[278] From the Register of St. Gregory by St. Paul's, London.

[279] "Dict. Nat. Biography."

[280] _Notes and Queries_, Fifth Series, viii. 386.

[281] See p. 15.

[282] Proved November 4, 1643, by his relict Elizabeth.

[283] _Notes and Queries_, Third Series, viii. 124.

[284] "Catalogue of Oxford Graduates," Clarendon Press.

[285] _Notes and Queries_, Second Series, xii. 469.

[286] French, "Shakspeareana Genealogica."

[287] _Notes and Queries_, Seventh Series, vi. 344. See "Liber Actorum,"

Bodleian Library.

[288] Somerset House, 88 Bruce, proved July 1, 1664.

[289] The Hearth Tax for Isleworth, 1666, 252/32, notes "Ralph Shakespeare 2 hearths, Widow Shakespeare 1 hearth."

[290] Elizabeth Shakspere, of St. Werbergs, Derby, made her will 1558.

Pegge's "Collection for the History of Derbyshire" contains a sheet of printed verses "on the death of the Rev. Mr. Shakespear" (Nichols's "Col. Top. and Gen.," iii. 244).

[291] Wills of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

[292] See _Genealogical Magazine_, January, 1898.

[293] _Notes and Queries_, Fourth Series, iv. 275.

[294] Hampshire Marriage Licences.

[295] _Gentleman's Magazine_, vol. lxxvii., p. 280.

[296] Aubrey's "Natural History of Wiltshire," 1680.

[297] Manning and Bray's "Surrey," vol. ii.

[298] "Misc. Gen. et Herald.," Second Series, vol. ii. Register of Toddington, co. Beds.

[299] See "The Shakespeares of Ess.e.x." by Augustus Charles Veley, Registrar of the Archdeaconry of Ess.e.x, _Ess.e.x Archaeological Society's Magazine_, vol. iii., p. 70, 1865.

[300] See my article in the _Athenaeum_, April 23, 1892, ent.i.tled "Pre-Shakespearean London Shakespeares."

[301] 40 Chayney.

[302] Auditors' Patent Books, vol. vi., 1538-1553. Thomas Shakespeare, formerly minister of Colebray, in the parish of St. Mildred's, in the ward of Bread Street, London, on September 1, 2 Ed. VI., received a patent for 100 shillings per annum. There is no absolute proof, but every probability, that this is the same Sir Thomas Schaftespeyr mentioned in the will of Joan Jons of Bristol, and other Bristol Wills.

See the abstract contained in the "Great Orphan Book," and Book of Wills in Council House at Bristol, 1886, by the Rev. J. P. Wadley, Rector of Naunton Beauchamp.

[303] Admin. Vicar-General's Books, No. 268, 1574-1583.

[304] Lay Subsidies, Ess.e.x, 111/575.

[305] Lay Subsidies, Ess.e.x, Rochford, 112/602, 112/634, 112/642.

[306] Subsidy Rolls, Chelmsford, Ess.e.x, 112/707, do. 112/708.

[307] Subsidy Rolls of several Hundreds in Ess.e.x, a paper book, 246/19.

[308] _Notes and Queries_, Third Series, vi. 324, and French, "Shakespeareana Genealogica," p. 541.

[309] _Notes and Queries_, Third Series, vi. 324, and French, "Shakespeareana Genealogica," p. 541. Mr. C. G. d.i.c.kenson tells me his will is at Canterbury, v. 52, f. 36.

[310] Registers of Sutton Valence, Kent, kindly sent by a correspondent.

[311] "Misc. Gen. et Herald," New Series, i. 143.

CHAPTER XIV

LONDON SHAKESPEARES

By far the most interesting search can be made in London, that great centre where congregate representatives of all the families and counties of the kingdom.

It is strange that a William was one of the earliest recorded burials in the registers of St. Margaret's, Westminster. "William Shakespeare was buried April 30, 1539." A comparatively modern hand has written against this the foolish scribble, "Query if this be the poet or not?" He may have been in the service of the Court, but there are no signs that he was a man of wealth. In the churchwardens' account[312] he was only charged 2d. for the candles at his funeral, a common charge, but not for great people. He may have been the son of the fifteenth-century William, or of Peter of Southwark, and father or brother of Roger the royal yeoman.

The discovery that _Shakespeare_ lived in St. Helen's Parish, Bishopsgate, has been claimed for an American, though Hunter mentioned in his "Life of Shakespeare," 1845, that in the Subsidy Rolls of London a William Shakespeare was a.s.sessed in 1597 in that district.[313]

[Ill.u.s.tration: NORDEN'S MAP OF LONDON, 1593.

_Between pp. 142, 143._]

The entry is: "Affid. William Shakespeare on v^li goods,[314] a.s.sessed xiii iiii^d." The "affid." affixed to it shows that the Shakespeare named tried to avoid payment on some grounds. It has surprised many, and satisfied others as suitable, that the poet should have lived in this neighbourhood, near so many of his theatrical friends. But I do not think it is certainly proved that it was our Shakespeare at all. Two references of Collier seem to locate him in Southwark in 1596, and in 1609, near the site of the Globe Theatre. Several of the name lived near Bishopsgate before and after his death.

John Scatcliffe, of St. Botolph's, Aldersgate, cook, bachelor, twenty-four, and Mary Shakespeare, of the same, spinster, twenty-four, at St. Botolph's, December 20, 1637;[315] in later years, Nathaniel[316]

Shaxspere and Elizabeth ----, widow, married August 18, 1663, in St.

Botolph's, Bishopsgate; Henry Shakespeare, of St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, bachelor (twenty-five), and Elizabeth Hartwell, of same, spinster (twenty), her parents dead, with consent of her grandmother, Elizabeth Gaye, of same, at St. Botolph's, March 26, 1663; William[317]

Winch and Abigail Shaxpere, married September 30, 1680; Francis Hill and Saray Saxspere, September 28, 1682; John Shakespeare and Edith Murry, married at St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, January 2, 1699; William Shakespear and Anna Maria Carter, both of this parish, July 9, 1733.

There was a Matthew Shakespere who, on February 5, 1566-67, married Isabel Peele in Christ Church,[318] Newgate Street. She was probably daughter of James Peele, Clerk of Christ's Hospital from 1562 to 1585, and sister of George Peele,[319] the dramatist, educated in the Grammar School there. They seem to have had a large family.[320] On January 18, 1569, Johanne, daughter of Matthew Shakespere, was baptized, and buried on February 11. On March --, 1574, Francis, son of Matthew Shakespere, baptized; on August 27, 1578, Jane; on April 7, 1583, Thomas. There was also a Humphrey entered as son of _Hugh_ Shakespeare, August 5, 1571.

But as among the burials there appears "Humphrey, son of Matthew Shackspere, Aug. 30, 1571," it would seem to be an error. Johanne, daughter of Matthew Shackespere, was buried December 26, 1572, the second of the name; Jayne, on September 5, 1577, the first of the name.

Robert, son of Matthew Shackspeare, was buried May 5, 1580. Besides these were buried Francis Shakespeare, October 7, 1571, and Robert Shakespeare, May 24, 1577. These might be grandfather and uncle of the family, which might have reckoned a William among its members.