CHAPTER III

LATER SHAKESPEARES BEFORE THE POET'S TIME

In the sixteenth century there were Shakespeares all over the country,

in Essex, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Nottingham,[36] but chiefly in

Warwick.

There the family had spread rapidly. But it is only the first half of

the century that concerns us at present. There have been Shakespeares

noted in Warwick, Alcester, Berkswell, Snitterfield, Lapworth, Haseley,

Ascote, Rowington, Packwood, Beausal, Temple Grafton, Salford, Tamworth,

Barston, Tachbrook, Haselor, Rugby, Budbrook, Wroxall, Norton-Lindsey,

Wolverton, Hampton-in-Arden, Hampton Lucy, and Knowle.[37]

Most students, recognising Warwickshire as the ancestral home of the

poet's family, exclude the town of Warwick from the field of their

consideration, and select the Shakespeares of Wroxall, partly because

more is known about them, and partly because what is known of them

suggests a higher social status than is granted the other branches. From

the "Guild of Knowle Records" we learn that in 1504 the fraternity was

asked to "pray for the soul of Isabella Shakespeare, formerly Prioress

of Wroxall,"[38] that the name of Alice Shakespere was entered, and

prayers requested for the soul of Thomas Shakespere, of Ballishalle, in

1511; and in the same year Christopher Shakespere and Isabella, his

wife, of Packwood, Meriden, are mentioned. The name of "Domina Jane

Shakspere" appears late in 1526. She is often spoken of as another

Prioress. Now, it is important to notice that Dugdale mentions neither

of these ladies. He records that D. Isabella Asteley was appointed July

30, 1431, and that D. Jocosa Brome, daughter of John Brome,[39]

succeeded her. She resigned in 1524, and died on June 21, 1528.

Agnes Little was confirmed Prioress November 20, 1525, and at the

dissolution of the house a pension of £7 10s. was granted her for life.

The rest of her fellow nuns were exposed to the wide world to seek their

fortunes. Now Dugdale, with all his perfections, occasionally makes

mistakes. He either mistook Asteley for Shakespeare, or another

Shakespeare prioress intervened between the two that he mentions. The

"Guild of Knowle Records" give unimpeachable testimony as to the

existence and date of the Prioress, Isabella Shakespeare. In the edition

of Dugdale's "Warwickshire" by Dr. W. Thomas, 1730, and the edition of

his "Monasticon," published 1823, there is mentioned in a note that a

license for electing to the office was granted Johanna Shakespere,

Sub-Prioress, September 5, 1525. So she might have had the empty title

of Domina, without the usual pension allowed to the Prioress on

dissolution.[40]

After the name of Domina Johanna Shakspere in the Knowle Records occur

those of Richard Shakspere and Alice, his wife; William Shakespere and

Agnes his wife; Johannes Shakespere and Johanna his wife, 1526; Richard

Woodham and Agnes his wife, who was the sister of Richard. This Richard

Shakespere was probably the Bailiff[41] of the Priory, who shortly

before the Dissolution collected the rents and held lands from the

Priory. He, however, was replaced in his office by John Hall, who

received a patent for it on January 4, 26 Henry VIII. Among the tenants

of the dissolved Priory were mentioned[42] "Richard Shakespeare,"

"William Shakespeare," and "land in the tenure of John Shakespeare,

demised to Alice Taylor, of Hanwell, in the county of Oxford."

Mr. Yeatman[43] transcribes a grant of land in Wroxall by the Prioress

Isabella Shakespere to John Shakespere and Elene, his wife, in 23 Henry

VII. (Richard Shakespere on the jury).[44] But there seems to be some

error in the date, as the "Guild of Knowle Records" distinctly state

that Isabella the Prioress was either dead in 19 Henry VII. or had

retired from office.

Elena Cockes, widow, late wife of John Shakespere, and Antony, her son,

appear about this land in a court held by Agnes Little, Prioress of

Wroxhall, April 21, 25 Henry VIII. William Shakespeare and Agnes were

concerned in it, Alice Lone, and many other connected names. A Richard

Shakespere was on the jury, and a Richard Shakespere was appointed

Ale-taster. The Subsidy Rolls do not give a John resident in Wroxall at

any date, but in 14, 15, and 16 Henry VIII. John, senior, and John,

junior, were resident in the adjoining village of Rowington, and in 34

and 37 Henry VIII. there was one John Shakespeare there. In 16 Henry

VIII.[45] there was a Richard Shakespere in Hampton Corley. The name

also occurs at Wroxall in that year and in Rowington in 34-5 Henry VIII.

There were also a Thomas and a Lawrence (mentioned as a cousin in a will

of a John Shakespere, 1574), at Rowington at that time, and the name of

William appears repeatedly in Wroxall. A Robert Shakespere was presented

for non-suit. Rev. Joseph Hunter[46] gives a rental of Rowington 2

Edward VI. Among the free tenants of Lowston End was John Shakespere; at

Mowsley End, Johanna Shakespere, a widow, who seems to have died 1557,

as her will, though lost, is mentioned in the index at Worcester; a

William Shakespere and a Richard Shakespere are also mentioned. In 3

Elizabeth Thomas Shakespere held a messuage in Lowston. In Rowington End

John Shakespere held a cottage called "The Twycroft," and Richard

Shakespere a messuage in Church End at the same time. In the reign of

Edward VI. a Richard Shakespere was on the jury for Hatton, a Court in

the Manor of Wroxall. The Wroxall Parish Registers begin too late to be

of any use (1586). The Wroxall Court Rolls mention in 1523, Richard of

Haseley; 1530-36, Richard and William; 1547, Ralph of Barston.

Ralph[47] Shakespere was on the jury for Berkswell November 11, 4 Edward

VI. and 5 Edward VI. In 1560 Laurence was presented, because he

overburdened the commons with his cattle. John is mentioned in a

transfer of property. Mr. J. W. Ryland gives us invaluable help in his

publication of "The Records of Rowington." John Shakespeer and Robert

Fulwood, gent., are mentioned as feoffees in the will of John Hill of

Rowington, September 23, 1502. John Shakespeare elder and younger are

frequently mentioned in the Charters of Rowington as feoffees or as

witnesses, and a John had a lease of the Harveys for twenty-one years in

1554. A Joan Shakespeare, widow, and her son Thomas, lived at Lyannce in

Hatton in 1547. In the Rental of Rowington, 1560-1, there are mentioned

Thomas, William, John and Richard. Mr. Hunter mentions a Richard

Shakespeyre, at Mansfield, co. Notts, about 1509; a Peter, in 1545; and

a John at Derby, 36 Henry VIII. A Richard Shakespere was assessed at

Hampton Carlew 16 Henry VIII.; Richard Woodham and Richard Shakspere had

a farm at Haseley. The Haseley Registers begin in 1538, and are

interesting for the fact that they record on October 21, 1571, the death

and burial of "Domina Jane," formerly a nun of Wroxall, who would seem

to have been the last sub-prioress, probably connected with Richard

Shakespere, the Bailiff. In 1558 a Roger Shakespere was buried--by some

supposed to be the old monk of Bordesley[48]--who received 100s.

annuity.

The earliest Shakespeare will at Worcester, proved at _Stratford_, was

that of Thomas Shakespere, of Alcester, 1539, who left 20s. each to his

father and mother, Richard and Margaret. He had a wife Margaret and a

son William.[49] Among other Worcester wills is that of Thomas

Shakespere of Warwick, shoemaker, May 20, 1557, who left his wife Agnes

lands in Balsall for life; his daughter Jone, wife to Francis Ley, £4;

to his sons Thomas and John 4 nobles each; and his son William was to be

his heir. Richard Shakysspere of Rowington, weaver, June 15, 1560, left

his property to his sons Richard and William. His brothers-in law John

and William Reve were executors and Richard Shakespeare was a witness.

In 1561 this William Reve in his will left a sheep to Margaret

Shakspere, and in 1565 Robert Shakespeere of Rowington made his will.

But among all these Shakesperes we cannot certainly fix upon any one

that is directly connected with our Shakespeare. It seems _almost_

certain that John Shakespeare was son of Richard Shakespeare, of

Snitterfield. And yet many doubt it on grounds worthy of consideration,

which are treated later in the notice of John Shakespeare. Mr. Yeatman

found that an Alice Griffin, daughter of Edward, and sister of Francis

Griffin of Braybrook, married a Shakespeare. He takes it for granted

that she married Richard of Wroxall, and that it was he who came to

Snitterfield. We must beware of drawing definite conclusions, of making

over-hasty generalizations. We only collect the bricks to help future

investigators to build the edifice.

The Sir Thomas Schakespeir, Curate, of Essex, Bristol and London, who

died 1559, is treated later among the Essex Shakespeares.

There is one curious mention of the name which no student seems to have

worked out. A certain Hugh Saunders, _alias Shakespere_,[50] of Merton

College, Oxford, became Principal of St. Albans Hall in 1501. He was

Vicar of Meopham, in Kent, Rector of Mixbury, Canon of St. Paul's, and

Prebendary of Ealdstreet, in 1508; and Rector of St. Mary's,

Whitechapel, in 1512. He died 1537. Now, such an alias was common at the

time, when a man's mother was of higher social station than his father.

We may therefore, seeing he was somehow connected with Shakespeare,

imagine Hugh Saunders' mother to have been a Shakespeare. He is styled

"vir literis et virtute percelebris."

FOOTNOTES:

[36] "George Shaksper complains against Agnes Marshall that she detains

two rosaries," June 18, 1533.--"Common Trained Soldiers in Nottingham,"

Peter Shakespear, etc., 1596-97. Stevenson's "Nottingham Records."

[37] Halliwell-Phillipps' "Outlines," vol. ii., p. 252.

[38] Guild of Knowle Register.

[39] John Brome was Lord of the Manor of Baddesley Clinton, but was

murdered in the porch of the Church of the White Friars, London,

November 9, 1468, leaving a wife, Beatrice, three sons and two

daughters, one of whom was Jocosa. His son Thomas succeeded, and died

without heirs, and his second son Nicholas then inherited the property.

Eight of his children are registered in the guild of Knowle. His

son-in-law was Sir Edward Ferrers, who married Constance, to whom the

property afterwards came. Their son was Henry Ferrers, the great

Warwickshire antiquary, who succeeded at sixteen, and was Lord of the

Manor for sixty-nine years ("Baddesley Clinton," Rev. H. Norris, p.

234).

[40] Nam Licentia concessa fuit Johanne Shakespere Sub priorisse ad.

eligend., 5 Sept., 1525; et 20 Nov., 1525, Agnes Little confirmata fuit

Priorissa de Wroxall. Vac. per resign. Joc. Brome. Dugdale's

"Monasticon," ed. 1823, vol. iv., p. 89, and "Warwickshire," ed. 1730,

p. 649.

[41] "Valor Ecclesiasticus," 26 Henry VIII. (1535).

[42] Ministers' Accounts, April 24, 28 Henry VIII., and Augmentation

Books, Public Record Office.

[43] Yeatman's "Gentle Shakespeare," pp. 138-142.

[44] Court Rolls, General Series, Portfolio 207, No. 99.

[45] Addit. MSS., Brit. Mus. (24,500).

[46] Mr. Yeatman's "Gentle Shakespeare," p. 142.

[47] Court Roll, No. 10, p. 207.

[48] Nash's "Worcestershire," vol. ii., account of Tardebigg. See

Augmentation Books, October 14, 1539, 233, f. 8.

[49] Hunter's "Prolusions," p. 9.

[50] Wood's Colleges. Fasti Oxoniensis, Bliss, 1815. Wood, Antiq. Oxon.,

L. 2, 341. Boase, Reg. Univ. Oxon. Newcourt's "Repertorium."