Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1591)


Baron Hunsdon , the Queen's cousin, enjoyed her favor and became Lord Chamberlain, the supervisor of the Queen's household, in 1585. When the plague abated in 1594, Carey was charged with reorganizing London's professional theatrical companies, several of which had gone bankrupt while the theaters were closed. Carey licensed two companies, the Lord Admiral's Men, performing at the Rose Theater on the South Bank of the Thames, and the Lord Chamberlain's Men, under Carey's patronage, which performed to the north of the city. In the shake-up Shakespeare became a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, whose plans for a new theater in the city, at Blackfriars, were dashed when Carey died in 1596. His son, George Carey, succeeded him as Lord Chamberlain but blocked the company's plans for the new theater, tying up much of company manager James Burbage's capital. Burbage's failed investment was a boon for Shakespeare, however; short on cash, Burbage sold Shakespeare and a few fellow actors ÒsharesÓ in the management and income of the new company.