George Androwes sues Martin Slatier over events at the Whitefriars during February and March 1608. He complains that Lording Barry, pretending to be possessed of a moiety of the Whitefriars property, joined with Martin Slatier to persuade Androwes to invest in a sixth of the property, promising Androwes that he would receive great benefit from his investment. Barry claimed that the playhouse's apparel alone was worth £400, of which Androwes would own a sixth part, and suggested furthermore that Androwes would make a profit of £100 a year on the playhouse. Androwes entered into a contract with Barry and Slatier for a term of six years, eight months and twenty days, and paid £70 for his share. He subsequently discovered that the apparel was worth not more than £5. The charges of maintaining the playhouse and company, moreover, were exceedingly high; rather than make a profit, he lost around £300. The lease on the playhouse, moreover, was forfeited for non-payment of rent, and Androwes faced losing his investment. In order to maintain their hold on the playhouse, the various parties concerned [Lording Barry, Michael Drayton, William Trevell, William Cooke, Edward Sibthorpe, John Mason] bound themselves to Martin Slatier for £200 (the articles of their agreement, drafted 10 March 1607/8, are quoted in the bill of complaint). The £200 obligation would be void, as long as the terms of the contract were met. Androwes had Slatier's assurance that any breaches of the contract committed by his fellows would not affect his own obligations; he believes that others among the company may have broken the contract, but attests that he has not. Slatier has nevertheless had Androwes arrested into the King's Bench, with the intention of claiming of Androwes the amount of the forfeited bond. As Androwes is innocent of any breach of the contract, he asks the court to have Slatier's case against him in King's Bench dropped.
| Name | Event Role(s) | Document Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Slatier, Martin | defendant | |
| Androwes, George | plaintiff | |
| Barry, Lording | playhouse sharer | |
| Drayton, Michael | playhouse sharer | |
| Trevell, William | playhouse sharer | |
| Cooke, William | playhouse sharer | |
| Sibthorpe, Edward | playhouse sharer | |
| Mason, John | playhouse sharer |