The Late Mr Shakespeare

Chapter Ninety-Six

Shakespeare's Will* (with notes by Pickleherring)

In the name of god Amen I William Shakespeare of Stratford upon Avon in the countie of Warr gent in perfect health & memorie god be praysed doe make & Ordayne this my last will & testament in manner & forme followeing. That is to saye ffirst I Comend my Soule into the handes of god my Creator, hoping & assuredlie beleeving through thonelie merittes of Jesus Christe my Saviour to be made partaker of lyfe everlasting, And my bodye to the Earth whereof yt is made.

Item I Gyve & bequeath unto my sonne-in-L+ daughter Judyth One Hundred & ffyftie poundes of lawfull English money to be paied unto her in manner & forme followeing; That ys to saye, One Hundred Poundes in discharge of her marriage porcion within one yeare after my deceas, with consideration after the Rate of twoe shillinges in the pound for soe long tyme as the same shalbe unpaied unto her after my deceas, & the ffytie poundes Residewe thereof upon her Surrendring of, or gyving of such sufficient securitie as the overseers of this my will shall like of to Surrender or graunte, All her estate & Right that shall discend or come unto her after my deceas or that shee nowe hath of in or to one Copiehold tenemente with thappurtenaunces lyeing & being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaied in the saied countie of Warr, being parcell or holden of the mannour of Rowington, unto my daughter Susanna Hall & her heires for ever.

Item I Gyve & bequeath unto my saied daughter Judith One Hundred & ffytie Poundes more if shee or Anie issue of her bodie be Lyvinge att thend of three Yeares next ensueing the daie of the date of this my will, during which tyme my executours to paie her consideracion from my deceas according to the Rate aforesaied. And if she dye within the said terme without issue of her bodye then my will ys & I doe gyve & bequeath One Hundred Poundes thereof to my Neece Elizabeth Hall & the ffiftie Poundes to be sett fourth by my executours during the lief of my Sister Johane Harte & the use & profitt thereof Cominge shalbe payed to my saied Sister Jone, & after her deceas the saied l^li shall Remaine Amongst the children of my saied Sister Equallie to be devided Amongst them. But if my saied daughter Judith by lyving att thend of the saied three Yeares or anie yssue of her bodye, then my will ys & soe I devise & bequeath the saied Hundred & ffytie poundes to be sett out by my executours and overseers* for the best benefitt of her & her issue & the stock not to be paied unto her soe long as she shalbe marryed & covert Baron by my executours & overseers, but my will ys that she shall have the consideracion yearelie paied unto her during her lief & after her deceas the saied stock & consideracion to bee paied to her children if she have Anie & if not to her executours or assignes she lyving the saied terms after my deceas. Provided that yf such husbond as she shall att thend of the saied three Yeares be marryed unto or attaine after doe sufficientlie Assure unto her & thissue of her bodie landes Awnswereable to the porcion by this my will gyven unto her & to be adjudged soe by my executours & overseers then my will ys that the said cl^li shalbe paied to such husbond as shall make such assurance to his own use.+

Item I gyve & bequeath unto my saied sister Jone xx^li & all my wearing Apparrell to be paied & delivered within one yeare after my deceas, And I doe will & devise unto her the house with thappurtenaunces in Stratford wherein she dwelleth for her natural lief under the yearelie Rent of xij^d.

Item I gyve and bequeath Unto her three sonns Welliam Harte [blank] Hart & Michaell Harte ffyve poundes A peece to be payed within one Yeare after my deceas. to be sett out for her within one Yeare after my deceas by my executours with thadvise & direccions of my overseers for her best proffit thereof to be paied unto her.

Item I gyve & bequeath unto her the saied Elizabeth Hall All my Plate (except my brod silver & gilt bole) that I now have att the date of this my will.

Item I gyve & bequeath unto the Poore of Stratford aforesaied tenn poundes, to mr Thomas Combe my Sword, to Thomas Russell Esquier ffyve poundes, & to ffrauncis Collins of the Borough of Warr in the countie of Warr gent thirteene poundes Sixe shillinges & Eight pence to be paied within one Yeare after my deceas.

Item I gyve & bequeath to mr Richard Tyler thelder Hamlett Sadler xxvj^s viij^d to buy him A Ringe, to William Raynoldes* gent xxvj^s viij^d to buy him A Ringe, to my godson William Walker xx^s in gold, to Anthonye Nashe gent xxvj^s viij^d, & to Mr John Nashe xxvj^s viij^d in gold, & to my ffellowes John Hemynge Richard Burbage & Henry Cundell xxvj^s viij^d A peece to buy them Ringes.

Item I Gyve Will bequeath & Devise unto my daughter Susanna Hall for better enabling of her to performe this my will & towardes the performans thereofall that Capitall Messuage or tenemente with thappurtenaunces in Stratford aforesaied Called the newe place wherein I nowe dwell & twoe messuages or tenementes with thappurtenaunces scituat lyeing & being in Henley streete within the borough of Stratford aforesaied, And all my barnes stables Orchardes gardens landes tenementes & hereditamentes whatsoever scituat lyeing & being or to be had Receyved and perceyved or taken within the townes Hamlettes villages ffieldes & groundes of Stratford upon Avon Oldstratford Bushopton & Welcombe or in anie of them in the saied countie of Warr, And alsoe All that messuage or tenemente with thappurtenaunces wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, scituat lyeing & being in the blackfriers in London nere the Wardrobe, & all other my landes tenementes and hereditamentes whatsoever; To Have & to hold All & singuler the saied Susanna Hall for & during the terme of her naturall lief, & after her Deceas to the first sonne of her bodie lawfullie yssueing & to the heires Males of the bodie of the saied first Sonne lawfullie yssueing, & for defalt of such issue to the second Sonne of her bodie lawfullie issueing and so to the heires Males of the bodie of the saied Second Sonne lawfullie yssuieing, & for defalt of such heires to the third Sonne of the bodie of the saied Susanna Lawfullie yssueing and of the heires Males of the bodie of the saied third sonne lawfullie yssueing, And for defalt of such issue the same soe to be & remaine to the ffourth sonne ffyth sixte & Seaventh sonnes of her bodie lawfullie issueing one after. Another & to the heires Males of the bodies of the said fourth fifth Sixte & Seaventh sonnes lawfullie yssueing, in such manner as yt ys before Lymitted to be & Remaine to the first second and third Sonns of her bodie & to their heires Males;* And for defalt of such issue the said premisses to be & Remaine to my sayed Neece Hall & to the heires males of her bodie lawfullie yssueing, and for defalt of issue to my daughter Judith & the heires Males of her bodie lawfullie yssueing,+ And for defalt of such issue to the Right heires of me the saied William Shackspere for ever.

Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture.*

Item I gyve & bequeath to my saied daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bole.

All the rest of my goodes chattels Leases plate Jewels & householde stuffe whatsoever, after my dettes and Legasies paied & my funerall expences discharged, I gyve devise & bequeath to my Sonne in Lawe John Hall gent & my daughter Susanna his wief whom I ordaine & make executours of this my Last will and testament. And I doe intreat & Appoint the saied Thomas Russell Esquier & ffrauncis Collins gent to be overseers hereof. And doe Revoke All former wills & publishe this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my Seale hand the daie & Yeare first above Written.

By me William Shakespeare.

* WS prepared the first draft of his will in January 1616. A month later, his daughter Judith was married to Thomas Quiney, the ne'erdo-well son of one of his old schoolfellows. A month after that, his new son-in-law was charged before the Church Court at Stratford with getting another local woman pregnant, and sentenced to do public penance in a white sheet. This disgrace may have hastened Mr Shakespeare's end. The signed will is dated 25th March 1616, the day before Quiney's disgrace. Within a month, the poet was dead.

+All passages thus have been deleted from the first draft.

* All phrases in italics are additions.

+ All this reflects WS's anxiety about Quiriey, and his wish to protect Judith's inheritance.

* I believe this should have read Robert Reynolds, and that the passage belongs with the one referring to Shakespeare's other 'fellows' following. I bought a ring at my own expense, and wear it in his memory.

* WS was baffled in his desire to leave New Place and the bulk of his fortune to male descendants. Susanna had no son.

+ Judith's sons died young and without progeny. The first, christened Shakespeare, lived only a few months.

* Why did Mr S leave his wife only his second best bed, and that as an afterthought? I have heard it remarked that no slight or insult was intended and that while the main part of his estate was bequeathed to Susanna, he would have taken it for granted that Anne would continue to live with her daughter at New Place. While there may be something in this, I still say that to claim that it meant nothing to use the term second best bed in connection with your wife is to deny all Mr S's power and virtue with regard to words. He knew what he meant. And he meant what he said. And the rest of his will (particularly as regards his daughters) is very carefully worded. I think he did not leave Anne Shakespeare that second best bed lightly, even if it was only thought of at the last moment. Did he leave it to her darkly then, remembering Lucy Negro? Mrs Shakespeare smiled when I asked her about the bequest, a most singular smile, but she would say nothing.