10. THE whole cycle of Shakespeare's Historical Plays in chronological order has been produced at the said Memorial Theatre in consecutive performances.

11. THE Birthday Festival which was originally held for one week only has been extended to four weeks, and a second festival known as the Summer Festival "has in recent years been held at Stratford-on-Avon during the months of July and August. 12. THE property of Your Petitioner consists of the following particulars, viz. :

(a) The said Theatre, Library and Picture Gallery and contents and Garden;

(b) Freehold land and buildings at Stratford-on-Avon of
the approximate value of £20,000;

(c) Investments of the approximate value of £10,000;
(d) A sum of £1,941, 4s. 1d. cash standing to the credit
of a Special Endowment Fund Appeal Account at the
Midland Bank, being the total sum already received by
Your Petitioner in response to an appeal to the public
for donations which is now being made in view of the
approaching 50th anniversary of the incorporation of
Your Petitioner.

13. THE deeds and securities relating to certain of the properties and investments referred to in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) of the preceding paragraph are deposited with the Midland Bank Ltd., and the deeds relating to certain other of the said properties are deposited with Lloyds Bank Ltd. as security for the respective overdrafts hereinafter mentioned.

14. THE liabilities of Your Petitioner as on the 1st of April 1924 consisted of

(a) An overdraft of £10,306 8s. 6d. on Your Petitioner's current account with the Midland Bank Ltd.

(b) A sum of £3,004 4s. 4d. owing by Your Petitioner to Lloyds Bank Ltd. in connection with the purchase of a certain freehold property adjoining the said Memorial Theatre. With the exception of sundry small debts Your Petitioner has no other outstanding liabilities.

15. THE total gross income of Your Petitioner for the four years last preceding from all sources including (a) income from the properties and investments referred to in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph 12 of this Petition; (b) income from the said charge of 6d. per person for admission to the said Theatre, Library and Art Gallery; (c) the profit (if any) on Theatrical Performances at the festivals; and (d) subscriptions and donations, was as follows:

For the year ending the 1st of April 1921. £2,066 10s. 10d. ; for the year ending the 1st of April 1922, £1,811 13s. 9d.; for the year ending the 1st of April 1923, £2,585 16s. 11d., of which £694 10s. 3d. represents profit on Theatrical Performances; and for the year ending the 1st of April 1924, £2,711 5s. 3d., of which £761 10s. 8d. represents profit on Theatrical Performances.

16. THE affairs of your Petitioner have not at any time been conducted for the purpose of profit and its surplus income after providing for the maintenance and upkeep of the said Theatre, Library and Art Gallery and other property has been applied towards the promotion of the objects for which your Petitioner was incorporated and in particular :

(1) In producing performances of Shakespeare's Plays;
(2) In purchasing books, pictures and other objects of
Shakespearean interest for the said Library and Art

Gallery.

17. By a resolution unanimously passed at the annual general meeting of your Petitioner duly convened and held on the 23rd day of April 1924 it was resolved that it was desirable that an application should be made for the incorporation by your Majesty's Royal Charter of a Corporation to be known as " The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre incorporated by Royal Charter, ' and that the draft of this Petition and the draft of the proposed Charter which accompanies this Petition be approved, and that the seal of Your Petitioner be affixed to this Petition.

18. YOUR Petitioner believes that the granting of the proposed Charter would tend to the advancement of Shakespearean drama and literature both in this Country and in Your Majesty's Dominions beyond the Seas, and, by giving to the corporate body thereby created a higher form of constitution and additional dignity and influence, would enable it to attain that position which by its past history it would appear to be justly entitled as having established, and, during the past 49 years maintained, the only Theatre in this Country devoted to the perpetuity of Shakespeare's memory by the regular presentation of his plays. 19. SHOULD Your Majesty be graciously pleased to grant the proposed Charter it is the intention of your Petitioner forthwith to transfer its assets to the Corporation thereby constituted and to take all such other steps as may be necessary and proper in order to secure the continuance by the same Corporation of the work hitherto carried on by your Petitioner.

YOUR MAJESTY'S PETITIONER therefore humbly prays that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased in the exercise of Your Royal Prerogative to grant a Charter (in the terms of the draft hereunto annexed) for incorporating the President and Governors for the time. being of the proposed corporation as a body corporate with the name and title of "The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon " with such powers and privileges and in such manner in all respects as to Your Majesty in Council shall seem fit. AND YOUR MAJESTY'S PETITIONER will ever pray, etc.

THE COMMON SEAL of The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was affixed hereto in the presence of

ARCHIBALD FLOWER

WHITWORTH WALLIS

Seal of the
Shakespeare

Memorial

Theatre.

GEORGE THE FIFTH by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME GREETING. WHEREAS The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre " a Company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1862, has presented to Us in Our Council a humble Petition setting forth :

THAT the said Company was so incorporated for the purpose of building and managing a Theatre at Stratford-onAvon in the County of Warwick to be dedicated to the memory of Shakespeare and for the establishment of a Library and a Gallery of Pictures and Sculpture of Shakespearean interest and for the annual celebration in fitting manner of Shakespeare's Birthday and for certain other kindred objects and that by its Memorandum of Association it is provided that the income and property of the Company shall be applied solely towards the promotion of those objects.

THAT the said Company has erected and, during the past 49 years, maintained a Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon aforesaid as a memorial to Shakespeare and has also established at Stratford-on-Avon a Library and Art Gallery of Shakespearean interest.

THAT the said Company proposes to place at the disposal of the proposed Corporation when incorporated under Our Royal Charter the said Theatre Library and Art Gallery and certain other property now vested in the said Company.

THAT the said Company believes that the incorporation under Our Royal Charter of the proposed Corporation will tend to the advancement of Shakespearean drama and literature both in this Country and in Our Dominions beyond the Seas.

AND MOST HUMBLY PRAYING US IN OUR COUNCIL to grant Our Royal Charter for incorporating the President and Governors for the time being of the proposed Corporation under the name and style of "The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon and with such powers and privileges and in such manner in all respects as to Us in Our Council may seem fit.

AND WHEREAS We have taken the said Petition into Our Royal consideration and are minded to accede thereto.

NOW THEREFORE KNOW YE that WE by virtue of our Royal Prerogative and of all other powers enabling Us in that behalf do of Our Special Grace certain knowledge and mere Motion by these presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors grant will direct ordain and declare as follows:

ARTICLE I.

The President and Governors for the time being of the Corporation hereby constituted shall be and are hereby created one body

corporate with the name of The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon " with perpetual succession and a common seal and with full power and capacity by and in such name to sue and be sued and to take hold and, subject to such consent as may by law be required, to grant demise exchange or otherwise dispose of real or personal property; and notwithstanding the statutes of Mortmain, without any further or other licence, by virtue of this Our Charter to take and hold land within Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the annual value of Five thousand pounds according to the annual value thereof at the time. or times when the same shall be taken in addition to the value of the land for the time being occupied by or on behalf of the said Corporation for the transaction of its business and the actual carrying out of its purposes; and to do all other lawful acts whatsoever; which Corporation shall have the constitution and powers and be subject to the regulations in this Our Charter prescribed and contained.

And We de hereby also for Ourselves and Our Successors give and grant Our licence to any person or persons and any body politic or corporate to assure in perpetuity or otherwise or to demise to or for the benefit of the Corporation any lands, tenements or hereditaments whatsoever within Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland within the limits of value aforesaid.

ARTICLE II.

The purposes for which the Corporation is established and incorporated are as follows:

(a) To acquire and take over the Memorial Theatre, Library and Art Gallery at Stratford-on-Avon in the County of Warwick and the other assets and effects and the liabilities of the existing Company incorporated under the said Act and known as The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.'

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(b) To keep alive the memory of Shakespeare by the production and presentation of his plays at the said Memorial Theatre and elsewhere and by the annual commemoration of his Birthday in fitting manner and by other proper means.

(c) To build or acquire a theatre or theatres at Stratfordon-Avon aforesaid or elsewhere other than in the County of London to be dedicated to the Memory of Shakespeare.

(d) To manage, let and otherwise deal with the said Memorial Theatre and any other theatre which may hereafter be built or acquired by the Corporation for such purposes as shall promote the objects for which the Corporation is established.

(e) To advance and improve the dramatic art by the establishment and maintenance of a school of acting and by other means.

(f) To maintain and enrich the said Library and Art Gallery. (g) To assist and relieve poor and necessitous members of the theatrical profession.

(h) To solicit and receive subscriptions and gifts of all kinds whether absolute or conditional for the purposes of the Corporation.

(i) To borrow or raise or secure the payment of money in such manner as the Corporation shall think fit and in particular by mortgaging or charging all or any of the property of the Corporation (both present and future) and to purchase, redeem or pay off any such securities.

(j) To do such other things as the Corporation may consider conducive or incidental to any of the purposes aforesaid.

ARTICLE III.

The income and property of the Corporation whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Corporation and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus, or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to the Members of the Corporation Provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent the repayment of out-of-pocket expenses or the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any officers or servants of the Corporation, or to any Member of the Corporation in return for any service actually rendered to the Corporation, or the sale to members of the Corporation at such prices as may be determined of copies of any publications issued by the Corporation in the furtherance of the objects herein before set forth, or the payment in good faith to any firm or company of which a Member of the Corporation is a shareholder or partner, of reasonable and proper remuneration or prices for services rendered or goods supplied, nor prevent the payment of interest at a rate not exceeding five per cent. per annum on money borrowed from any Member of the Corporation.

ARTICLE IV.

The Members of the Corporation shall consist of a President and Governors.

There shall be a Patron of the Corporation. The first Patron shall be such person as shall upon the request of the President and Governors accept that office and upon a vacancy arising a new Fatron may from time to time be constituted in like manner.