donation followed, nearly in the same proportion, John Shakespeare again giving sixpence; and on Oct. 20th he gave eightpence. This was on account of the plague, which visited Stratford in 1564, and was the reason of the hall just mentioned being "holldyn in oure garden." Thus infectious pestilence surrounded the dwelling of the child whose destiny it was to place English literature at the summit of all literature, and to be a chief agent in the future mental advancement of his race. Thousands yet unborn will breathe their fervent thanks that the lowly roof in Henley street was one of the favoured spots where the hand of the destroying angel was stayed. We have already seen that John Shakespeare was now (1564) possessed of a landed estate and valuable property at Stratford, and in 1570 we find him in the occupation of a small farm, called Ingon Meadow, at the annual rent of £8," and also one other meadowe* with thappurtenaunces called or knowen by the name of Ingon alias Ington meadowe, conteynynge by estimacion fouretene acres, be it more or lesse, then or late in the tenure or occupacion of John Shaxpere or his assignes." He had not been long a tenant of this property, for it appears from an indenture, made May 30, 1568, that it was not then in his occupation. In 1575 he purchased the Henley-street property, and after that period we find him on the other side of the account, Malone incorrectly reads freehold. The indenture is enrolled in the Rolls Chapel, Rot. Claus. 23 Eliz. par. 10. This Ingon seems to be the same with Ingon Grove, mentioned in the following abstract of a deed, dated 1667, in Mr. Hunt's possession:-" And also all those three arrable or pasture grounds situate in Ingon, alias Incton, in the parish of Hampton Episcopi, alias Hampton Lucy, commonly called Ingon Grounds, or Ingon Grove, with their appurtenances, containing twenty-four acres, then in the tenure of Francis Oldfield or his assigns; and also all those three closes of meadow or pasture ground in Ingon alias Incton aforesaid, in the said parish of Hampton Episcopi, otherwise Hampton Lucy, called Parson's Closes, containing twenty-five acres, then in the tenure of Francis Oldfield, and all priviledges, commodities, &c." selling and mortgaging. The first evidence of this is in 1578, when Shakespeare was fourteen. Dates are now important, for Rowe tells us "he had bred him for some time at a free-school, where, it is probable, he acquired what Latin he was master of: but the narrowness of his circumstances, and the want of his assistance at home, forced his father to withdraw him from thence, and unhappily prevented his further proficiency in that language." This statement is well confirmed by the evidence I am about to submit to the reader's careful attention. Perhaps the word forced should be written induced. John Shakespeare's circumstances began to fail him when William was about fourteen, and he then withdrew him from the grammar-school, for the purpose of obtaining his assistance in his agricultural pursuits. The entries in the registry of the Court of Record show that John Shakespeare's transactions were numerous, necessarily requiring constant attention and vigilance. The following notices are taken from the records of the proceedings of the corporation of Stratford :* January 29, 1577-8. Burgus Ad aulam ibidem tent. xxix: die Januarii, a regni domina Stratford. Elizabethæ reginæ nostræ &c. vicesimo. At this hall yt ys agreed that every alderman except suche underwrytten excepted, shall paye towardes the furniture of thre pikemen, ij. billmen, and one archer, vj.s. viij.d. and every burgese, except suche underwrytten excepted, shall pay iij.s. iiij.d. These have been printed, but, as usual, very incorrectly. In the first two, Malone makes thirty-one errors, and Mr. Knight, who professes in this instance to see the value of accuracy in such matters, and to correct his predecessors, falls into twenty-six! The inhabitantes of every ward are taxed at this hall as by notes to them delivered yt may appeare. November 19, 1578. Ad aulam ibidem tent. xix: die Novembris anno regni dominæ Elizabeth. reginæ nostræ, &c. xxj? Item, yt ys ordened that every alderman shall paye weekely towardes the relief of the poore iiij.d. savinge Mr. John Shaxpeare, and Mr. Robert Bratt, who shall not be taxed to pay anythinge. Mr. Lewes and Mr. Plumley are taxed to paye weekely, eyther of them iij.d.,* and every burgeses are taxed weekely at ij.d. apece. In an account of money levied on the inhabitants in the following year, March 11th, 1579, for the purchase of armour and defensive weapons, the name of John Shakespeare is found amongst the defaulters: John Tonge, iiij.d. Hugh Pyggin, vj.d. These somes are unpayd This class of evidence may be concluded with an entry found by Malone in a list of debts due to Roger Sadler, a baker of Stratford, appended to his will, dated Nov. 14, 1578, and proved Jan. 17, 1580: "Item of Edmonde Lambarte and... Cornishe for the debte of Mr. John Shaksper, v.li." The effect of this note will be seen much better by extracting the entire schedule of debts from Sadler's will, preserved in the Prerogative Office, Malone having only given partial extracts : * Apece was originally inserted here, but was subsequently erased. Debtes which are owinge unto me Roger Saddeler. Inprimis, of Mr. John Combes thelder for a horsse three poundes. Item, of the same John Combes due to me by bonde at Christmas next, Item, of Mr. Lewis ap Williams which he oweth me Item, of Willyam Coxe of Syllehull twentie poundes. three poundes. six poundes, viij.s. iiij.d. tenne poundes. Item, of Mr. Michaell Gotheridge which he oweth me twentie shillinges. Item, that George Merrell, of Ailston, which he doth owe me, Item, of Mr. Thomas Trussell which he oweth me vj.li. xiij.s. iiij.d. xxiiij.8. foure poundes. Item, of Edmonde Lambarte and . . . Cornishe for the debte of Mr. John Shaksper v.li. Item, of Mr. Walter Roche which I must paye over unto my brother Skydmore for a mare it iiij.li. If Edmund Lambert, who was connected by marriage with Mary Shakespeare, paid this sum for John Shakespeare, may be included in the "certayne other money which they did owe unto him for other matters," mentioned in the Chancery records of 1597, hereafter printed. The first two entries are summarily despatched by Mr. Knight, who, coupling John Shakespeare and Robert Bratt together, and guided by the entry, nothinge in this place, attached to the name of the latter, dismisses them at once as no evidences of his poverty. There is, indeed, so much uncertainty in reasoning on indications such as these, which might have been caused by a variety of circumstances, that I cannot think they prove the distress attributed to John Shakespeare by Malone; and when we find him in 1579 burying a very young child with more expense than was absolutely required (see p. 30), we are led to conclude that his position was by no means so hazardous as has been represented. There is, however, quite sufficient evidence to show that from the year 1578 the state of his property deteriorated. In the spring of that year, John and Mary Shakespeare mortgaged their estate of Ashbies to Edmund Lambert for the sum of £40. The original fine, afterwards levied on this occasion according to law, is now for the first time printed from the bundle of Easter Term, 21 Eliz. (1579), in the Chapter House : Inter Edmundum Lambert quer. et Johannem Shakespere et Mariam uxorem ejus deforc. de duobus mesuagiis duobus gardinis quinquaginta acris terræ duabus acris prati quatuor acris pasturæ et communa pasturæ pro omnimodis averiis cum pertinentiis in Awston Cawntlett. Unde placitum convencionis sum. fuit inter eos &c. scilicet quod prædicti Johannes et Maria recogn. prædicta ten. et communam pasturæ cum pertinentiis esse jus ipsius Edmundi, ut ill. quæ idem Edmundus habet de dono prædictorum Johannis et Mariæ, et ill. remiserunt et quietclam. de ipsis Johanne et Maria et hæredibus suis prædicto Edmundo et hæredibus suis in perpetuum. Et præterea iidem Johannes et Maria concesserunt per se et hæred. ipsius Mariæ quod ipsi warant. prædicto Edmundo et hæredibus suis prædicta ten. et communam pasturæ cum pertin. contra prædictos Johannem et Mariam et hæredes ipsius Mariæ in perpetuum. Et pro hac recogn. remissione quietclam. warant. fine &c. idem Edmundus dedit prædictis Johanni et Mariæ quadraginta libras sterlingorum. The following note of a fine, also printed for the first time from the same repository of records, exhibits Shakespeare's parents interested in other land at Wilmecote, and its importance and curiosity in developing the history of their circumstances at this period will be at once perceived. It will be difficult to say exactly what particular property is referred to, but it clearly exhibits a further extension of the county interests of John and Mary Shakespeare, beyond what has been yet supposed. It refers to their interest in a considerable landed estate at Wilmecote, so that there must, in all probability, have been some deed executed before 1556, giving Mary Arden shares of property in that hamlet. Inter Thomam Webbe et Humfridum Hooper quer. et Johannem Shakespere et Mariam uxorem ejus, et Georgium Gybbes, deforc. de septuaginta acris terræ, sex acris prati, decem acris pasturæ, et communa pasturæ pro omnimodis averiis, cum pertinentiis in Wylmecote, unde placitum convencionis summonitum fuit. inter eos, &c., scilicet, quod prædicti Johannes et Maria et Georgius recogn. |