Nicholas Brend facts for kids

Nicholas Brend (born around 1560 – died 12 October 1601) was an English landowner. He is famous because he owned the land where the original Globe Theatre was built. This theatre was home to William Shakespeare's acting company.

In 1599, Nicholas Brend leased this land to important theatre figures. These included Cuthbert Burbage, Richard Burbage, William Shakespeare, and other actors. Nicholas Brend died just two years later. His young son, Matthew Brend, inherited the property. Matthew was still a baby and didn't fully own the land until he turned 21 in 1621.

Nicholas Brend's Family Life

Nicholas Brend was born between September 1560 and September 1561. He was a younger son of Thomas Brend (who lived from about 1516 to 1598). Thomas Brend was a scrivener (a person who wrote documents) from West Molesey, Surrey. Even though his family wasn't very high-ranking at first, Thomas Brend was granted a coat of arms in 1591. This showed his family's rising status.

Nicholas Brend's mother was Margery. Her last name is not known, and she passed away in 1564. After her death, Nicholas's father, Thomas, married Mercy Collet. Nicholas had many brothers and sisters from both of his father's marriages. However, by 1597, only five of his sisters were still alive.

Nicholas Brend's Career and Land

When his father, Thomas Brend, died in 1598, Nicholas Brend inherited a large amount of property. This included the manor of West Molesey in Surrey. He also received several properties in London, like a house called the Star and other buildings in Bread Street and St Peter's Hill. Most importantly, he inherited land in Southwark, which included the site of the famous Globe Theatre.

A sketch by Wenceslas Hollar showing the second Globe Theatre.

Soon after his father's death, Nicholas Brend made a deal. He leased part of his Southwark land for 31 years. The yearly rent was £14 10s. This lease went to the group of actors who would build the Globe Theatre. This group included Cuthbert Burbage, Richard Burbage, William Shakespeare, Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, John Heminges, and William Kempe. The agreement started at Christmas 1598 and was officially signed on February 21, 1599. It was set to last until December 25, 1629.

The land leased for the Globe Theatre was very valuable. The actors' rent was a small part of the total income from Brend's properties in Southwark. The leased area included two pieces of land separated by a lane. There were also several gardens and buildings on these plots. Next to these, on both sides, were other parts of the Brend family's property. These areas had many buildings throughout the Globe Theatre's history.

In 1601, two years after the Globe opened, the entire property was described in legal papers. It included "small and ruinous houses" rented by about thirty different people. These tenants included the Globe Theatre, along with tanners, watermen, beer brewers, a dyer, an armorer, a baker, a porter, a draper, a tailor, and a saddler.

Nicholas Brend faced some financial challenges. In 1599, his two unmarried sisters, Anne and Judith, passed away. Nicholas bought the properties his father had left to them. This purchase cost him £1150 and put a strain on his money.

By October 1601, when he became very ill, Nicholas Brend was in considerable debt. He estimated he owed about £1478. However, his debts actually grew to £1715. Plus, many of his properties needed repairs, making his financial situation even tighter. To cover his immediate costs, he borrowed money from his sister, Mary Maylard. He also sold a small property for £340.

Facing these money troubles, Nicholas Brend made some complex deals in his final days. He worked with his half-brother, John Bodley, his uncle, John Collet, and his friend, Sir Matthew Browne. Collet and Browne agreed to act as his trustees. This meant they would manage his property for him.

Under this agreement, John Bodley would pay Brend's debts. In return, Bodley would get a mortgage on Brend's properties in Bread Street and Southwark, which included the Globe Theatre. So, on October 7, 1601, Bodley, Collet, and Browne agreed to pay the debts. Collet also gave Nicholas Brend £250 in cash. In return, Nicholas mortgaged his properties to Collet and Browne for the amount of his debts. On October 8, he signed a document promising to pay Collet and Browne £2500 if he didn't follow the mortgage terms. On October 10, he wrote his will. In it, he arranged for Bodley and Browne to sell various properties. Nicholas Brend passed away on October 12, 1601, at the age of forty or forty-one.

Brend's heir was his baby son, Matthew. Matthew would not become an adult until February 6, 1621. In his will, Brend named his wife, Margaret, as the main person to manage his estate. He left her the rest of his property. He also appointed his friend, Sir Matthew Browne, and his half-brother, John Bodley, to oversee everything. His will was officially approved on November 6, 1601.

Around 1605, Brend's widow, Margaret, married Sir Sigismund Zinzan. He was one of Queen Elizabeth's equerries (an officer who looked after horses for royalty). Margaret brought over £1000 to this marriage, likely from Brend's properties. She and Sir Sigismund Zinzan had four sons and three daughters together.

What Happened to the Globe Theatre Land?

Sir Matthew Browne, one of Nicholas Brend's overseers, died within two years. He was killed in a duel. In 1608, John Collet transferred his share in the Globe and other properties to John Bodley. Bodley then collected the rents and effectively owned the Globe until Nicholas Brend's son, Matthew Brend, became an adult on February 6, 1621.

When Matthew Brend turned 21, he quickly sued Sir John Bodley. He wanted his properties back, including the Globe. Bodley argued that the document Nicholas Brend signed in 1601 was a complete sale. However, the court decided against Bodley. The court ruled that the properties should be returned to Matthew Brend. Matthew had to pay Bodley £750. This payment was for the money Nicholas Brend owed Bodley and for Bodley's management of the properties since Nicholas's death. In late 1622 or early 1623, Sir Matthew Brend sued Bodley again. This time, his brother and three sisters joined the lawsuit. They claimed that Bodley had unfairly profited while they were underage.

In late 1623 or early 1624, Sir Matthew Brend married Frances Smith. As part of her marriage agreement, he gave her the property where the Globe was built. This would take effect after the death of Brend's mother, Margaret.

Nicholas Brend's Marriage and Children

Around 1595, when he was about 34 years old, Nicholas Brend married Margaret Strelley. She was said to be the daughter of Sir Philip Sterley from Nottinghamshire. Margaret Strelley was also a cousin to John Stanhope, 1st Baron Stanhope.

Nicholas Brend's marriage happened without his father, Thomas Brend's, permission. His father was so unhappy about it that when he found out in June 1597, he changed his will. He removed Nicholas as the person in charge of his will, but he did not remove Nicholas from inheriting his property.

Nicholas Brend and Margaret Strelley had two sons and three daughters. All of them were still children when their father passed away:

• Sir Matthew Brend (born February 6, 1600): He was the oldest son and heir. He was less than two years old when his father died. Matthew married Frances Smith.
• John Brend
• Jane Brend (born around 1595)
• Mercy Brend (born 1597): She married Robert Meese.
• Frances Brend (born 1598)

Images for kids

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  A sketch by Wenceslas Hollar showing the second Globe Theatre.