John Heminges
Encyclopedia
John Heminges (b. 25 November 1556 – 1630) was an English Renaissance
actor
. Most noted now as one of the editors of William Shakespeare
's 1623
First Folio
, Heminges served in his time as an actor and financial manager for the King's Men
.
, Worcestershire
in 1556. Sent to London
as an apprentice at age twelve, he was presented to the Grocers' Company
, becoming a freeman in 1587. In London, he lived in the parish of St Mary Aldermanbury
, at which church he served as a sidesman
. On 10 March 1588 Heminges and Rebecca Knell were married at the church, and they had 14 children baptized there between 1590 and 1613. Alexander Chalmers
originated the now-accepted argument that his wife was the widow of William Knel, an actor with the Queen's Men
who had been killed in 1587 a fight with John Towne, a fellow actor. His association with theatre
had certainly begun by 1593; records from that year show Heminges and Augustine Phillips
, another future King's Man, in the touring company of Lord Strange's Men
. By the next year he and Phillips had joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men
/King's Men
. He stayed with this company until his death. In 1630, Privy Council
records show he received ₤100 to relieve the company during a period of plague; Heminges himself died a short time after this order, at age 74.
Heminges as mentioned in Shakespeare's will along with Richard Burbage
and Henry Condell
, each was bequeathed two nobles (roughly a pound
) to buy mourning ring
s in his memory. Burbage died before the publication of the First Folio, but Heminges and Condell acted as ostensible co-editors and mentioned in their epistle to "the great Variety of Readers" the "care, and paine" they took to collect the works, since the author had not "liv'd to have set forth, and overseen his owne writings". Their editorial efforts were vital to preserving a number of Shakespeare's plays, some of which might have been lost otherwise.
Heminges remained active in the Grocers' Company alongside his theatrical activities; indeed, the two sometimes intertwined. He was, between 1608 and 1621, one of the ten citizen seacoal-meters for the city of London. Beginning in 1595, he bound ten apprentices with the Grocers' Company; of these ten, eight appear to have performed for Heminges' company, in both boys' and adult roles. Alexander Cooke
was one of his apprentices.
Due to his intimate involvement in the creation of the First Folio, readers have found it both tempting and easy to idealize Heminges; one early critic, exercising more admiration than objectivity, wrote that "He was a fine actor, a trustworthy man, and had a good head for business. Until his death, he managed the company's financial affairs with extraordinary success." A darker picture of Heminges emerged when American researcher Charles William Wallace
discovered the records of the lawsuit Ostler v. Heminges (1615). When King's Man William Ostler
died intestate in 1614, his property should have passed to his widow, Thomasine Heminges Ostler. But the widow's father, John Heminges, seized control of his late son-in-law's shares in the Globe
and Blackfriars
theatres. Thomasine sued her father to regain her property. The surviving records do not specify the final outcome of the suit, though it appears that Heminges managed to retain control of the shares. At his death, his shares in the Globe and Blackfriars theatres passed to his son, William Heminges
.
On Heminges's death in October 1630, his body was taken back to St Mary Aldermanbury and buried on 12 October. He had asked in his will to be buried as close to his wife as possible.
's Sejanus
and Every Man in His Humour
(in both cases, alongside Shakespeare). A Jacobean inscription in the 1616
Jonson folio lists him playing the role of Corbaccio in Volpone
; since the same list includes Nathan Field, who did not join the King's Men until 1616, it seems that Heminges continued to act, at least intermittently, into his fifties. Edmond Malone
reported seeing Heminges' name associated with the role of Falstaff
; there is, however, no other evidence exists of this connection. There is little more evidence to substantiate the claim later made by an actor to Alexander Pope
that Heminges was a tragedian. Of his activities as manager more is known. Court documents relating to the King's Men
generally list Heminges as the recipient of money due the company; the records of Henry Herbert indicate that Heminges at least sometimes served as the point of contact between the company and the Master of the Revels
. He appears to have owned a structure abutting the Globe Theatre
, which may have been used as an alehouse. He served as trustee for Shakespeare when the latter purchased a house in Blackfriars in 1613.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Most noted now as one of the editors of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's 1623
1623 in literature
The year 1623 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*February 2 - The King's Men perform Twelfth Night at Court on Candlemas....
First Folio
First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
, Heminges served in his time as an actor and financial manager for the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
.
Life
Heminges was born in Droitwich SpaDroitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in 1556. Sent to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as an apprentice at age twelve, he was presented to the Grocers' Company
Worshipful Company of Grocers
The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London. It is ranked second in the order of precedence of the Companies and, having been established in 1345, is one of the original Great Twelve City Livery Companies....
, becoming a freeman in 1587. In London, he lived in the parish of St Mary Aldermanbury
St Mary Aldermanbury
St Mary Aldermanbury church in the City of London, is first mentioned in 1181 but was destroyed by the Great fire of London in 1666. Rebuilt in Portland stone by Sir Christopher Wren, it was again gutted by the Blitz in 1940, leaving only the walls...
, at which church he served as a sidesman
Sidesperson
A sidesperson, correctly known as a sidesman or usher, in the Anglican Church is responsible for greeting members of the congregation, overseeing seating arrangements in church, and for taking the collection...
. On 10 March 1588 Heminges and Rebecca Knell were married at the church, and they had 14 children baptized there between 1590 and 1613. Alexander Chalmers
Alexander Chalmers
Alexander Chalmers was a Scottish writer.He was born in Aberdeen.Trained as a doctor, he gave up medicine for journalism, and was for some time editor of the Morning Herald...
originated the now-accepted argument that his wife was the widow of William Knel, an actor with the Queen's Men
Queen's Men
The Queen's Men was an Elizabethan playing company that operated between 1583 and 1595. It was a popular company and its patron was Queen Elizabeth I...
who had been killed in 1587 a fight with John Towne, a fellow actor. His association with theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
had certainly begun by 1593; records from that year show Heminges and Augustine Phillips
Augustine Phillips
Augustine Phillips was an Elizabethan actor who performed in troupes with Edward Alleyn and William Shakespeare. He was one of the first generation of English actors to achieve wealth and a degree of social status by means of his trade....
, another future King's Man, in the touring company of Lord Strange's Men
Lord Strange's Men
Lord Strange's Men was an Elizabethan playing company, comprising retainers of the household of Ferdinando Stanley, Lord Strange . They are best known in their final phase of activity in the late 1580s and early 1590s...
. By the next year he and Phillips had joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men
Lord Chamberlain's Men
The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a playing company for whom Shakespeare worked for most of his career. Formed at the end of a period of flux in the theatrical world of London, it had become, by 1603, one of the two leading companies of the city and was subsequently patronised by James I.It was...
/King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
. He stayed with this company until his death. In 1630, Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
records show he received ₤100 to relieve the company during a period of plague; Heminges himself died a short time after this order, at age 74.
Heminges as mentioned in Shakespeare's will along with Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage was an English actor and theatre owner. He was the younger brother of Cuthbert Burbage. They were both actors in drama....
and Henry Condell
Henry Condell
Henry Condell was an actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. With John Heminges, he was instrumental in preparing the First Folio, the collected plays of Shakespeare, published in 1623....
, each was bequeathed two nobles (roughly a pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
) to buy mourning ring
Mourning ring
A mourning ring is a finger ring worn in memory of someone who has died. It often bears the name and date of death of the person, and possibly an image of them, or a motto. They were usually paid for by the person commemorated, or their heirs, and often specified, along with the list of intended...
s in his memory. Burbage died before the publication of the First Folio, but Heminges and Condell acted as ostensible co-editors and mentioned in their epistle to "the great Variety of Readers" the "care, and paine" they took to collect the works, since the author had not "liv'd to have set forth, and overseen his owne writings". Their editorial efforts were vital to preserving a number of Shakespeare's plays, some of which might have been lost otherwise.
Heminges remained active in the Grocers' Company alongside his theatrical activities; indeed, the two sometimes intertwined. He was, between 1608 and 1621, one of the ten citizen seacoal-meters for the city of London. Beginning in 1595, he bound ten apprentices with the Grocers' Company; of these ten, eight appear to have performed for Heminges' company, in both boys' and adult roles. Alexander Cooke
Alexander Cooke
Alexander Cooke was an actor in the King's Men, the acting company of William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage.Edmond Malone introduced the hypothesis, still current though far from certain, that Cooke originated Shakespeare's principal female roles...
was one of his apprentices.
Due to his intimate involvement in the creation of the First Folio, readers have found it both tempting and easy to idealize Heminges; one early critic, exercising more admiration than objectivity, wrote that "He was a fine actor, a trustworthy man, and had a good head for business. Until his death, he managed the company's financial affairs with extraordinary success." A darker picture of Heminges emerged when American researcher Charles William Wallace
Charles William Wallace
Charles William Wallace was an American scholar and researcher, famed for his discoveries in the field of English Renaissance theatre.Wallace was born in Hopkins, Missouri to Thomas Dickay Wallace and Olive McEwen...
discovered the records of the lawsuit Ostler v. Heminges (1615). When King's Man William Ostler
William Ostler
William Ostler was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare....
died intestate in 1614, his property should have passed to his widow, Thomasine Heminges Ostler. But the widow's father, John Heminges, seized control of his late son-in-law's shares in the Globe
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
and Blackfriars
Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
theatres. Thomasine sued her father to regain her property. The surviving records do not specify the final outcome of the suit, though it appears that Heminges managed to retain control of the shares. At his death, his shares in the Globe and Blackfriars theatres passed to his son, William Heminges
William Heminges
William Heminges , also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the Caroline period. He was the ninth child and third son of John Heminges, the actor and colleague of William Shakespeare.William Heminges was christened on October 3, 1602, in the parish of...
.
On Heminges's death in October 1630, his body was taken back to St Mary Aldermanbury and buried on 12 October. He had asked in his will to be buried as close to his wife as possible.
Work
The extent and nature of Heminges' acting is not entirely clear. He is known to have performed in Ben JonsonBen Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
's Sejanus
Sejanus (play)
Sejanus His Fall, a 1603 play by Ben Jonson, is a tragedy about Lucius Aelius Seianus, the favorite of the Roman emperor Tiberius. It was possibly an allegory of James I and his corrupt court....
and Every Man in His Humour
Every Man in His Humour
Every Man in His Humour is a 1598 play by the English playwright Ben Jonson. The play belongs to the subgenre of the "humours comedy," in which each major character is dominated by an overriding humour or obsession.-Performance and Publication:...
(in both cases, alongside Shakespeare). A Jacobean inscription in the 1616
1616 in literature
The year 1616 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Nicolaus Copernicus' De revolutionibus is placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Roman Catholic Church....
Jonson folio lists him playing the role of Corbaccio in Volpone
Volpone
Volpone is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and beast fable...
; since the same list includes Nathan Field, who did not join the King's Men until 1616, it seems that Heminges continued to act, at least intermittently, into his fifties. Edmond Malone
Edmond Malone
Edmond Malone was an Irish Shakespearean scholar and editor of the works of William Shakespeare.Assured of an income after the death of his father in 1774, Malone was able to give up his law practice for at first political and then more congenial literary pursuits. He went to London, where he...
reported seeing Heminges' name associated with the role of Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
; there is, however, no other evidence exists of this connection. There is little more evidence to substantiate the claim later made by an actor to Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
that Heminges was a tragedian. Of his activities as manager more is known. Court documents relating to the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
generally list Heminges as the recipient of money due the company; the records of Henry Herbert indicate that Heminges at least sometimes served as the point of contact between the company and the Master of the Revels
Master of the Revels
The Master of the Revels was a position within the English, and later the British, royal household heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels" that originally had responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities, known as revels, and later also became responsible for stage censorship,...
. He appears to have owned a structure abutting the Globe Theatre
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
, which may have been used as an alehouse. He served as trustee for Shakespeare when the latter purchased a house in Blackfriars in 1613.