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 been established for some little time, as they are indicated as having played The Weakest Goeth to the Wall (1600, S. R. 23 October 1600) by the title-page, and ''The History of George Scanderbarge'' by the entry in the Stationers' Register (3 July 1601). Meres's reference to Oxford in 1598 suggests that they may have been in existence still earlier, as it is natural to suppose that he wrote comedies for his own men. Some of the writers, however, with whom Meres groups him belong to the early years of the reign, although others are contemporary. From 1602 the company was no doubt merged in Worcester's, which in its turn became Queen Anne's.

x. THE EARL OF ESSEX'S MEN

Walter Devereux, s. of Sir Richard Devereux and g.s. of Walter, Lord Bourchier and 1st Viscount Hereford; nat. 1541; succ. as 2nd Viscount Hereford, 1558; m. Lettice, d. of Sir Francis Knollys, c. 1561; 1st Earl of Essex, 4 May 1572; ob. 22 Sept. 1576.

Lettice, Countess of Essex, b. c. 1541; m. (2) Robert, Earl of Leicester, 21 Sept. 1578, (3) Sir Christopher Blount, July 1589; ob. 25 Dec. 1634.

Robert Devereux, s. of 1st Earl of Essex; b. 19 Nov. 1566; succ. as 2nd Earl, 1576; m. Frances, Lady Sidney, d. of Sir Francis Walsingham, 1590; Master of the Horse, 23 Dec. 1587; Earl Marshal, 28 Dec. 1597; Chancellor of Cambridge University, 10 Aug. 1598; rebelled, 8 Feb. 1601; executed, 25 Feb. 1601.

The Bourchiers, Earls of Essex, whom the Devereux succeeded through an heiress, had their players well back into the fifteenth century. In fact, the earliest household troop on record is that of Henry Bourchier, first earl of the senior creation, which is found at Maldon in 1468-9 and at Stoke-by-Nayland on 9 January 1482.

Walter Devereux had a company, which visited Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, and Nottingham in 1572-3, Wollaton (Francis Willoughby's) in July 1574, Coventry on 29 August, and Leicester before 29 September 1574, Gloucester, Dover, and Coventry in 1574-5, Coventry and Leicester in 1575-6, Nottingham in September 1576, and Bristol in September 1577. On the Earl's death the Countess retained the company, and under her name it appeared at Coventry and Oxford in 1576-7. On 11 February 1578 it gave its only performance at Court, taking the place of Leicester's men, to whom that day had originally been assigned. It was included in the list of Court companies sent to the Lord Mayor in December