crathe, one other fether bedde, toue bowlsters, one kevoringe, ij. blanketts, and one pyllow more which ys now newly brought home, vallewed at 1.8. Item, in mawlte three quarters xxx.s., three maulte shovells, one beame with old skalles to the same, ij. dowseyn of trenchers, one dowseyn of pewter spones, valewed att In the yeord there. xxxj.s. Item, three bundells of shorte lathe and one of longe lathe, two loods of woode, iij. shere peyks, one bucket with cocke, lyncks, corde and wayndlesse, one old heare, fowr halfe quarters baggs good and badde, one watching byll Item, in old iron there xij.s. xij.d. Per me Thomas Trussell, script. present. This document is entirely in the handwriting of Thomas Trussell, with the exception of the signature of Richard Sponer. The signature "John Shaksper senior" is undoubtedly in Trussell's handwriting, his mark, as usual, placed a little below his name, as in the document dated in 1565, on which so much has been written by Mr. Knight. The mark is that used by John Shakespeare on other occasions about this period. Mr. Collier, who has seen this inventory but not the following one, seems to say (p. 143) that the mark of John Shakespeare does not occur. He has either overlooked it, or, what is more probable, used a different copy of the document. The true and perfect inventory of Raph Shawe of Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwicke woll-dryver decessed, taken the xxiiij.th day of Julye in the xxxiiij.th yeare of the rayngne of our soverayngne lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God of England, France, and Ierland, Queene, defender of the Feyth, &c. by the discretion of Mr. John Shakspere, Mr. Willyam Wilson, and Valentyne Tant, with others. Inprimis, his apparell, praysed at XX.8. Item, in the hall a joyned table bord, a chere, ij. joyned stowlls, and ij. benches, at vj.s. viij.d. Item, a joyned cubbord in the hall, with certayne shilves, and paynted clothes X.S. iij.li. XX.S. Item, iij. brasse panns, vij. brasse potts, ij. kettles, ij. chaffyng disshes, iiij. candlestycks, with other smale implements of brasse Item, xxvj. peeces of pewter, ij. salts, and a pewter pott Item, ij. pere of pott hooks, one a fyer shovell, a bradyron, with other smale implements of yron ware, and a pare of bellows Item, iij. quysshyns, a lyttle grene say for the wyndow .... 9 In the parlor. ij.s. vj.d. xx.d. Imprimis, one joyned table, a cubbord, one joyned bed, a presse, one joyned forme, a joyned stoole, a bench, a shilf, a coffer, a curtayne for a wyndowe, and paynted clothes xl.8. liij.s. iij.d. Item, ij. fetherbeds, ij. flockbeds, three boulsters, iij. pillows Item, xj. pere of sheetes, iiij. pillow bures, iij. bordclothes, fyve towels, viij. table napkyns, with other smale implements of lynnen iij.li. Item, xij. peces of pewter, iij. salts, one chamber pot, one candlestycke, ij. dosen of trenchers, with glasse and earth-pots Item, fyve hillyngs, one carpett, one pere of blankets xiij.s. iiij.d. xl.s. Item, vj. barrells, one chere, one chest, one typpyng hurdle, fowr skeynyng wheles, one spynyng whele, iiij. pere of woll cards, a beame of yron, scales and wights of lead, and one packeclothe, with smale implements In the nether house. X.S. Item, two kevers, a stryke and a frying panne, a grydyron, one stoole, certeyne bords, with other smale implements of two packclothes, and a saddle In the loft over the hall. Imprimis, two bedsteds, a truclebed, and a lyttle bord Item, ij. fetherbeds, ij. flockbeds, ij. hillyngs, ij. pere of blankets, fowr boulsters, and paynted clothes Item, twentye quarters of malt Item, one geldyng with saddle and bridle and other thyngs for hym xl.s. Item, the hey Item, wod and cooles xxvj.s. viij.d. X.S. Item, payles, lomes, bucket, and bucket theeve, a hatchet, with other implements of wodd In the same year, in the list of the moneys received by the Chamberlains of Stratford is the following, "Of John Shackesper for Richard Fletcher, xx.s. ;" but this is one of the very few entries which may relate to Shakespeare the shoemaker, and as it does not seem to give us any information of value, it may be passed over. Mr. Collier has quoted a MS. in the State Paper Office of far greater importance. It is a return from Sir Thomas Lucy and other commissioners appointed to make inquiries respecting jesuits, priests, and recusants* in Warwickshire, dated 25 Sept. 34 Eliz. 1592; and in the return for Stratford on Avon occurs a very curious notice of John Shakespeare, implying that he was at that time in pecuniary difficulties, not attending the church for fear of a process of debt. Mr. Collier thinks no such process could be served on a Sunday, but this I suspect must be one of the many errors which result from measuring the usage of an early period by that of our own. The reader must draw his own conclusion from a copy of this portion of the return, which I here give at greater length than in the brief extract published by Mr. Collier : * A list of recusants of a somewhat later date, preserved at Stratford, does not contain the names of any of the Shakespeare family, although some of the same parties are mentioned that occur in the paper given above: The recusanttes and suche as wee find that doe nott come to Churche. Mrs. Jonne Barber, the wyffe of Mr. Thomas Barber. Johne Wheyllers wyffe in Henlie Streytte. Ann Burmum, the wyffe of Richarde Burmume. Marie Cawdrye, the wyffe of Arthur Caudrye. George Baidger, and Ailles his wyffe. Margarett Bragge, and Aills her daughtter. Marie Ellettes. Larrance Abell for nott comminge to churche, and for worckinge of hollidaies contrarie to the lawe. Johne Hancoxe for workinge uppone Chryssmas daie and other hollidaies, and for not comyng to church. Henrie Browne for workinge of hollidaies. Johne Fyfield for shutinge in a gunne. Wee find theis faulltie. The names of all sutch recusantes as have bene hearetofore presented for not comminge monethlie to the churche according to hir Majesties lawes, and yet are thoughte to forbeare the church for debtt and for feare of processe, or for soom other worse faultes, or for age, sicknes, or impotencye of bodie. In the hundred of Barlichewaye in the parrishe of Stratford upon Avon. Mr. John Wheeler. John Wheeler his soon. Mris. Geffreyes vid. Mris. Wheeler. It is sayd that these laste nine coom not to churche for feare of processe for debtte. Weare all here presented for recusantes, and doo all so continewe, saving Mris. Wheeler, who is conformed, and Griffen ap Roberts now deade. But the presenters say that all or the most of theese cannot coom to the church for age and other infirmities. It must be remarked of this document that it distinctly professes to contain a list of all such recusants as have been heretofore presented for not coming monthly to the church, so that we may take it for granted that John Shakespeare's name had appeared as a non-attendant at divine service in an earlier return. How far it may be said to prove him distinctly a recusant is a question that must be left to be decided hereafter by evidence not now known. In the same bundle with the MS. now mentioned is an information presented by one Roger Shakespere, a name that has not yet occurred in the account of the family.* "The informacion of Roger Shakespere for the byhavior of one Cutberd Temple in absentinge himeself from the church. The sayd Roger Shakespere saythe that the fornamed Cutberd Temple hath not this twelve monethes and a quarter comme to his parishe churche, and was muche associate with one Mr. Aston, and one Mr. Dudley, and one Bedell whiche is nowe in the Tower, and one Glover of Coventrye, whose brother of late was burned. Moreover theire is a man that owethe unto the forsayd Curtberd Temple the somme of vij.c. poundes to be payd yerely a c.li. for the space of vij. yeres, and nowe would But whatever troubles may have fallen to the lot of John Shakespeare, and they were certainly not few, there is nothing to show that he ever parted with the two freehold houses in- Henley street, one of which is still regarded as the poet's birthplace. On his death they descended to his son William. They are mentioned in 1590, in a return to a commission issued out of the Exchequer for the survey of the possessions of Ambrose Earl of Warwick, preserved in the Carlton Ride Record Office. John Shakespeare held freely one tenement for the yearly rent of sixpence and suit of court; the other in the same manner for the yearly rent of thirteen-pence. The manor of Stratford was granted to the Earl of Warwick in 1562. As it may be interesting to some readers to see who held the Henley-street property at that period, I subjoin a copy of the document relating to that part of the town: Vicus vocatus Henley Strete. Ballivus et burgenses villæ de Stretford tenent libere unum tenementum cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum viiij.d. sect. cur. viij.d. Hæres Johannis Clopton gen. tenet libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per redd. per annum viij.d. servic. viij.d. Georgius Whateley tenet libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum iiij.d. sect. cur. iiij.d. Idem Georgius tenet libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum xij.d. sect. cur. xij.d. Johannes Combes gen. tenet libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum iiij.d. Ballivus et burgenses ville de Stretford tenent libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum vj.d. sect. cur. vj.d. Iidem ballivus et burgenses tenent libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis, et reddit. per annum viij.d. Nuper gardian. Collegii de Stratford tenuit libere unum tent. cum pertinentiis per reddit. per annum viij.d. sect. cur. : viij.d. take iiij.c. to have it payed imediately for what occacion he doeth it I cannot tell." Among the recusants "in the Parrisshe of Merivale" was one Bates, a virginall player, presented theare to bee a most willfull recusant, and now (as it is sayd) is in Staffordsheere, but wheare the presenters knowe not."-MSS. in the State Paper Office, 1592. |