edition of the bearward’s diary. Here, I have (as far as possible) modernised the English and tabulated the journey, marking the bearward’s daily income and expenses and the progress of the journey.

View File

TRANSCRIPT 2: “Diplomatic transcript of the diary”

Open Item

MSS 2 Dulwich 010 Bearward Memorandum Book
Rough memorandum-book, containing the receipts and payments of a travelling bear-ward employed by Philip Henslowe and Edward Alleyn, Aug. 13-Sept. 20, 1608.
A diplomatic transcript of MSS 2 article 010, with some words and letters (difficult to be sure of) indicated by “-“ or “[?]” and with some in-text comments on legibility or the writer’s date errors.

1r
8 august 1608
The beginninge of this booke
satterday the i3 of august
Rc att keinsintown as wee went — 2 s 10 ob
Rc att collbroke on soundaye 14 daye — xxiij s viijd
for Coursses and all —
on Munday Rc att maiddunhead Rc —- x s
on ffreadaye att henle on the themes Rc — 10s
the 17 daye wensdaye there — v s
the 18th thursdaye ther — x s
Rc fore coursses — ivd

1v
19 day
Fryday we lae still ta Riddinge
Rc on satterdaye the 20the of august att Ridding [s]att the dore — xvs viijd
Rd ther for Corsses — ijv s iijd
soundaye we hade still att basisnstoke 21 daye of august [illegible]
mundaye att basinstoke the 22the daye of august — xj s jd
Rc theare for Corsses — js ijd
Tuesdaye l{ai}d we laye still att nuwbery 23 —
Rc on wensdaye att nuwbery 24 — j l iijs jd
In corsses —- ix d

2r
1 Item Iohn borne had wen he went into the contrye the 13 daye of august Satterday 1608 — v s
lad for coming ouer the water — vj d
lad out for ower dinners att hounslow ij s iiij d
lad out for breade for the beares att coulboruke sounday 14 — 1s 6d
lad out for ouer chareges for meate — ix s ijd
lad out for bares bread — ijs
lad out for the yard and loging — ijs
lad out for bere— viijd
lad out att maiddunhead on munday ye 15 for ower diennares — ijs
lad for bread for the beares — js vd

2v
lad out for Euene soppare — ijs iiijd
lad out att henle on the Themes for ouer diennares the 16 daye of august — ijs ijd
lent to Ned the buchtard — j s
lent to briante to by his a pare of shoues att henleonthetemes — ijs iiijd
lad out for bread for the bares att henle onthetemes — iiijs
lad out for ouer sopper — iijs
lad out for ouer dinner — viijd
lad out for Ned the buchard — iiijd
lad out for bere — iiijd
lad out for berere for the bares att henleonthetemes— ijs
lad out for wensday and thursdaye for Hardes — vs jd
— [damage] i8 daye August
lad out the drumear viijd
lad out for Roume for the bares and fore logging — ijs vjd

3r
the 19 day of august
fryedaye wee lae stille att Reddinge ouerethandes with the bares bread and dinner and supper cham to — vjs jd
satterdaye diner and super chame to — js vjd
la out for bread for the bares on satterdaye — ijs
2i lad out for dinner on sundaye — ijs
Ld out for yard — ijs
ld out for lloggine and for the harme wich the bares the did 2s 2d

21le daye
Lad out for bread for the bares — ijs
Ld out for supper — ijs iiijd

3v
mundaye 22 daye of august att basinstoke the weeke bune[?] there
mundaye led out for dinner ij s
munday lad out for bares bread ther at basinstoke iijs
mundaye ld for supper — ijs
ther for loggine roum for the bares ijs iijd
lad out for ned that he sent to his wiffe — ijs
att basinstoke for the drummer munday 22 daye — iiijd
Tuesdaye att kingkler for dinner 23 day — js iijd
Tuesday att nuwberye for the bares — ijs
Tuesday night for supper att newbery — ijs
Wensdaye att nuwberye for dinner — ijs

4r
wensdaye att night for for supper — ijs viijd
thursdaye night for bread for the bares — ijs
thursdaye for dinner att nubery — ijs
thursdaye for supper att night — js iiijd
thursdaye att night for bread for the bare — ijs
25 of august
fryedaye 26 day att nuwberye for loggine and for the yarge whard wee did batte — ijs

4v
fryedaye att newberye for dinener — js
fryedaye lent to bryant — viijd
fryday night att houngerford ouer fo sopper came to — ijs vjd
fry daye night for the bare bread — ijs
satterddaye dinner — the 27 daye of august — js viiijd
satterday att night for bread for the bares — ijs
for loggin and for stauey — vjd
satter daye night for the bayre supper — ijd
sundaye for dinner by the way — vjd
28 of august

5r
Thursdaye att nuwberye Res — jl vjd
for Cursse and all — js vjd
Fryday the 26 of august wee bee stil att hungarford
satterdaye att hungarford the 27 dye — vjs xjd
Sunday the 28 daye o betwine huengardford and sallberye Rc — ijs vjd
Mundaye 29th att salbery — xvijs jd
No Tuesday att sallbery Rd — jl ijs 8d
on wensunday att sallberye — vijs
for Cur-[ss] an all — js xd
31 daye of august

5v
Sunday att night for supper att sallberye — ijs vjd
Sunday att night for horres for the bares — viijd
Sundaye when Iohn Bonn cham into the town — ijd
Munday 29 day of august at salbery for ouyl for the blynd bare — js ijd
Jhon Browne gaue bryunt to pots of beere — ijd
Mundaye at salberye fore dinnere — js xd
For Bread and butter — ijd
For –f–aket– [page blotted and smudged]— ijd
Mundaye night bread for the bares — js vjd

6r
Mundaye night for supper — js iiijd
lent to ned the 30 daye of august — iijs
lent to bryant the same daye — js
lad out for dinner on tuesdaye— ijs
for fyere — jd
for bread for the bares — ijs
for supper — ijs
for a —ke [?] — vd
wesendaye for dinner ijs
for supper that daye — js viijd

6v
Wesenday night for bread for the bares — ijs
For fieye — ijd
lent to bryant — vjd
lent to ned the 31 of august — js
For loggine — vjd
For bread for the bares att mallberye on thuresdaye night the first daye september — ijs ijd
For supper that night — ijs xd
For dinener on fryday ijs daye of september — ijs vijd
For bread for the bares that night — ijs
Frydaye night for supper — ijs xd

7r
on Thursday the fryest daye of september att nuesbery — vs
on satter the iij daye of september att mallberye Rc — xijs xd
on sundaye the 4 daye of september att crekelet Rc — viijs iiijd
on munday the 5 day of september att cisseter Rc — ixs ijd
on the tuesdaye the 6 daye of september att cisseterr Rc — vijs vjd
on wensundaye att cisseter the 7 day of september Rc — viijs jd

7v
on Thursday att gloster the 8 daye of september Rc — xs vjd
on saterday the 9 daye of september [NB: is the 10th] att gloster Rc — jl ijd
on munday the ij [NB: is 12th] daye of september att Tuxbry — viijs
Tuesday att sir Iohn Trases firne gaue vs for batting bifor him — vijs and iiijd
The 13 day of septembere att abbingtun Rc — [blotted out]
On the fry day Rc — xiiijs

8r
satterdaye the 3 daye of september for dinner — ijs vjd
satterdaye fore supper
sattedaye for the bread the bares — ijs
satterdaye night for supper att malbery — ijs vijd
for loging att malbery that nigthe — vjd
sunday the 4 daye of september att crikelett for dinner — js vjd
for bread for the barers on Sunday night — ijs vjd
for loggin att crikelett and for harme which the bares did — viijd

8v
the 16 daye of september att abbingtun on satterdaye Rc — vjs xd
the 17 daye of september att blwbery on Sunday Rc — vs
the 19 daye of september att madunhead on tuesdaye Rc — vs jd
the 20 daye of september att @s\ att burford @s \ on wensundaye Rc — vs ijd

9r
Att sciserer on munday the 5 daye of september and tuesdaye the 6 daye of the same monthe for manes mettes chame to — vs vjd
for bares bread thuaes to dayes cham to — iiijs
lent to bryant the 5 daye of september — viijd
lad out for mendding the chanes — ijd
lent to ned the buchard the 5 day of septembere — ijs
on wensoundaye the 7 daye of september for dinner — js vd

9v
[blank]

10r
on wensardaye att night for bread for the bares — ijs
on wensundaye att night for supper an for loggine — iijs
att bortlipe on thursdaye for dinner the 8 daye of september — ijs vjd
for supper on therdaye att gloster all night the 8 daye of september — ijs vjd
att gloster on thursdaye night for bread for the bares — ijs ijd
att gloster on frydaye for dinner — js [-]d[damaged]

10v
on frydaye night for bread for the bares — js vjd
on frydaye night for supper att gloster — iijs iijd
len to Bryant the 8 daye of september — vjd
len to Bryant the same daye — viijd
on satterdaye for dinner the 10th of september — js viijd
on saterday night for the bares bread — ijs
for the yared whare we did bate — ijs vjd
to the drumer for his drume — vijd
for supper on saterday night — js vjd

11r
for fiar att gloster — iijd
for att gloster loggine — vjd
for supper att Tuexbery on sundaye the 10 daye of september — ijs vjd
for bread for the bares att Tuexbery on sundaye night — ijs
Munday for dinner att Tuexbery — the iijth daye of september — js
on munday night for supperr att Tuexber — ijs vjd
for the bares bread that night — js vjd

11v
on Tuesdaye fore ouer dinner — ixd
for ouer supper and for loggine of vs and for the bares stowe of th ould — iijs
for bread for the bares there — ijs
and att burford for ouer drumers wedunday — js ixd
lad out for a pare of suees for me — ijs
on wesunday night for supper att nwbreth — ijs
for staye for the bares and for Roume — viijd

12r
for loggine att newbrith on wendaye night — iiijd
att abbingtun on thursdaye for dinner — iijs iiijd
on thursdaye night for bread for the barers — ijs
for supper that night — iijs
on fryday for dinner att abbingtun — xijd
frydaye night for supper — ijs vjd
fryday night for bread for the bares — ijs
on saterday for dinner — ijs viijd

12v
on saterdaye night for bread for the bares — ijs
for supper — js vd
at blubery on sundaye for diner — ijs
for supper on sundaye night — ijs
for bread for the bares on sundaye night — ijs
on mundaye dinner att wallingforerd — ijs
for bred att henlee for the bares — ijs
on mundaye night att henlee for supper — iijs

13r
on Tuesdaye for dinner at henlee — js
on Tuesdaye nigh for supper att Madunhead — js vjd
for bares bread that night — js iijd
for loggine and for staye att madunhead — xd
lad out to bryant hed — js ijd
on wensundaye att braford for dinner — ijs
for supper that night — iijs
for bread for the bares that night — ijs vjd

13v
Lent to bryant the 23 daye of september — js
Lent to ned the 20 daye of september — js

14r [different hand, smarter secretary]
xxviiijo die octobris 1608
Rc by me Thomas Towne the day & yere abouewritten of Edward Alleyn Esquier the some of Three pownd{es} of lawfull mony of England for one quarter paym{en}t of the yerly Anuity of Twelue pownd{es} to ome to be due att the feast of the birth of our lord god now next ensuinge according to a deed by him the said Edward made to me I say rech’t: Thomas Towne } iijli
Xxixo die Martij 1609
Rc of m Alleyn the some of Three pownd{es} for one quarters paym{en}t of the said Anuity due att our lady day last I say rec} iiij li
Thomas towne

14v [different hand, scrawnier secretary]
Rc this 18th off Iuly 1509 of Ed Alleyn Esq for one quarters payment of foresayd anuitie dew att ye feast off st Iohn baptist last past ye some off three pownd{es} I say Rc} iiij li
By me Thomas towne

Rc this 24th: off october 1609 of Edward Alleyn Esq for one quarters payment of an anuitie out of the manor of dullwich att ye feast of st michaell last past ye some off three pownd{es} I say receiued} iij li
By me Thomas towne

15r
Rc this 10th of Ianuarie 1609 of Edward Alleyn Esq for his one quarters payment of an anuitie Isuing out off ye manore of Dullwich deu att Cristmass last past the some of three pownds I say receiued } iijl
By me Thomas towne

Rc this 14th : of aprill 1610 of Edward Alleyn Esq for one quarters paymen tof an anuitie Issuijng out of ye manor of Dullwich dew att our: Ladie daye last past the some of three pownd{es} I say receiued} iijl
By me Thomas towne

15v:
Rs this 2 off Iuly 1610 off Edward Alleyn Esq for one quarters payment off an anuitie Issuing out off ye manor of dullwich dew att ye feast of Sr Io: baptist last past I saye recieud } iijli
By me Thomas Towne

By this 12th off october 1610 off Edward Alleyn the some of three pownd{es} for one quarters payment off an anuitie Issuing out off ye manore off dullwich dew att ye feast off st micaell last past I say receiued} iij li
By me Thomas towne

16r
By this 17th: of Ianuarie 1610 of Edward Alleyn for one quarters paymen to fan anuitie Issuing out of ye manore of Dullwich dew att ye feast of ye birth of our: Lord god last past ye some of three pownd{es} I saye receiued } iijli
By me Thomas towne

By this 3d: of Aprill 1611 off Edward Alleyn Esqs: for one quarters paymen tof an Anuitie Issuinge out off the manor of Dullwich dewe att our Ladye Daye last past the some of three pownd{es} I say receiued} iijl
By me Thomas towne

16v
Rc this 18th: of Iuly 1611 off Edward Alleyn Esq ye some off three pownd off Lawfull Inglish money and is for one quarter paymen to fan anuitie Issuing out of the manor of Dullwich I: saye receiued} iij l
By me Thomas town

Rc this 2 off november 1611 off Edwarde Alleyn Esq ye sume of three pownd{es} of Lawfull money of England and is for our quarters payment of an anuitie Issuing out off ye manor off dullwich I saye receiued } iij
By me Thomas towne

17r
Rc this 15th: off Ianuarie 1611 off Edward Alleyn Esqs ye sume of three pownd{es} of Lawfull Inglish money and is for one quarters paymen toff an anuitie Issuing out of ye manor of dullwich I say receiueid} iij li
By me Thomas towne

17v
[blank]

18r
[blank]

18v
[blank]

19r [bearward’s hand]
the first weeke chardes cam to — iijl viijs iiijd
the secon week charges cam to ijl iijs iijd
the therd weeke charges cam to — ijl xs ijd
the for the week chardges cam to ijl vijs ixd

19v
[blank]

20r
[blank]

20v [bearward’s hand]
Rc vj ll xix s xd
Paid out of that — iiijll xvijs
in stoke att nuwbery on frydaye 26 of august — ijll
att gloster the 9 day of september Rc — xij ll xs
lad out of that — ixl xs vd

21r [Alleyn’s handwriting?]
Rc in the wholle – 16- – 09 – 09
& d{eliuere}d him to goo – 0 – 5 – 0
[total line] 16 – 14 – 9

layd owt 13 – 14 – 09