Margaret Brayne sues James and Cuthbert Burbage in Chancery over her share of the Theatre playhouse profits. William Nicoll, a notary public, testifies 31July 1592. Nicoll says that on 9 August 1577 he drew up an indenture of a lease between James Burbage and John Brayne to share ownership of the lease on the Theatre property, since the original lease from Giles Allen was in Burbage's name only. Nicoll believes that Burbage never in fact sealed the indenture, as the lease had been pawned for funds to build the Theatre. On 22 May 1578, Brayne had Nicoll draw up another obligation in which Burbage bound himself to Brayne for £400 for half the profits of the Theatre property. Burbage sealed this agreement before Nicoll and John Gardiner. Shortly after the document was sealed, however, Burbage and Brayne fell into an argument about the amount each contributed to the Theatre which resulted in a violent altercation. On 12 July 1578 Richard Turner and John Hill arbitrated the dispute between Burbage and Brayne,. Nicoll himself and his apprentice, George Gosse, made the award. Nicoll estimates that Burbage did not contribute more than £100 toward building the Theatre.
| Name | Event Role(s) | Document Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Gosse, George | apprentice | |
| Turner, Richard | arbitrator | |
| Hill, John | arbitrator | |
| Burbage, James | defendant | |
| Burbage, Cuthbert | defendant | |
| Nicoll, William | deponent | notary public |
| Brayne, Margaret | plaintiff | |
| Brayne, John | playhouse financier | |
| Allen, Giles | property holder | |
| Allen, Sara | wife | |
| Gardiner, John | witness |