and laborious antiquarian researches repeated for a century, the history of our poet's descent is still miserably imperfect. If genealogical inquiries are ever worthy of pursuit, they must have some value in the reasonable curiosity to ascertain from what class of society the greatest author of the world arose. We may well be content that this information has not been withheld, and the tracer of the pedigree any further back in the lapse of time will scarcely deserve our thanks. The state of the evidence we possess on this subject may thus be briefly enumerated.

On the 17th of July, 1550, Robert Arden,* the maternal grandfather of Shakespeare, executed the following deed, conveying certain lands and tenements in Snitterfield, then in the occupation of Richard Shakespeare, in trust for three daughters, after the death of Robert and Agnes Arden.

Sciant præsentes et futuri quod ego Robertus Ardern de Wylmecote in parochia de Aston Cantlowe in com. Warr. husbandman dedi, concessi, et hac præsenti carta mea tripartiter indentat. confirmavi Ada Palmer de Aston Cantlowe prædict. et Hugoni Porter de Suytterfylde in com. prædicto, totum illud mesuagium meum cum suis pertinentiis in Snytterfylde prædict. quæ nunc sunt in tenura cujusdam Ricardi Shakespere, ac omnia illa mea terr. prat. pascuas et pasturas cum suis pertinentiis in Snytterfylde prædict. eidem mesuagio spectant. et pertinent. quæ nunc sunt in tenura prædicti Ricardi Shakespere, Habendum et tenendum omnia prædict. mesuagium terr. prat. pascuas et pasturas cum suis pertinentiis prædictis Adæ Palmer et Hugoni Porter hæredibus et assign. suis ad usum et opus mei prædicti Roberti Ardern et Agnetis nunc uxoris meæ pro termino vitæ nostrum eorundem Roberti et Agnetis, ac diucius viventis nostrum, et post decessum diucius viventis nostrum prædictorum Roberti Ardern et Agnetis nunc uxoris meæ, tunc ad usus et opus sequent. Scilicet, unam terciam partem omnium prædict. mesuagii terr. prat. pascuar. et pasturar, cum suis pertin. ad usum et opus Agnetis Strynger nunc uxoris Thomæ

* Business must frequently have led Robert Arden to Stratford. In the proceedings of the Bailiff's Court on Nov. 30th, 1553, mention is made of a suit he had commenced against John Dyckson, to recover the sum of four shillings. His brother, Thomas Ardern, is mentioned in a list of the justices of the peace for Warwickshire, 25 Hen. VIII, in the Miscell. Pap. Rolls House, ii. 189. In a Subsidy Roll, 2 Edw. VI, at Carlton Ride, Robart Arderne, of Aston Cantlowe, is assessed at x. s.

Strynger, ac nuper uxoris Johannis Hewyns, dudum de Bereley, modo defunct. filiæ mei prædict. Roberti Ardern, ac hæredum et assign. ejusdem Agnetis Strynger in perpetuum. Et alteram terciam partem omnium eorundem mesuagii terr. prat. pasc. et pastur. sum suis pertinentiis, ad usum et opus Johannæ Lambert, nunc uxoris Edwardi Lambert de Barton super lez Hothe, aliæ filiæ mei prædicti Roberti Ardern, ac hæredum et assign. ejusdem Johannæ Lambert in perpetuum. Aliamque terciam partem omnium prædictorum mesuagii terr. prat. pasc. et pastur. cum suis pertinentiis, ad usum et opus Katerinæ Etkyns, nunc uxoris Thomæ Etkyns de Wylmecote prædict. aliæ filiæ mei prædicti Roberti Ardern, ac hæredum et assign. ejusdem Katerina Etkyns in perpetuum, de capitalib. dominis feod. illi. per servic. inde prius debit. et de jure consuet. Et ego vero prædictus Robertus Ardern et hæredes mei, omnia prædict. mesuagium terr. prat. pasc. et pastur. cum suis pertin. præfatis Adæ Palmer et Hugoni Porter hæredibus et assign. suis ad usus et opus supradict. contra omnes gentes warantizabim. et in perpetuum defendemus per præsentes. Sciatis insuper me prædictum Robertum Ardern plenam et pacificam possessionem et seisinam de et in prædict. mesuagio terr. prat. pasc. et pastur. cum suis pertin. præfatis Ada Palmer et Hugoni Porter ad usus et opus superius specificat. secundum vim, formam, tenorem, et effectum hujus præsentis cartæ meæ tripartiter indentat. inde eis confect. in propria persona mea tradidisse et liberasse. In cujus rei testimonium cuilibet parti hujus præsentis cartæ meæ tripartiter indentat. sigillum meum apposui. Dat. decimo septimo die Julii anno regni domini Edwardi sexti, Dei gratia Anglia Franc. et Hibern. regis, Fidei defensoris, et in terra ecclesiæ Anglicana et Hibernicæ supremi capitis quarto.*

Ten days previously he had executed a similar deed of other property in Snitterfield, for the benefit of three other daughters, Jocose Arden, Alicia Arden, and Margaret Webbe, the latter of whom was the wife of Alexander Webbe, who was afterwards the purchaser of several of the shares of the Snitterfield property, belonging to his sisters-in-law. By conveyances, dated on the 14th and 21st of December, 1519, we find that Robert Arden purchased property in

* The portion of Johanna Lambert was sold by her and her husband on June 1st, 1581. She was aunt to William Shakespeare, and neither she nor her husband could write their own names. Their marks are thus subjoined to the deed conveying the property now mentioned.

Snitterfield from Richard Rushby and Agnes his wife, and he also bought a tenement in the same village on October 1st, 1529. Mr. Collier Mr. Collier particularizes the property afterwards in the occupation of Richard Shakespeare, but he was probably not aware that, as early as 16 Hen. VI, die Lunæ proximo post festum Inventionis Sanctæ Crucis, May, 1438, land in Snitterfield was conveyed Thomæ Ardern de Wylmecote et Roberto Ardern filio ejusdem Thomæ Ardern. These were ancestors on the mother's side of William Shakespeare.

This Richard Shakespeare of Snitterfield was in all probability Shakespeare's grandfather. Mr. Collier was the first to promulgate this theory, but he grounded it principally on the possibility that it was in this way John Shakespeare became introduced to the Ardens. Another and a much stronger reason is found in the fact that John Shakespeare had a brother Henry, who lived at Snitterfield, and was most probably a son of Richard Shakespeare, the registers of that village showing only one family of the name.

1581-2. Baptizatus fuet John filius Thomæ Shaxper the x.th of March, 1581. 1586, 4 Sept. Baptysed Henry Townsend, the sonn of John Townsend and Darrity his wyff, Willm Meaydes, Henry Shaxsper, Elizabeth Perkes, pleages. 1595. Johanna Shaxspere mortua est, et sepulta Januarii quinto an: 1595. 1596. Henrey Saxspere was bureyd the xxix.th day of December, anno 1596. 1596-7. Margret Saxspere widow, being times the wyff of Henry Shakspere, was buried ix. Feb.

1636. Robert Hodgkin and Elizabeth Shakuspeare, of Warwicke, were married at Snitfeild the 16th day of June.

That Shakespeare's father had a brother Henry* is shown by the following declaration, filed in the Court of Record

* His name occurs in the following memorandum, which probably relates to a suit concerning property in Snitterfield: Wytnesses to be examynyd for Robert Webbe and others defendauntes.-Adam Palmer. John Henley. William Perkes. Hary Shakspere. William Betson." He is again mentioned in the will of Christopher Smyth alias Court of Stratford, made November 2d, 1586, to which is subjoined a list of "detts due to me the sayd Christopher," and

at Stratford, where an action was brought by Nicholas Lane against John Shakespeare for debt, 1 Feb., 29 Eliz., 1587. The original is at Stratford.

Johannes Shakspere attachiatus fuit per servient. ad clavem ibidem secundum consuetudinem burgi prædicti ad respondendum Nicholao Lane de placito transgressionis super casum, &c., et sunt pleg. de proseq. Johannes Doe et Willielmus Roe, &c. Et unde idem Nicholaus Lane, per Thomam Trussell, attorn. suum, dicit quod cum quarto die Junii anno regni dominæ nostræ Elizabethæ, Dei gratia Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ reginæ, fidei defensoris, &c. vicessimo octavo, hic apud Stretford prædictum ac infra jurisdictionem hujus curiæ, quoddam colloquium tractatum et habitum fuit inter præfatum Johannem Shakesper et dictum Nicholaum Lane de quodam debito viginti et duarum libr. legalis monetæ Angliæ, in quibus Henricus Shaxpere, frater dicti Johannis, debito modo indebitatus fuit præfato Nicholao Lane, et super colloquium illud aggreat. et concordat. fuit. Et postea, scilicet die et anno supradicto, hic apud Stretford prædictum et infra jurisdictionem hujus curiæ pro et in consideratione præmissorum ac pro et in consideracione quatuor denariorum legalis, &c. præfato Johanni ad tunc et ibidem per præfatum Nicholaum præmanibus solut. super se assumpsit, et præfato Nicholao ad tunc et ibidem fideliter promisit quod si dictus Henricus Shaksper non solveret præfato Nicholao decem libras, parcellum dictæ sommæ viginti et duarum librarum, in festo sancti Michaelis archangeli ex tunc proxime sequente, quod tunc ipse idem Johannes Shaksper dictam sommam decem librarum parcellum &c. præfato Nicholao bene et fideliter solvere et contentare vellet, cum inde eum hoc requisit. fuer. etc. Et prædictus Nicholaus dicit in facto quod prædictus Henricus Shaksper non solvit præfato Nicholao Lane dictam sommam decem librarum parcellum &c. in festo sancti Michaeli archangelli prædict. seu unquam antea vel postea. Unde actio accrevit præfato Nicholao Lane ad habendum et exequend. de præfato Johanne Shaksper dictam sommam decem librarum parcellum etc. secundum assumptiones et fidel. promissiones suas prædictas, etc. prædictæ somma; Johannes Shaksper assumpt. et fideles promiss. suas prædict. quoad dictas decem libras, parcellum, &c. minime curans vel ponderans, sed machinans ipsum Nicholaum in hac parte callide et deceptive decipere et defraudare, dictam sommam decem librarum, parcellum &c. præfato Nicholao Lane nondum solvit seu aliquo modo contentavit, sed ill. ei huc usque solvere aut contentare omnino contradixit et adhuc contradicit, licet sæpius ad hoc secundum assump. et fidel. promiss. suas prædictas requisitus fuit. Unde dictus Nicholaus Lane dicit quod deterior est et dampnum habet ad valenciam viginti librarum. Et inde produc. sect. &c.

amongst them, "Item, Henry Shaxspere of Snytterfild oweth me v.li. ix.s." The last notice of Henry Shakespeare before his death occurs in the registry of the Court of Record, 29 Sept. 38 Eliz. Henricus Shackespere attachiatus fuit per servient. ad clav. ibidem ad sect. Johannis Tomlyns in placito debiti, Henr. Wylson m. pro deff.

We here find John Shakespeare becoming surety to his brother Henry in a case of debt, and the latter not paying, his brother was proceeded against for the amount. Henry was probably in difficulties, and while this paper show John Shakespeare's kindness to a relative, it leads one to suppose it was not the sole instance. This may be the case with some other entries hereafter to be quoted from the same record, in which the name of the former occurs as a defendant.

Robert Arden, in his will dated 1556, mentions his wife's jointure in Snitterfield, which was doubtlessly other property in that village, not that which is mentioned in the deeds quoted above. The following document shows that this settlement was made in 4 Edw. VI., 1550, in which year he probably married Agnes Arden, and it does not seem improbable that Mary Shakespeare's interest in Snitterfield was on this same property, in the occupation of Richard Shakespeare as late as 1560,* the description in both deeds being identical:

I refer to the following indenture, which is sufficiently curious to be given entire :

--

This indenture made the xxj.th daye of Maie in the seconde yeare of the reign of our soveraign Lady Elyzabeth by the grace of God Queene of Englande, Fraunce and Irelande defender of the faith, &c. Betwene Agnes Arderne of Wylmecote in the Countie of Warr: wydowe on the one partic and Alexander Webbe of Bereley in the same countie husbandeman on the other partie, Wytnessyth that the sayd Agnes Arderne ffor dyverse and sondry consyderations hath demysed graunted sett and to fferme lett, and by these presents demyseth graunteth setteth and to fferme letteth unto the said Alexander Webbe and to his assignes All those her two measuages with a cottage with all and singuler their appurtenaunces in Snytteifeld, and a yarde and a halfe of ayrable lande therunto belongyng, with all lands medowes pastures commons profitts and commodities in any wyse therunto apperteynynge, scituate lying and beyng in the towne and ffylds of Suytterfield afforsaid, all whiche now are in the occupation of Richarde Shakespere, John Henley, and John Hargreve, To have and to holde the said two measuages or tenements and cottage wyth their appurtenaunces a yarde and a half of lande arrable and all other the premysses with all and synguler their appurtenaunces unto the said Alexander Webbe his executers and assignes from the ffeast of the annuncyacion of our Lady next ensuyng the date hereof untyll the ende and terme of ffourtie years next and ymmediately followyng fully to be completed and ended, yff the said Agues Arderne so longe do lyve, yeldinge and paying therefore yearely duryng the said