XVIII.

SHAKESPEARE, HOMAGER OF ROWINGTON.

WE

A NEW NOTICE OF HIS NAME.

E do not know why Shakespeare bought the little cottage at the foot of Chapel Lane, opposite the lower end of his garden: whether it was for a residence for one of his brothers, or only to secure himself against unpleasant or untidy neighbours. There is a dim possibility that he also wanted to have a voice on the Court of Rowington, where so many of his name (and possibly of his family) resided, because this cottage was one of the few tenements in Stratford-onAvon "held of the Manor of Rowington." Halliwell-Phillipps

says that at the Court Baron held at Rowington on September 28th, 1602, Walter Getley, "per Thomam Tibbots his attorney," handed over to William Shakespeare this cottage; but the latter does not seem to have been present in person or by attorney, and it was left in the hands of the steward until he should come and complete the formalities. I have been unable to trace this Court Roll, and can only surmise that it may have been burnt among the Longbridge MSS. But in one of the Exchequer Special Commissions, No. 4661, at the beginning of the reign of James I., he found a survey of Rowington and the customary rents (in 1603-4). To the Survey the Stratford rents are added:

"In Stratforde, parcell of the Manor there, Stephen Burman holdeth by coppie of Court Roll one messuage and one orcharde halfe an acre and payeth rent yeerlye 28.

"William Shakespere likewise holdeth one cottage and one garden by estimation a quarter of an acre and payeth rent yeerlye 2s. 6d."

He also gives, without the reference, a Survey of the Manor on August 1st, 1606, which mentions this cottage in a skeleton form :

Tenen. Custum. Stratford Super Avon Willielmus Shakespere tenet per cop. dat. . . . die . . . . Anno .... viz., Dom. Manss. Habend. Redd. per annum....2s. fin. per Ann. vel dimitt."- Rentals and Surveys,' vol. ccxxviii. ff. 149-208. So the possession of and the responsibility for this cottage were clearly recognized by the beginning of the century.

Halliwell-Phillipps said that the poet surrendered this cottage to the use of himself for life, with remainder to his two daughters. (I have not yet discovered the reference to his original authority for this statement.) But when the poet made his will in the beginning of 1615/16, he showed clearly his desire that his elder daughter, Susanna, should inherit this and all his property in land, in a manner different from "the custom of England," which was to divide inheritance equally among daughters heiresses. He left to his daughter Judith her portion in money, to which he added "fifty pounds upon her surrendering of, or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my Will shall like of, to surrender or graunte all her estate and right that shall descend to her or come unto her after my decease, or that she now hath of, in, or to, one copiehold tenement with thappurtenances lyeing and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaid, in the said Countie of Warwick, being parcell, or holden of the Mannour of Rowington, unto my daughter Susanna Hall and her heires for ever."

Mr. Heintz in February kindly brought to my notice a series of Warwick documents, and I went through them all. I know that they are "new as the papers had to be stamped before they were delivered to me. Among these were some Estreats of Court Rolls" for Warwickshire, that is, extracts from the Court Rolls of matters concerning Land Revenue receipts. These give occasional suggestions of William Shakespeare's payments in relation to his cottage. But the most interesting entry is that which shows that Judith Quiney

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did peaceably accept her 501. in lieu of her half-share in this cottage. In "L. R. Bundle 50, No. 720," we find "the Extracts of the Leet and Court Baron" of James I. on the 18th day of Aprell in the 15th year of his Highnesse Reigne,” 1617.

"Item of John Haule, gen. and Susan his wief for the Fyne of admyttance of the said Susan unto one cottage in Stratford after the decease of Wm. Shakespere, gen. late father' of the said Susan iis. vjd.”

to

It can be seen that Dr. Hall thought it more economical pay his fine for default of suit of court than to spend his precious time as well as his "expenses" in travelling so far to this Manor Court. For instance, on October 7th, 4 Charles I. (1628) :—

"Of John Hall of Stratford upon Avon gent. one of the customary tenaunts of this Mannour at the Feast of St. Michaell The Archangell next ensuyinge for his common fyne respecting his suit of the Court 12d.”

In Bundle 49, No. 706, April 20th, 1631: "John Hall, gent., for a common fine, 12d." On October 1st, 1632, he was fined again: "Of John Hall, gent., for default of suit of court, 12d." In 1634: "Item of John Hall for a common fine, 12d." By 1638 the entry was changed: "Item of Mrs. Hall for her common fine, 6d." For on November 25th, 1635, Shakespeare's favourite daughter had lost her beloved husband, "Medicus Peritissimus," aged 60, and she had buried him near his father-in-law in the chancel of Stratford Church.

These new records of Rowington give a few details about Rowington Shakespeares beyond those given by Mr. Ryland in his 'Records of Rowington.' In L.R. Bundle 50, No. 715, March 27th, 1607, "John Shakespeare is fined for vittelyng and breaking the assise, 4d.," a fine which he seems to have been willing to pay for many successive years, for the sake of his brewing profits. Thomas Shakespeare is

1 Is it possible that an entry at the same Court could refer to the poet ? "William Shakespere, being third barowe, came not to make presentment of that which belongeth to his office. 6d." (Fines.) Could they appoint any one against his will to serve this office by rotation?

fined "for a fray upon John Cowper, 12d." In 1609 Thomas Shakespeare has a "fine for admittance, 58. 2d.," and another fine for alienation of land. John Shakespeare in 1613 pays a heriot by composition on a surrender of lands from his mother, Anne Shakespeare. In 1621 William Shakespeare "for watering of Hempe and Flax in the Common Fields, 12d." In 1625 John Shakespeare is fined for selling ale, and so is Thomas Shakespeare the younger, while William Shakesheare the younger is fined "for that he hath not scoured his ditch according to the pain, 4d." In 1628 "Of William Shakespeare and Marye his wife for their fyne of admittance to a cottage and a quarter of a yard land." "Of Thomas Shaxper and Marye his wife for a fyne of admyttance to a cottage and a little close in Rowington End. There are also notices of Laurence, Robert, Henry, and Francis Shakespeare, and repeated references to John, Thomas, and Richard. A good many women are fined for default of suit of court among the rest "Barbara Burgoine, widow," 8d.

There were Shakespeares also in the town of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, whose rolls have strayed among those of Rowington. In L.R. Bundle 50, No. 717, April 20th, 1613, the roll is written and signed by Thomas Shakespeare, Deputy Steward. This is the attorney who had been trained in the London Law Courts and was concerned in so many cases.

All these entries only confirm my opinion that "Shakespeare was such a common name in the poet's time that it is unwise to rest upon any tradition as to what Shakespeare did.

I offered this paper to The Times in February, and it was not accepted. I then took it to show it to Mr. Ryland of Rowington, and to check it in Stratford-on-Avon, and sent it completed to The Athenæum in April, since which time it has been awaiting publication.

Athenæum, 5th June, 1915.

A

XIX.

ઃઃ SHAKESPEARE OF THE COURT " :

ROGER, THOMAS, JOHN, WILLIAM.

MONG the various coincidences which may be noted in going through the accounts of the Treasurers of the Chamber is the recurrence of similar patronymics through many generations, in different departments of the royal service. Many of these recurrences may be accounted for by family influence or by inherited favour. Some may be accidental. I am not going to theorize about the fact, but it is a fact that such a recurrence does occur in relation to the name of Shakespeare.

The earliest of the name I have as yet found mentioned as in Court service was Roger, Yeoman of the Chamber to Edward VI. He seems to have been in favour, because on June 9, 1552, he shared with his fellows, Abraham Longwel and Thomas Best, a forfeit of 361. 10s. (State Papers, Dom. Ser. Ed. VI., vol. xiv. Docquet). It therefore would seem that at that date at least he was, or professed to be, a Protestant. If so, he was able, with the majority of his contemporaries, to change his faith on the accession of Mary, for we find him showing either a fierce Catholicism or enthusiastic loyalty in her service. He is recorded as informing against one Cuthbert Temple, one of the suspected associates of the Dudley Conspiracy, 1555-6 (State Papers, Dom. Ser. Mary, Addenda, vii. 47).

In another of the papers he is described as "Shakespeare of the Court." He gives evidence that Cuthbert Temple had not been to church for a year and more, and that he had been friendly with "one Glover, who was lately burned at Coventry."