Family, legal & property records

An abundance of administrative documents provide important details of Shakespeare's economic and social status. Shakespeare divided his time between his theatrical career in London, and business and personal matters in Stratford-upon-Avon, the town where he was born, grew up, and raised three children with his wife Anne: Hamnet (who died when he was 11), Judith, and Susanna. Documents from Stratford-upon-Avon's corporate archives illustrate his Stratfordian connections and the constant balancing of debt and credit among its more prominent citizens. The parish register of Holy Trinity Church records the baptisms, marriages, and burials of members of his family. Paperwork created by various courts provide details relating to real estate transactions, taxes, legal cases, and his social network at the time of his death. Records preserved by the College of Arms chronicle his father's application for a coat of arms in 1596 and the subsequent debate over its validity. Various other legal and financial records which mention Shakespeare or his family reflect the work flows of a wide range of highly organized administrative bodies in early modern England.

Shakespeare's personal papers do not survive, which is frustrating but not surprising. In general, personal papers only survive if they are absorbed into institutional archives or if they suffered from benign neglect in the muniment rooms of noble houses. Shakespeare's last direct descendant died in 1670, at which point his house, New Place, and its belongings, was sold. It wasn't until the 18th century that people began to value and romanticize the manuscripts of famous authors.

Legal and financial

Personal property

Shakespeare's family

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November 15, 1597

London Lay Subsidy Default Roll, St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate, naming William Shakespeare as a householder in 1597

Lay subsidies were a type of tax based on personal wealth. In London, the collection of subsidies was managed at the local level of ward and parish. Each collection typically generated one lay subsidy roll and one default roll for each ward.

May 2-9, 1597

Shakespeare purchases New Place: 1597 note of fine (draft of final concord)

In May 1597, the freehold title to New Place passed from William Underhill to William Shakespeare. This would normally have been recorded in a formal deed of conveyance, signed by both parties.

May 4, 1597

Shakespeare purchases New Place: 1597 exemplification of fine

For further details about the 1597 exemplification, see the general essay for Shakespeare's purchase of New Place.

1597

Shakespeare purchases New Place: 1597 foot of fine

For details about the 1597 foot of fine, see the general essay for Shakespeare's purchase of New Place. The foot has a useful endorsement (the second image) recording the occasions when the final concord was "proclaimed" in open court, as requi

May 8, 1597

Shakespeare purchases New Place: 1597 concord of fine

In May 1597, the freehold title to New Place passed from William Underhill to William Shakespeare. This would normally have been recorded in a formal deed of conveyance, signed by the both parties.

January 26, 1597

Conveyance from John Shakespeare to George Badger of a strip of land in Henley Street

On January 29, 1597 John Shakespeare sold his neighbor, George Badger, a strip of land on the north-western boundary of John’s Henley Street property (now known as the Birthplace). The conveyance shown here is in Latin.

October 25, 1598

The only surviving letter to Shakespeare: Letter from Richard Quiney asking for Shakespeare's assistance in securing a loan of £30

This is the only known surviving letter written to Shakespeare, but he may never have received it. (No known letters survive written by him.) It is addressed “To my Loveinge good ffrend & contreymann Mr.

1598

Note in the chamberlain’s account submitted to the Stratford Corporation of a payment to Mr Shaxspere of 10 pence for a load of stone for the repair of Clopton Bridge

The borough chamberlain, in his accounts submitted in January 1598, included an entry that at some point in the previous twelve months he paid “Mr Shaxpere” 10 pence for “on lod of ston,” one of a set of five payments made towards the repair of the bridge over t

July 18, 1598

Conveyance from Thomas Blackford of Butlers Marston, yeoman, to Daniel Smith of Stratford-upon-Avon, yeoman, of a house in Stratford, witnessed by Hamnet Sadler

In the summer of 1598, Thomas Blackford of Butlers Marston sold a house on the north side of Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, to Daniel Smith. The deed recording the sale, shown here, was drawn up on July 18.

February 4, 1598

A survey of those within the borough of Stratford-upon-Avon, holding quantities of "corne and malt" including Shakespeare

In this 1598 survey of those storing grain in Stratford-upon-Avon, “W[illia]m Shackesp[ear]e” is listed as holding 10 quarters of malt.

Family, legal & property records

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