Henley Streete, inter tenementum Roberti Johnson ex una parte et tenementum Johannis Shakespere ex altera parte." In 1597, John Shakespeare parted with a portion of his Henley-street property for the small sum of £2, the land apparently being of very little value in comparison with the house of the latter, and the part marked D in the foregoing plan has been stated to be the portion thus sold, but the deed of conveyance to George Badger distinctly informs us that it was bounded on the north by the Guild Pits. This deed was found very recently in the office of a solicitor at Birmingham, who very kindly, at the request of Mr. Hunt, of Stratford, permitted me to take a transcript of it.* It is not grammatically accurate. *The following abstract of this and the deed next mentioned is copied from the original in Mr. Hunt's possession : An abstract of the several deeds and writings relating to the title of one part of a messuage or tenement and premises in Stratford upon Avon formerly called the Swann Inn, and now the White Lyon Inn, belonging to Mr. John Payton. 14 Aug. 33 Eliz. Feoffment whereby George Badger sen. of Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick, draper, for divers good causes and considerations did give enfeoff deliver and confirm unto John Court of Oldborough in the county of Worcester, yeoman, and William Court of Stratford aforesaid, yeoman, all that messuage or tenement with the appurtenances situate lying and being in Stratford aforesaid in a certain street there called Henley Street between the house of Robert Johnson on the one part and the house of John Shakespeare on the other part, with all houses edifices buildings orchards gardens lands tenements hereditaments proffitts and commodities with the appurtenances to the said messuage or tenement belonging; and also two sellions of land containing by estimacion two acres of arrable land lying and being within the field of Stratford aforesaid between the land of Thomas Combe gent. of the one part and the lands of Thomas Raynolds on the other part, To hold to said John Court and William Court and their heirs and assigns for ever to the USE of said George Badger sen. and Alice his wife for their lives and the life of the survivor of them, remainder to George Badger jun. son of said George Badger sen. and the heirs male of his body, remainder to Edward, Richard, William, and Robert Badger, sons of said George Badger sen. one after another, and their heirs male respectively, remainder to the right heirs of said George Badger sen. for ever. 26 Jan. 39 Eliz. Feoffment whereby John Shakespeare of Stratford upon Avon aforesaid, yeoman, in consideration of £2 10 0 by said George Badger sen. did bargain sale give deliver and confirm unto said George Badger his heirs and assigns all that toft or parcell of land in Stratford in Henley Street aforesaid, the house of said Shakespeare being on the East part thereof, and the house of said George Badger on the West part thereof, to hold to said George Badger his heirs and assigns. Executed by John Shakespeare, livery and scizin indorsed. [The purchase-money is not correctly given.] Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos hoc præsens scriptum pervenerit, Johannes Shakespere de Stretford super Avonam in comitatu Warwici yoman salutem in Domino sempiternam. Noveritis me præfatum Johannem pro et in consideracione summæ quadraginta solidorum bonæ et legalis monetæ Angliæ mihi per quendam Georgium Badger de Stretford prædict. draper præmanibus solut. unde fateor me fideliter esse solut. et satisfact. dictumque Georgium Badger hæredes executores et administratores suos inde quiet. esse et exonerat. imperpetuum per præsentes, barganizavi et vendidi, necnon dedi et concessi, et hac præsenti carta mea confirmavi præfato Georgio Badger hæredibus et assignatis suis totum illud toftum et parcellum terræ meæ cum pertinentiis jacencium et existen. in Stretford super Avon prædicto, in quodam vico ibidem vocato Henlye Strete, inter liberum tenementum mei prædicti Johannis Shakespere ex parte orientali et liberum tenementum prædicti Georgii Badger ex parte occidentali, continent. in latitudine per æstimacionem dimid. unius virgat. apud utrosque fines, et jacet in longitudine a prædicto vico vocat. Henlye Strete ex parte austral. usque regiam viam ibidem vocatam Gyllpyttes ex parte boreali, continen. per æstimacionem in longitudine viginti et octo virgat. vel circa, et modo est in tenura sive occupatione mei prædicti Johannis Shakespere; habendum et tenendum prædictum toftum et parcellum terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger, hæredibus et assignatis suis, ad solum et proprium opus et usum ejusdem Georgii, hæred. et assign. suorum, imperpetuum, tenendum de capitalibus dominis feod. ill. per servicium inde prius debit. et de jure consuet. Et ego vero prædictus Johannes Shakespere et hæredes mei totum prædictum toftum et parcellum terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger hæredibus et assignatis suis ad opus et usum supradictum contra omnes gentes warrantizabimus et imperpetuum defendemus per præsentes. Sciatis insuper me præfatum Johannem Shakespere plenam et pacificam possessionem et seisinam de et in prædicto tofto et parcello terræ cum pertinentiis præfato Georgio Badger secundum vim, formam, tenorem, et effectum hujus præsentis cartæ meæ inde ei confect. in propria persona mea tradidisse et deliberasse. In cujus rei testimonium huic præsenti scripto meo sigillum meum apposui. Datum vicesimo sexto die Januarii anno regni dominæ nostræ Elizabethæ, Dei gracia Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ reginæ, Fidei defensor. &c. tricesimo nono, 1596. Signum Х Shakespere. Sigillat. et deliberat. ac pacifica possessio et seisina de tofto et parcell. terræ infrascript. deliberat. fuit per infra-nominatum Johannem Shakespere infra-scripto Georgio Badger, die et anno infrascripto, secundum formam, tenorem, et effectum hujus præsentis cartæ, in præsencia viz. Richard Lane, Harry Walker, per me Willielmum Courte scriptor. Thomas Loche, Thomas Beseley. This deed, besides affording the latest known instance of the mark of John Shakespeare, contains most valuable by the argument of reality. It suffices to know and to feel that the spot was trod by Shakespeare, that there be "prattled poesy in his nurse's arms," and, more than this, that the associations remain and have not been destroyed. The worldly wise will tell us sympathies such as these are visionary, that our interest has arisen solely from our own imaginations, or they will cast the purest relic of the poet on one side, because truly it does not now appear as in his days. To descend to this destroys whatever that is good and noble it is in the power of association to bestow, for eyes will daily glisten at memorials far more changed from what they were far less like the great originals. Breathe not a whisper to dissipate the solemn thoughts of such a power-tell us not how changeable are the records of men. If there be one spot in old, in historic England, sanctified corroborative evidence in favour of our supposition that he long continued to reside in Henley street. He still held the two tenements before mentioned, which descended to his eldest son William, as heir-at-law, on his dying intestate. One of these tenements now consists of two cottages, one of the latter being shown as Shakespeare's birthplace; this was the residence of John and Joan Shakespeare; the other tenement was the Maidenhead Inn. This is proved by an indenture dated 1647, which mentions "all that messuage or tenement with thappurtenances scituate and beinge in Stratford upon Avon aforesaid in a certen streete there called Henley streete, commonly called or known by the name of the Maidenhead, and now or late in the tenure of John Rutter or his assignes; and all that other messuage or tenement scituate and beinge in Henley streete aforesaid now or late in the tenure of Thomas Hart, and adjoyninge unto the said messuage or tenement called the Maidenhead." In 1639, it had been mentioned as in the occupation of Joan Hart. The Harts subsequently possessed the property under the will of Lady Barnard, and in the course of time the orchards and gardens were alienated from them, and the White Lion Inn has taken up the position, not, however, to the discredit of Shakespeare, for its long galleries furnish separate rooms dedicated to each of the poet's plays. Now can we reasonably expect better evidence for a home not so neglected in its day, but for a century and a half forgotten by the world, and no one near who could foresee the homage of posterity to so humble a temple? It may now have lost its distinctive character as an Elizabethan home; but we have authentic evidence to show what that character was, and it can be restored without affecting in any great degree its value as a contemporary legacy conferred, let us hope, on pilgrims of all nations for centuries yet to come. Let not our poetical sympathies be measured |