ABSTRACT
By late 1577 William Byrd and his family were installed at Harlington, in Middlesex. Since Harlington was not far from Drayton, where Byrd's patron Lord Paget had an estate, it may not be too much to suppose that they moved there with his encouragement. A few preliminary words must be said about Byrd's continuing association with Paget and his circle. In 1577, although Byrd was still receiving money from Lincoln, he joined Thomas Tallis in petitioning the Queen for the grant of a lease. Byrd's Catholic connections led him, in 1581, to seek help on behalf of Dorothy Tempest. Philips remained in touch with Byrd's Chapel Royal colleague John Bull, who joined him for a time at the Archducal court in Brussels after fleeing from England in 1613. While the context of the letter is not stated, it may have resulted from another of Byrd's property disputes, concerning the manor of Longney, just to the south-west of Gloucester.
