John Hathwaye of Olde Stratforde is assessed on goods of the value of iij.li.; and a will dated 1601 mentions Thomas Hathaway, son of Margaret Hathaway of Old Stratford, then deceased. Many mistakes have arisen in considering these families, but there can be little doubt of the fact that Anne Hathaway was the daughter of a person who is described in the Stratford register as Ricardus Hathaway alias Gardner de Shotery. Rowe says that her father was.. "a substantial yeoman in the neighbourhood of Stratford," and the circumstance of his being the first to record the maiden name of Shakespeare's wife, shows that he had had access to a correct source of information. Two children at least of this Richard Hathaway were born before the Stratford register commences (1558), Bartholomew and Anne. Bartholomew Hathaway,* who afterwards (April, 1610) possessed the Shottery estate, died in 1624, and one of the overseers of his will was Dr. Hall, Shakespeare's son-in-law. Lady Barnard, in her will dated 1669, mentions "her kinsman Thomas Hathaway, late of Stratford," whom I suppose to have been a grandson of Richard Hathaway of Shottery, settled at Stratford, and nephew of

The www. So John Exteway

Anne Shakespeare. The John Hathaway of Shottery mentioned in the Stratford register in 1626 and 1628, was one of the sons of Bartholomew just alluded to. In 1590,

* In a Subsidy Roll, 16 April, 19 Jac. I. 1621, occur the following assessments,

Joan Hathaway, the widow of Richard, is found in the list of the customary tenants in the manor of Shottery, as holding land there at a rent of £1 138. 4d., with fines and heriots," Johanna Hatheway vidua tenet per copiam unum mess. et duas virgat. terræ et dim. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum xxxiij.s. iiij.d. fin. et harr." But in this inquiry it should be recollected that Shottery was in the parish of Stratford, a circumstance which Malone has not sufficiently considered. This fact will clear up part of his account of the Hathaways.

Several particulars of Richard Hathaway's family may be gathered from the registers of Stratford. Among the baptisms, 1559, August 6, Richard Hathaway, and Jan. 4, 1561-2, Richardus filius Richardi Hathaway alias Gardner. If these were the children of the same parents, the first one had probably died in the interval which elapsed between the two baptisms. Again, in the baptisms, Oct. 22, 1563, Caterina filia Richardy Hathaway alias Gardner; May 9, 1566, Johanna filia Richardi Hathaway alias Gardner de Shotery; April 12, 1569, Thomas the sonne of Richard Hathaway; Feb. 3, 1574-5, John son to Richard Hathaway; Nov. 30, 1578, William sonne to Richard Hathaway of Shottrey. The registry of the Court of Record contains the following note of an action he brought against Robert Milles for debt: 7 Dec. 6 Eliz. 1563, Ricardus Hathewey queritur versus Robertum Milles in placito debiti. The registers also contain other notices of persons of the same name, e. g. bapt. June 13, 1562, Thomas filius Gulielmi · Hathaway de Bushopton; Dec. 14, 1573, Richard sonne to John Hathaway; March 17, 1576-7, Margret daughter to William Hathaway; Sept. 29, 1577, Anne daughter to Thomas Hathaway; Dec. 29, 1579, Elizabeth daughter to Thomas Hathaway; Nov. 1, 1582, Rose daughter to Thomas Hathaway; Jan. 14, 1583-4, Annys daughter to Bartholmew

Hathaway; Feb. 8, 1585-6, John sonne to Bartholmew Hathaway; Sept. 21, 1586, Thomas sonne to Thomas Hathaway; March 8, 1589-90, Edmund sonne to Bartholmew Hathaway; Sept. 15, 1612, Alice filia John

bartholomew hathawaye

Hathawaye de Shotterye. Among the burials, April 13, 1558, John sonne to William Hathaway; June 4, 1560, Ales Hathaway.* Malone discovered that William Wilson, an alderman of Stratford, was married in 1580 to Anne Hathaway of Shottery, so Shakespeare's wife had a namesake in her native village. The scene of the poet's love-suit,

A vast number of similar notices might be collected, but it will be found they tend to the conclusion here arrived at. In the registry of the Court of Record, under the date of 21 Dec. 29 Eliz., occurs this entry, "contin. actio inter Johannem Hathawey quer. et Tho. Hathawey def. in placito debiti," one Hathaway proceeding against another for the recovery of a debt. In a list of "the bakers that breake the sisse in bread," Sept. 1615, is Richard Hatheway,

the residence of the fair object of his early affection, is still pointed out at Shottery, and was undoubtedly the abode of the Hathaways in Shakespeare's time, then a large and wellappointed yeoman's house, now divided into three cottages. It continued in the possession of the Taylors, lineal descendants of the Hathaways, till within the last few years, and the wife of the present occupier of the middle cottage is a grand-daughter of John Hathaway Taylor.

The late Captain Saunders discovered two precepts in the papers of the Court of Record at Stratford, dated in 1566, which appear to exhibit Richard Hathaway and John Shakespeare on friendly terms. These precepts were issued on the same day on which the brief abstracts are dated in the registry of the court, and while the plaintiffs are respectively the same in the abstracts and precepts, the name of John Shakespeare is substituted in each instance in the latter for that of Richard Hathaway. Although I have not met with any similar instances, yet the only method of explanation is to conclude that Shakespeare became security for Hathaway. It appears that the distringas in each case was afterwards withdrawn.

11 Sept. 8 Eliz. Johannes Page queritur versus Ricardum Hatheway de placito detencionis &c. ad valenc. octo librarum.-Johanna Byddoll queritur versus Ricardum Hatheway de placito detencionis &c. ad valenc. xj.li.

fined xij.d.; he is also mentioned in a tole-book dated 1646, and a person of the same name is found in a court-roll of the manor of Stratford, 1685. The receipts of the chamberlains of Stratford for 1644, include, "Bridgstreet Ward, Mrs. Hathaway for the Crowne, 00. 08. 04." A family of the name of Hathaway resided at Warwick, as may be gathered from the following entry in the parish register of St. Nicholas,-1583, Julii; undecimo die hujus mensis solemnizatum fuet matrimonium inter Johannem Large et Magdalenam Hathaway hujus parothia." The register of Aston Cantlowe mentions the marriage of John Hathaway in 1609-10, "the vj. day of ffebruary was maried John Hathaway and Anne Wheyham." Mr. Wheler possesses a MS. entitled, “The order of the fyldes and medows belungynge to Shotterey, and how many acres the farmer showd have lyeng and fletyng," 1636, in which the name of John Hathaway occurs as having been present when the order was made. George Hathewey, of Billesley, is mentioned in the muster for 1569, in the State Paper Office.

Stratford Preceptum est servientibus ad clavem quod distr. seu unus Burgus. vestrum distr. Johannem Shakespere per omnia bona et catalla sua, ita quod sit apud proximam curiam de recordo tent. ibidem ad respondend. Johanni Pagge de placito debiti &c. Datum sub sigillo meo xj.mo die Septembris, anno regni Dominæ Elizabethæ, Dei gracia Angl. Franc. et Hibern. reginæ, fidei defenc. &c. octavo.

Stratford Preceptum est servientibus ad clavem quod distr. seu unus Burgus. vestrum distr. Johannem Shakespere per omnia bona et catalla sua, ita quod sit apud proximam curiam de recordo tent. ibidem ad respondendum Johanni Byddele de placito debiti, &c. Datum sub sigillo meo xj.mo die Septembris, anno regni Domina Elizabethæ, Dei grac. Angl. Franc. et Hibern. reginæ, fidei defenc. &c. octavo.

This evidence is very important in the question that has been raised respecting the father of Anne Hathaway. The intimacy which probably existed between Richard Hathaway and John Shakespeare at once explains the means through which the two families became connected. The bond sufficiently proves that the marriage must have taken place with the consent of the Hathaways, and the bride's father was most likely present when Sandels and Richardson executed the bond, for one of the seals has the initials R. H. upon it. There can be little doubt that the connexion also met with the approval of Shakespeare's parents, for there was no disparity of means or station to occasion their dissent, and the difference between their ages was not sufficient to raise it into any reasonable obstacle. Nothing can be more erroneous than the conclusions generally drawn from the marriage-bond. Anne Hathaway is there described as of Stratford, but so are the two bondsmen, who, as I shall presently show, were respectable neighbours of the Hathaways of Shottery.* They are mentioned together as

* Richardson was perhaps related to "William Rychardson of Shotterey," one of the bridge-wardens of Stratford in 29 Hen. VIII. The Stratford registers exhibit several notices of the Richardsons and Sandels, e. g. bapt. May 20, 1574, Rose daughter to John Richardson of Shattery; Nov. 30, 1575, Jone