BRU15/1/4, folio 1 recto
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Document-specific information
Date: September 11, 1611
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/4
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BRU15/1/4, folio 1 verso
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Date: September 11, 1611
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/4
View online bibliographic record
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Date: September 11, 1611
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/4
View online bibliographic record
Robert Bearman, "William Shakespeare is listed as a potential subscriber towards the cost of prosecuting a bill in Parliament for the better maintenance of the highways," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/485.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU15/1/4. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/485.
On September 11, 1611, the Stratford Corporation drafted a list of seventy-two burgesses who could be approached to subscribe “towardes the Charge of prosecutyng the Bill in the parliament for the better Repayre of the highe Waies and amendinge divers defectes in the Statutes alredy made.” While seventy-one of the names are listed in a single column down the left-hand side of the page, and then continued on the back of the sheet, William Shakespeare’s name stands alone in the otherwise blank space to the right.
The Highways Act of 1555 made road maintenance the responsibility of the parishes through which roads passed, mainly through the provision of labor services. This proved totally inadequate and, following numerous complaints, there were efforts to improve the situation by means of new legislation. Three attempts were made to introduce bills in parliament, in 1606, 1607 and 1610, all of which failed-- one through lack of funds but the third through the dissolution of parliament. These repeated failures did not put an end to the pressure. In February 1611 the government sent letters to local justices about highway repairs and by autumn further proposals were clearly under consideration. This is probably the background for the Corporation’s list, though no other document survives in the Corporation archives to throw light on its purpose.
It was clearly intended that William Walford, the bailiff at the time, should head the list. However, only “Inprimis of Mr” appears on the first line and Walford’s name is omitted, perhaps because his term of office was very near its end. The next name was Francis Smith, styled a gentleman, who that year was serving as chief alderman. He was followed by Thomas Greene “esquire,” the steward, and by eleven of the remaining aldermen with the customary prefix, “Mr.” Then, after the names of the chamberlains, Robert Butler and Julius Shaw, come the names of six local gentlemen, including, “Mr Jo. Hawle,” Shakespeare’s son-in-law. It is roughly opposite this list of gentry that the entry “Mr William Shackspere” occurs. It is in the same hand as the main list, and was apparently made at about the same time. Scholars usually assume that Shakespeare’s name was initially omitted because his frequent absences in London led to him being overlooked, casting doubt on the popular claim that Shakespeare was by 1611 spending more time in Stratford. In any event, his name was quickly added approximately opposite the point where it would have been included.
The list continues with the names of other leading townspeople, with the interesting inclusion of three widows, “Mrs [Frances] Woodward,” “Wydow [Elizabeth] Hiccocks” and “Mrs [Elizabeth] Quynye.” Also included are two attorneys, “Mr John Greene,” brother of the steward, and “Mr William Cowrte.” The most intriguing entry, “Gr Phillip Massedon,” is taken to be the nickname for the schoolmaster, Alexander Aspinall, whose name, as an alderman, should have been included earlier in the list, “Gr” either an abbreviation for “Great” or “Grammaticus.” This suggests the list was a draft, though the hand has not been identified.
Only one contribution is listed, that of 2s. 6d. against the name of Thomas Greene, the steward, but there is no evidence that the issue of collecting other contributions was pursued.
[BRU 15/1/4, is a biofilum (a folded sheet): folio 1 is transcribed here, folio 2 recto is blank and folio 2 verso contains notes on a later case in Chancery (1611-12), relating to the Luddington privy tithes BRU 15/3/12; BRU 15/10/12-13, 15, 113; BRU 15/16/82)]
[fol. 1r]
Wednesdaye the xjth of September 1611
Colected towardes the Charge of prosecutyng the Bill
in parliament for the better Repayre of the highe Waies
and amendinge diuers defectes in the Statutes alredy made
Inprimis of Mr
Item of Mr ffrauncis Smythe gentleman
Of Mr Thomas Greene esquire ijs vjd
Of Mr Thomas Barbar
Of Mr Iohn Gibbes
Of Mr William Parsons
Of Mr Henry Willson
Of Mr Danyell Baker
Of Mr Iohn Sadler
Of Mr ffrauncis Smith, senior
Of Mr Abraham Sturleye
Of Mr Iohn Smithe
Of Mr William Wyatt Mr William Shackespere
Of Mr Henry Walker
Of Mr Roberte Butler
Of Iulius Shawe
Of Mr Iohn Lane
Of Mr Iohn Combes
Of Mr William Combes
Of Mr Richard Tyler
Of Mr Iohn Nashe
Of Mr Iohn Hawle
Of Thomas Waterman
Of Lewes Hickockes
Of Michaell Iohnson
Of Thomas Rumney
Of Mrs [Frances] Woodward
Of Iohn Knight
Of Richard Ingram
Of Thomas Rutter, senior
Of [Thomas?] Mills
Of Iames Elettes
Of Richard Pincke
Of Iohn Smythe
Of Iohn Wheler
Of Edwarde Hunte
[fol. 1v]
Of Wydow Hickockes
Of William Shawe
Of Thomas Allen
Of Thomas Kirbye
Of Thomas Walker
Of Arthure Cooke
Of ffraunces Heynes
Of Mr Iohn Greene
Of Iohn Browne
Of William Chandler
Of George Sheffe
Of gr’ Phillip Massedon
Of Iohn Nason
Of Thomas Rutter
Of Henry Smythe
Of Thomas Bridges
Of Mrs [Elizabeth] Quynye
Of Thomas Rogers
Of Roger Smythe
Of Iohn Wilmore
Of George Agge
Of Phillip Greene
Of Thomas Knighte
Of William Harding
Of William Mounforde
Of Danyell Smythe
Of Thomas Swann
Of Lewes Rogers
Of Hewghe Tayler
Or Mr William Cowrte
Of Thomas Robartes
Of William Emmets
[The last three names, though in the same hand, could have been added later]
Of Iohn Ingram
Of William Walker
Of William Morrell
Written by Robert Bearman
Last updated May 11, 2020
