placed on one side merely because an error had been made in tracing the original shield. Draft of a grant of arms to John Shakespeare, 1599, MS. Coll. Arm. R. 21. av & To all and singuller noble and gentelmen of all estates and degrees bearing arms to whom these presentes shall com, William Dethick, Garter, Principall King of Arms of England, and William Camden, alias Clarencieulx, King of Arms for the sowth east and weste partes of this realme, sendethe greetinges. Knowe yee that in all nations and kingdoms the record and remembrances of the valeant factes and verteous dispositions of worthie men have ben made knowen and divulged by certeyne shieldes of arms and tokens of chevalrie, the grant and testimonie wherof apperteynethe unto us by vertu of our offices from the Quenes most exc. majeste, and her highenes most noble and victorious progenitors: wherfore being solicited, and by credible report informed, that John Shakespere, nowe of Stratford uppon Avon in the counte of Warwik gent., whose parent, great grandfather, and late antecessor, for his faithefull and approved service to the late most prudent prince King H. 7. of famous memorie, was advaunced and rewarded with landes and tenementes geven to him in those partes of Warwikeshere, where they have continewed by some descentes in good reputacion and credit; and for that the said John Shakespere having maryed the daughter and one of the heyrs of Robert Arden of Wellingcote in the said countie, and also produced this his auncient cote of arms heretofore assigned to him whilest he was her Majesties officer and baylefe of that towne, In consideration of the premisses, and for the encouragement of his posterite, unto whom suche blazon of arms and atchevementes of inheritance from theyre said mother by the auncyent custome and lawes of arms maye Originally, whereof. lawfully descend, We the said Garter and Clarencieulx have assigned, graunted, and confirmed, and by these presentes exemplefied unto the said John Shakespere, and to his posterite that shield and cote of arms,* viz. In a field of gould uppon a bend sables a speare of the first the poynt upward hedded argent;† and for his creast or cognisance, a ffalcon with his wynges displayed standing on a wrethe of his coullers supporting a speare‡ armed hedded or steeled sylver, fyxed uppon a helmet with mantelles and tasselles, as more playnely maye appeare depicted on this margent; and we have lykewise uppon on other escucheon impaled the same with the auncyent arms of the said Arden of Wellingcote, signifeing thereby that it maye and shalbe lawefull for the said John Shakespere gent. to beare and use the same shieldes of arms, single or impaled as aforesaid, during his naturall lyffe; and that it shalbe lawfull for his children, yssue, and posteryte (lawfully begotten) to beare, use, and quarter and shewe forthe the same with theyre dewe differences in all lawfull warlyke factes and civile use or exercises, according to the lawes of arms and custome that to gent. belongethe, without let or interuption of any person or person[s] for use or for bearing the same. In wyttnesse and testemonye wherof we have subscribed our names and fastened the seales of our offices, yeven at the Office of Arms, London, the ......... in the xlij.te. yeare of the reigne of our most gratious soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, France, and Ireland, Defendor of the Faythe, &c. 1599. The latest notice of John Shakespeare I have met with, occurs in a paper in the Council Chamber at Stratford, containing notes respecting an action of trespass brought by Sir Edward Grevil against several burgesses of Stratford in 1601, the year of John Shakespeare's death. The following list of names occurs amongst memoranda of the defendant's case, and perhaps were the witnesses intended to be called, Mr. Jhon Jefferryes. Mr. Adrien Quyney. Mr. Thomas Wheler alias Dier. Mr. Jhon Sackesper. Symon Biddle. and this adds, I believe, one more specimen to the varieties of the Shakespeare orthography. He was buried Sep *Originally, Whiche he shewed and produced, but afterwards erased. Originally, with steele argent. Originally, in pale. tember 8th, 1601, so that supposing he had only attained his majority when we first discover him as a resident in Henley street, he was at least seventy when he departed from the scene. It would have pleased us better had we found Shakespeare raising monuments to his parents in the venerable pile which now covers his own remains. Adventitious circumstances lead us now to commemorate a person in humble life who has hitherto served more biographical purposes than are at all necessary. Whenever an entry relating to the poet's father was displeasing to an editor, or did not answer the purposes of his argument, a reply was always ready,-it refers to John Shakespeare, the shoemaker,* who lived at Stratford, and was a contemporary with his namesake. It is perfectly essential that this question of identity should be in some degree limited. This John Shakespeare is mentioned in the books of the corporation as a burgess present at a hall, 9 March, 22 Eliz. 1580. On Oct. 1st, 1585, he was sworn as one of the tasters, having been previously elected a constable on Sept. 6th, George Badger, Roger Welshe, John Shaxspere, and Humffrey Brace;" and in the following January, the Chamberlains' accounts for 1586 tell us, "reseved of Shakspeare the shumaker for his fredom the xix. day of Jenuarey, XXX.8." But he was poor or he would not have availed himself in 1587 of Oken's charity,t a loan of £5 to be employed in his business, Thomas Shaxper, also a shoemaker, was an attesting witness to a bond dated 24 Sept. 20 Eliz. in the corporation records. †Thomas Oken of Warwick, in his will dated Nov. 24th, 1570, gave £40 to Stratford on Avon, "to bestowe and deliver the said somme of ffourtie poundes to divers yong occupiers of the same towne of Stretford upon Avon in fone, in maner and forme following, That is to say, unto eight such honest yong men dwelling within the same towne that bee of some honest mistery or craft At a hall there holden the xvij.th daie of ffebruarie, anno xxix. dominæ reginæ Elizabeth. &c. Thomas Okens money was delivered to the personnes whose names are underwritten, to be emploied accordinge to the last will and testament of the saide Thomas. John Shaxpere v.li., his suerties Richard Sponer et Roberte Yonge. And the acceptance of this loan also proves he was young, that being one of the express conditions in Oken's will. In a deed made June 10, 1588, one of the witnesses is "John Shaksper, corvizare." About this period he resided in Bridge Street, for in a list of the rents of the corporation made in October, 1589, he is noticed as a tenant of a house in that street, and the following paper, containing a similar list dated Jan. 12th, 1590-1, mentions him in the same part of the town. On Oct. 29, 1587, his wife Margery, whom he married on Nov. 25, 1584, was buried, but he appears to have soon married again, for a daughter Ursula was baptized March 11, 1588-9, a son Humphrey on May 24, 1590,* and a son Philip on Sept. 21, 1591. He is mentioned in the and householders within the same towne, being also of good name fame and conversacion with their neighbors in the same towne, That is to say, to every such one of the said eight yong men the somme of five poundes by the waye of loane to be occupied by him and them in their said craftes or mysteryes during the space of ffoure yeres."-MS. Black Book in the Corporation Archives, Warwick. * At the commencement of this year he is mentioned as a trustee for the corporation books as "Master of the companie of shoemakers," and he appears to have left Stratford about 1595, for then his house in Bridge Street was inhabited by another person, and he is heard of no more in the records of Stratford. Now bearing in mind the very humble station and circumstances of this John Shakespeare, the rent of his house being only twelve shillings, and appearing in every way a very obscure person; the period of his residence at Stratford, moreover, being brought within very narrow limits, and it being clearly seen he obtained no rank in the corporation, is it necessary that the unfortunate identity of name with Shakespeare's father should any longer be a hinderance to our researches respecting the latter? It need be so in reality in very few cases. The parish register makes a distinction between them, Mr. John Shakespeare being the ex-bailiff, John Shakespeare being the shoemaker. There is every reason to believe the trade of the latter is inserted in the registry of the Court of Record whenever he is referred to, as in a case 25 Feb. 32 Eliz. where he is merely children of another shoemaker in the following entry in the register of the At this halle Mr. Abraham Sturley hathe delyverd thre severall obligacions to the use of the chyldren of one Thomas Robertes decessed; viz. one bande made to Thomas Robertes, one of the sonnes of Thomas Robertes decessed, of fyftie poundes, wheryn Richard Masters of Mylverton yoman, and John Shaxspere of Stratford, corvizer, stand bounde for the bredinge of the seyd Thomas Robertes, and the payment of xxxij.li. accordinge to the condycions of the seyd bande, whiche bande berithe date quarto die Octobris anno tricessimo Elizabethæ reginæ (1588), and one other bande beringe date tercio die Octobris anno xxxo. Elizabethæ Reginæ, of fyftie poundes made from John Laurence of Studley, husbandman, Edmunde Edes of the holte in the perishe of Studley husbandman, and William Bowkeley of Studley tanner, to John Robertes, one other of the sonnes of the seyd Thomas Robertes, for the payment of the somme of xxvj.li. accordinge to the condicion of the same bande; and also one other bande from John Shaxspere of Stratford, corvizer, and Edwardum Busshell de eisdem, wolsted wever, in lx.li. for the bredinge of Richard Robertes, the yongest sonne of the seyd Thomas, and also for payment of suche money as ys conteyned in the condicion of the same bande, beringe date tertio die Octobris anno xxx! E. Reginæ.-MS. A. Corporation Records. |