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MEMOIRS OF THE SHAKESPEARES. 
 
 
ORIGINAL MEMOIRS 
 
 AND 
 
 HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 FAMILIES OF SHAKESPEARE 
 
 AND HART, 
 
 DEDUCED EEOM AN EAELY PEEIOD, AND CONTINUED 
 DOWN TO THIS PEESENT YEAE 1790. 
 
 /BY 
 
 JOHN v J0KDAN, 
 
 OF STRATFORD-UPON-AVON. 
 
 Wii\ grafoings of %ir gbjellhtg pows£S, anb Coats of gtrms. 
 
 NOW FIRST PRINTED, A.D. 1865. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 PRINTED BY THOMAS RICHARDS. 
 186f 
 

PREFACE 
 
 HHHE original manufcript of the following work is pre- 
 served in a private collection difficult of accefs. I 
 once faw it for a few minutes, expecting that I mould have 
 met with the view of New Place mentioned by the author 
 as included in it, but no fuch drawing was in the book ; 
 neither was there any view of the monumental effigy, alfo 
 named by Jordan. The only drawing of any importance 
 in the manufcript is a large but very rude one of the birth- 
 place in Henley Street. The tranfcript from which the 
 prefent edition is taken has the following memorandum at 
 the end: — "This manufcript is copied from the original 
 prefented by John Jordan to Edmund Malone, Efq. ; at 
 whofe death it pafsed, with his other papers, to James 
 Bofwell, Efq. ; and on his demife was fold by auction to 
 Mr. Merridew, bookfeller at Warwick." The manufcript 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 is included in a lift near the end of Bofwell's fale cata- 
 logue, which is dated, I believe, 1826. 
 
 Great caution, as I have faid elfewhere, muft be exer- 
 cifed in ufing any of Jordan's papers for Shakefpeare- 
 biographical purpofes. The literal truth is, — and it is of 
 no ufe concealing the difagreeable word, — he was difhoneft. 
 Malone was very kindly difpofed towards him, and affifted 
 him on more than one occafion very materially, little 
 thinking that his kindnefs was repaid by literary mifre- 
 prefentation, and even occafionally by forgery. The late 
 Mr. Wheler told me that Jordan had confeffed to him pri- 
 vately a forgery of the great poet's fignature ; no doubt 
 induced to do fo by Mr. Wheler's detective powers. If 
 Jordan had been as truthful as Wheler, whofe word was 
 invariably to be implicitly depended upon, his writings 
 would now have been of remarkable value. Even, how- 
 ever, as it is, they are by no means to be defpifed. Thus, 
 in the prefent volume, there are many circumftances con- 
 nected with the Hart family not to be met with elfewhere; 
 as well as other fcraps of information, the truth of which 
 can be tefted by inquiry. Jordan often gives ufeful hints 
 for refearches ; and there is very little amongft his papers 
 which does not deferve a careful perufal. The manufcript 
 
PREFACE vil 
 
 now printed was moft likely purchafed from the author by 
 Malone ; and is, I fufpecl, the fource whence the latter 
 obtained the additional verfes on Sir Thomas Lucy, now 
 acknowledged to be forgeries. It certainly was the volume 
 from which he derived the long ftory of the crab-tree, as 
 may be feen by comparing the account in the following 
 pages with that contained in Malone's Life of Shakefpeare, 
 in Bofwell's edition, 1821, vol. ii, pp. 500-2. 
 
 J. O. Halliwell. 
 
JORDAN'S MEMOIRS OF SHAKSPEARE. 
 
 "\\7"HAT the compiler of the following memoirs 
 has to fay in this place will be expreffed in a 
 very few words, becaufe Shakfpeare's own genius 
 has immortalized his name ; and his reputation is 
 fufficiently eftablifhed to make his memory for ever 
 revered by his numerous admirers ; yet as his fame 
 is ftill increafmg, and probably will do fo as long as 
 human nature itfelf mall continue and exift, yet thefe 
 reafons may be affigned for the following compila- 
 tion, — the generality of his readers are extremely 
 anxious to be acquainted with every anecdote con- 
 cerning him and his family, and though many edi- 
 tions of his works have been printed, and many 
 more are likely to come forth, patronized and pro- 
 tected by men of the highefl rank and abilities, who 
 to embellifh and elucidate their works, have given, 
 and ftill propofe giving all the account of the author, 
 his friends, family, and relations, they have been 
 able to obtain, yet the enquiries of many learned 
 and judicious gentlemen have hitherto been inef- 
 fectual, or at lead fell fhort of their moft fanguine 
 
2 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 expectations and wifhes, merely for want of proper 
 materials, and which it is impoffible for them to ac- 
 quire without being at considerable expenfe, or. 
 refiding fome time in the bard's native country, and 
 collecting the traditions of the inhabitants, and in- 
 fpecting records, deeds, wills, and the parifh regif- 
 ters ; and alfo an intimate acquaintance with the 
 Hart family, though it muft be confeffed they are a 
 very illiterate fet of people, and incapable of giving 
 that information which might be reafonably expecled 
 from the alliances and confanguinity they bear to 
 their immortal relation : indeed, they are fo totally 
 ignorant that they cannot give any account of their 
 predeceffor beyond their own memory ; their ideas 
 are fo contracted and circumfcribed, that the utmoft 
 of their knowledge and information extends no 
 farther than what ferves their own pecuniary advan- 
 tage ; this is what gratifies their willies and inclina- 
 tions more than their veneration for the memory of 
 their great relative, whofe works it is certain they 
 have never read, and if they had, they could not un- 
 derftand thofe unbounded flights of fancy that charm, 
 delight, and aitonifh the literary world. Yet with 
 all thefe inconveniences, fome things which have yet 
 efcaped the biographers may poffibly be obtained by 
 an intimate acquaintance with them. The compiler 
 of the following fheets afferts this from experience, 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 3 
 
 having for fome time made it his principal ftudy and 
 amufement to collect every particular anecdote of 
 the family whofe ftreams flow from the fame foun- 
 tain of that immortal man whofe " mufe of fire" 
 affords entertainment to the divine, the philofopher, 
 the metaphyfician, the hero, the fenator, and the 
 poet. But at this time his fituation in life deprives 
 him of thofe means to make fuch enquiry as gentle- 
 men of fortune may have recourfe to, he having a 
 family of fmall children to provide for, and nothing 
 to fupport them but the labour of his own hands ; 
 and not employment fufficient to gain a reafonable 
 fuftenance ; therefore he is in the greateft diflrefs 
 that can be defcribed or imagined. Overwhelmed 
 with a torrent of adverfity, fteeped in poverty to the 
 very lips, loaded with misfortunes, and finking under 
 the weight of defpair, and what hurts the noble 
 mind is being forced to bear th' oppreffor's wrong, 
 the proud man's contumely, the infolence of office, 
 and the fpurns that patient merit of th' unworthy 
 takes : thus immerfed with forrow, and befieged with 
 trouble, can it be fuppofed that he is enabled to 
 make enquiries equal to his wifhes ? Thus, having 
 given a fufficient reafon why his refearches extend 
 no farther than what is contained in thefe few fheets, 
 he hopes the following hints may not be unaccept- 
 able to future biographers who may be induced to 
 proceed to thofe enquiries. 
 
4 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 The title deeds of the houfes in the Henley Street 
 where the poet was born would probably difcover 
 where the family refided before they came to Strat- 
 ford ; thefe have been enquired for of Thomas Hart, 
 who declares he never faw them. From this it 
 feems likely they were put into the hands of the 
 attorney who made the mortgage deeds when the 
 houfes were mortgaged to Mary Smith, and never 
 returned. This attorney, it is fuppofed, was Mr. 
 Bartlett Mafon, as he was the gentleman that tranf- 
 acted bufinefs for Mrs. Smith. If that was really 
 the cafe, the deeds are very likely to be in the office 
 of Mr. Hunt of Feckenham. The temporal will of 
 Mr. John Shakefpeare, who was buried anno 1601, 
 would probably inform the world what family and 
 relations he had, and how he difpofed of his eftate. 
 This may, perhaps, be depofited in the ecclefiaftical 
 Court of Worcefter. The wills of Dr. John Hall 
 and Mrs. Hall, Mr. Thomas Nafh, and Mr. and 
 Mrs. Queeny, may afford entertainment to the curi- 
 ous, and perhaps difcover what became of the filver 
 and gilt bowl ; and Sir John Barnard's will would 
 perhaps give information into what family the poet's 
 plate was left, as that of Mr. Thomas Combe's would 
 his fword. The churches of Wilnicotte, Curdworth, 
 etc., might by monumental fubfcriptions, and an exa- 
 amination of the regifters, tend to many difcoveries 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 5 
 
 and anecdotes of the family of Shakefpeare and 
 Arden that the world might wifh to be acquainted 
 with. But thefe enquiries the author of the follow- 
 ing memoirs is obliged to leave to future biogra- 
 phers to accomplifh, iincerely wifhing their endea- 
 vours may meet with the approbation of all who are 
 admirers of the works of his inimitable townfman. 
 
 The Herald's Office, if properly examined, might 
 probably fhow the pedigree that was produced by 
 John Shakefpeare when the exemplification of the 
 arms was granted to him. 
 
 Lift of Drawings in this work. 
 
 i, A view of the houfe where the poet was born, p. i 
 
 2. Views of the New Place 
 
 3. Shakfpeare's monument 
 
 4. Three coats of arms . 
 
 5. Two fhields of arms . 
 
 44 
 45 
 55 
 
 No. 1 is entitled — " A view of the houfe where 
 Shakefpeare was born." Mr. John Shakefpeare 
 was High Bailiff of Stratford-upon-Avon in the 
 reign of Queen Elizabeth. According to the beft 
 accounts, he was a confiderable dealer in wool, 
 and what confirms the account there is in the 
 window marked .... the following arms, viz., 
 nebule (?) of 6 or and azure with a lion paffant 
 
6 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 gardant in chief of the firft, which Dr. Thomas 
 affirms to be the arms of the merchants of the 
 ftaple. B is the houfe where the poet is faid to 
 have been born, and where Thomas Hart now 
 lives, who is a defcendant of the poet's fifter 
 Joane. To Edmond Malone, Efq., Queen Anne 
 Street Eaft, London, this drawing is humbly in- 
 fcribed by his molt obedient fervant, John Jordan 
 of Stratford-upon-Avon. 
 
 Of this lift of drawings, Nos. 2 and 3 are not now 
 in Jordan's MS. 
 
 No. 1 I have reduced to a quarter. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 7 
 
 The Hijlory of the Families of Shakefpeare 
 and Hart. 
 
 The family of Shakefpeare were of refpectable 
 defcent and gentility in the county of Warwick, 
 efpecially in the woodland part, which was anciently 
 the foreft of Arden, where many of that name are 
 ftill extant, and fome of them people of property. 
 The firft of whom we find mention in hiftory is 
 .... Shakefpeare, who, according to an exemplifica- 
 tion of arms taken out of the Heralds' Office in 
 1599, is faid to have been rewarded with eftates in 
 Warwickfhire, by King Henry VII., for the fervices 
 he had rendered that prince in the field ; the parti- 
 culars are not mentioned, but perhaps Bofworth, 
 where Richard the 3rd was flain. Therefore, for want 
 of authentick materials, I fhall fhart a few probable 
 conjectures, and fubmit them to the infpection of 
 more curious and learned biographers to difcufs. 
 
 The name is allufive to a military profeffion, and 
 fignifies to Shake the fpear, and feems a little con- 
 fonant with that of Breakefpeare, of which houfe 
 was Adrian the IV., who lived in the thirteenth 
 century, and was the only Pope who was a native 
 of Britain ; but as the family from which that pontiff 
 defcended were fettled at Abbots Langley in Hert- 
 fordfhire, it does not appear that the Shakefpeares 
 
8 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 were any ways related to them. Therefore, I mould 
 imagine that the above Shakefpeare refided in Arden; 
 and that he was born about the year 1460 ; that he 
 joined the Earl of Richmond's army at Tamworth in 
 1485, being then 25 years of age, and that amongft 
 his other children he had a fon born in 1400, who 
 probably had alfo a fon born in 15 10, perhaps 
 named William, befide feveral other children. He 
 was probably of a younger branch of the family 
 fettled in trade at Stratford, whofe eldeft fon we are 
 certain was John. He muft have been born in or 
 about the year 1531, by his being the great grand- 
 fon of the firft-mentioned. He was certainly a 
 perfon well-defcended, tho' it does not appear he 
 had much landed property ; yet his marriage with a 
 female of the houfe of Arden is a proof of his genteel 
 defcent. That houfe were lineally defcended from 
 the Anglo-Saxon Earls of Warwick, and may be 
 traced to the renowned Guy, the hero and champion 
 of England. The laft earl of this race was Turchill 
 de Warwick, in the reigns of King Edward the Con- 
 feffor, K. Harold, and William the Conqueror. He 
 was a very potent man, but as he did not bear arms 
 againft the Norman invader his lands were not 
 taken from him, though he was thrufl out of his 
 earldom of Warwick, from whence he retired into 
 the Foreft of Arden, from which place his defcend- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 9 
 
 ants affumed their furname and refided for many 
 generations, as may be feen in Sir William Dugdale's 
 account of Cudworth and Park Hall, where the 
 pedigree is given, with their marriages and inter- 
 marriages with the families of Conway and Throg- 
 morton, fome of whom have been, and are to this 
 day, an honour to their country. 
 
 The Ardens did not fo early embrace the Pro- 
 teftant religion as fome other families did, for there 
 was one of them attainted for high treafon in the 
 reign of Queen Elizabeth, and fuffered with Throg- 
 morton and Somervile, his kinfman, by a contrivance 
 of Robert Earl of Leicefter. This in fome meafure 
 confirms the opinion of John Shakefpeare's being a 
 Roman Catholic fecretly, if not by open profeffion ; 
 the latter he certainly was not, becaufe he had acted 
 as chief magiftrate of Stratford during the reign of 
 the Queen. As a further proof that he was a papift, 
 there was found in the houfe where he refided, in 
 Stratford, a fpiritual will and teftament or confeffion 
 of faith. By his firft wife (for he had three), as will 
 afterwards appear, he had the following iffue : — 
 
 i. Joane, daughter of John Shakefpeare, baptized 
 Sept. 15, 1558. Where fhe died I have not feen. 
 
 2. Margaret, daughter of John Shakefpeare, bap- 
 tized Dec. 2nd, 1562, and buried April y e 30th, 
 
 1563. 
 
 c 
 
IO JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 3. William, baptized April y e 25, 1564, of whom 
 hereafter. 
 
 4. Gilbert, baptized 061. y e 13, 1566. 
 
 5. Jone, baptized April y e 15, 1569. 
 
 6. Anne, baptized September y e 28, 1 57 1 . 
 
 7. Richard, baptized March y e nth, 1573. 
 
 8. Edmund, baptized May y e 3rd, 1580. 
 
 Thefe feem to be all the children he had by his 
 firfh marriage ; when his wife died is not certainly 
 known, for fhe is not inferted in the Stratford 
 regifter, therefore it feems probable that fhe was 
 buried amongft her own relations, which perhaps 
 might be found if properly fearched after, and it 
 would be well worth while for fome of the admirers 
 of the immortal Shakefpeare to inquire out the 
 fepulchre of his mother. I would do it myfelf if my 
 circumftances were equivalent with my wifhes ; but 
 as they are not, I muft content myfelf with what 
 materials it has pleafed Providence to furnifh me 
 with. It is certain that fhe died between May the 
 3d, 1580, and Nov. y e 25, 1584, for on that day 
 John Shakefpeare was married to Margery Roberts. 
 Of what family fhe is defcended from was unknown ; 
 it does not appear that he had any iffue by this mar- 
 riage, for there is no children of his mentioned till 
 after her burial, which was 061. y e 29th, 1587, fo 
 that fhe did not live with him quite three years ; 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. I I 
 
 after her death it feems probable that he married 
 the third time ; the baptifmal name of this wife was 
 Mary, but of what firname is not known, for they 
 were not married at Stratford. She furvived her 
 husband three years, and was buried Sep. y e 8th, 
 1604, by whom fhe had the following iffue, — 
 
 1. Urfula, daughter of John Shakefpeare, baptized 
 March nth, 1588. 
 
 2. Humfry, fon of John Shakefpeare, baptized 
 May y e 24, 1590. 
 
 3. Phillip, fon of John Shakefpeare, baptized Sept. 
 21ft, 1591. 
 
 Biographers have given him ten children, but he 
 had certainly eleven, as appears by the above ex- 
 tract from the regifter of Stratford, which evidently 
 fhews that he had eight by his firft wife and three 
 by his third and laft. This is the mofl authentick 
 evidence that can at prefent be obtained, or perhaps 
 ever will be, as there are neither books nor manu- 
 fcripts relating to the family to be found in the 
 poffeffion of the Harts nor the Hathaways. Of this 
 I am certain, for I have made every enquiry that 
 can be, but without meeting with that fuccefs I ex- 
 pected and mofl ardently wifhed to obtain. 
 
 Thus having given the baptifms of all his children, 
 let us return to the father, who it is faid was a con- 
 hderable dealer in wool ; for this we have not only 
 
I 2 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 the tradition of Stratford, but alfo the authority of 
 Mr. Rowe, who confeffes he owes a particular obli- 
 gation to Wm. Betterton, the actor, for the moft con- 
 fiderable paffages relating to the life of the immortal 
 poet, for the veneration of whofe memory had in- 
 duced him to make a journey into Warwickshire on 
 purpofe to collect what remains he could of a name 
 for which he had fo great a veneration and efteem. 
 
 Betterton was alfo certainly acquainted with Sir 
 William Davenant, who muft have remembered 
 Shakefpeare well, and knew moft of his affairs, and 
 no doubt had heard him talk of his father, fo that 
 Rowe's veracity is not to be queftioned : and what 
 feems to confirm the opinion of his being a dealer in 
 wool is this, — there is in the window of one of the 
 houfes which were his, a fhield of arms painted or 
 ftained on glafs, which is nebule of six or and azure 
 with a lion paffant guardant in chief of the firft. 
 There is the fame arms on the tomb of John Clop- 
 ton, Efq., who was father to Sir Hugh Clopton, 
 knight, Lord Mayor of London anno 1496, y e 12th 
 of Henry y e 7th, and Thomas Clopton, Esq., Mafter 
 of the Guild in Stratford. This tomb was un- 
 doubtedly erected by Sir Hugh, for there is the 
 arms of the City of London thereon, as well as thofe 
 mentioned above ; which Dr. Thomas, in his edition 
 of Sir William Dugdale's Antiquities of Warwick- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. I 3 
 
 Jliire, afferts to be the arms of the Merchants of the 
 Staple, of which Sir Hugh was a fellow. From 
 thefe circumftances we may imagine that John 
 Shakefpeare was a dealer in wool and a fellow of the 
 merchants of the ftaple, and not a butcher, as fome 
 have erroneoufly afferted him to have been. In the 
 latter part of his days his circumftances feem to have 
 been reduced, for as he was a member of the Corpo- 
 ration, it was ufual at that time for each to pay four- 
 pence a week to the poor, but it is recorded in the 
 Corporation books that he was excufed from paying 
 his fhare through inability, and fome time after had 
 pay allowed him from the fame body ; fo that it may 
 be reafonably fuppofed that the exemplification of 
 the arms was taken out of the Heralds Office by the 
 pride of nature, and glory of Britain, his fon William, 
 about the time he purchafed the houfe in Stratford, 
 which he named the New Place, which was in or 
 about the year 1599, two years before the death of 
 his father. The inftrument expreffes that it was law- 
 ful for the defcendants of the faid John Shakefpeare 
 to bear the family arms, either fingle or impaled with 
 thofe of Arden; but I have never yet feen thefe coats 
 impaled, fo that I fuppofe the poet never ufed any 
 more than his own family fhield. Mr. John Shake- 
 fpeare fmifhed his earthly pilgrimage and refigned 
 his foul into the hands of his Creator, and was buried 
 
14 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 Sept. y e 8th, 1601, fo that if he was born in 1531, he 
 was aged about 70. It now remains that we fhould 
 fpeak of his defcendants, and firft of his own children. 
 The eldeft of whom was — 
 
 1. Joane, a daughter, who muft have died young. 
 
 2. Margaret, as before. 
 
 3. William, whofe life will be given after thofe of 
 
 his brothers and fillers. 
 
 4. Gilbert. What became of him I could never 
 learn, yet it feems probable he was married and 
 had iffue, for there was a Gilbert Shakefpeare 
 buried at Stratford Feb. y e 3rd, 161 1, with the 
 appellation adolefcens affixed to his name, who 
 probably was fon to the above Gilbert, for it could 
 not have been himfelf, for he muft have been at 
 that time 45 years of age, fo that the term ado- 
 lefcens muft be totally inapplicable to him. It, 
 therefore, feems probable that he fettled at Row- 
 ington or fomewhere in that neighbourhood, and, 
 perhaps, was the founder of a family whofe names 
 are now numerous in thofe parts ; but yet this 
 does not feem likely, for the poet never mentions 
 them in his will. 
 
 5. Joane, daughter to John Shakefpeare, married to 
 one William Hart of Stratford, a hatter, from 
 which marriage there are many defcendants ftill 
 living, a genealogy of whom will be given after 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. I 5 
 
 thofe of her brothers and lifters. She was living 
 and aged 47 years at the death of her brother 
 William. How long fhe furvived him I cannot 
 tell. 
 
 6. Anne. She was buried April y e 4th, 1579, under 
 8 years of age. 
 
 7. Richard, fon of John Shakefpeare, was buried 
 February y e 4th, 161 2, aged 39. 
 
 8. Edmund, fon of Mr. John Shakfpeare. What 
 became of him I could never learn ; but imagine 
 he died before his brother William, as he is not 
 mentioned in his will, which, if he had been living 
 at that time, we may reafonably fuppofe, he would 
 have left him fome legacy. 
 
 Children by Mary, ^rd wife of Mr. John 
 Shakefpeare. 
 
 9. Urfula, a daughter. What became of her is not 
 known. 
 
 10. Humphry. What became of him I never could 
 find. 
 
 11. Phillip. I have feen an account that he was 
 living after the reftoration of King Charles the 
 2nd, which muft have been upwards of 69 years 
 from his birth. He is faid to have been quef- 
 tioned about his brother, and that he faid he was 
 in London at the time his brother was at the 
 
16 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 theatre : and that he went to fee the play ; but all 
 the account he could give was, his brother was 
 brought upon the ftage in the character of an old 
 man who appeared to be fick, which was fuppofed 
 to have been the part of Adam in As You Like 
 It. If this ftory is true, Betterton mull have con- 
 verfed with him ; yet I think it wants confirma- 
 tion. When he died, or was ever married, I could 
 never learn. 
 
 We may fuppofe that Mr. John Shakefpeare had 
 not any landed property befide thofe two houfes and 
 appurtenances fituate in Henley Street in Stratford, 
 where he refided, and where his children were born; 
 unlefs it was another houfe in Stratford, a copyhold, 
 all which came to his eldefl fon William, as heir at 
 law, who by his laft will left his younger! daughter 
 Judith £50 on her furrendering her moiety of the 
 latter to her elder fifter Sufanna, the wife of Dr. 
 John Hall. 
 
 Thus having given all the account of John Shake- 
 fpeare it has been poffible for me to obtain, I fhall 
 next proceed to give fome memoirs of that inimitable 
 dramatic author, William Shakefpeare, and his de- 
 fcendants. 
 
 He was born on Sunday the 23rd day of April, 
 in the year 1564. At a fuitable age he was put to 
 the Free Latin Grammar School, which was origin- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. I 7 
 
 ally founded by one Jollepe, a M after of Arts of 
 Stratford, the mafterfhip of which was in the pre- 
 fentation of the Fraternity of the Guild of the Holy 
 Crofs, which continued till the diffolution of the faid 
 guild by King Edward y e Vlth, who granted a 
 charter for incorporating the town, and was then 
 himself accounted the founder of the fchool, which 
 was there in confiderable repute, and has been till 
 within thefe laft twenty years, but is now wholly dif- 
 continued ; which is much to be lamented, as it was 
 there the matchlefs Shakfpeare received the rudi- 
 ments of his education, from whence perhaps he took 
 the hint of Sir Hugh Evans, the Welfh parfon's ex- 
 amination of his pupil William Page in the prefence 
 of his mother in the Merry Wives of Wind/or, 
 having perhaps in his youth undergone a fcene fimi- 
 lar to that he fo humoroufly defcribes. 
 
 How long he continued at fchool is uncertain, for 
 it is faid by feveral authors that his father put him 
 to his own bufmefs at an early period of life. It 
 may be reafonably gueffed he did not continue in 
 that fituation long, for it cannot be fuppofed that the 
 genius of Shakefpeare and the drudgery of trade 
 were agreeable companions, but circumftances often 
 oblige men to fubmit to difficulties which they would 
 wifh but cannot avoid ; often we may be certain does 
 that blind goddefs Fortune with her fickle wheel 
 
 D 
 
1 8 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 put it out of the power of many to difplay latent 
 talents, which, for want of proper encouragement 
 and happy occurrences, lie concealed and are never 
 called forth. This, in the early period of his life, 
 was the cafe of the great, the inimitable, the im- 
 mortal Shakfpeare, who fubmitted to that fituation 
 his parent defigned for him. Probably what tended 
 more than anything elfe to fix the poet in his father's 
 bufmefs was his imprudence in liftening fo early to 
 the call of love, for he married at the age of feven- 
 teen. The object of his choice was not, it is con- 
 feffed, undeferving of it, as well from the accom- 
 plishments fhe poffeffed as defcending from a fuit- 
 able family ; her baptifmal name was Anne. She 
 was the daughter of Mr. Hathaway, faid to be a 
 wealthy yeoman of Shottery in the parifh of Old 
 Stratford; and born in 1556. His early independ- 
 ence, as every father of a family in fome meafure 
 mull be, was attended with thofe ill confequences 
 that ufually happen in fuch cafes : it led him into 
 juvenile company, who, like himfelf, rather courted 
 than fhunned the pleafures of conviviality ; fome of 
 his acquaintance were young gentlemen in the neigh- 
 bourhood, who probably put him upon expenfes he 
 could not fupport, and it is abfolutely certain that it 
 occafioned his falling into exceffes that, though partak- 
 ing more of frolic than any wifh to indulge themfelves 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 1 9 
 
 at the expenfe of the laws, was by no means excuf- 
 able. Amongft thefe wild Tallies of youth was their 
 chafing the deer in the parks of the greater gentry 
 in the vicinity of Stratford. 
 
 Of which fport we may fuppofe, by his writings, 
 our poet was very fond, and if we may be allowed 
 to judge by that admirable comedy of As You Like 
 It, he was alfo fkilful and expert. What a pleafmg 
 defcription does he there feelingly give of the death 
 of the deer, fhedding his tears in the heedlefs brook. 
 Their fondnefs for this diverfion called them more 
 than once to gratify their inclinations in the park of 
 Sir Thomas Lucy, a refpectable and worthy knight, 
 who refided at a village called Charlcote, about four 
 miles north-earl from Stratford, and where there is 
 now that very elegant manfion-houfe built in the firft 
 year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, furrounded by 
 a fpacious park, through which the little river Hille 
 pours its tributary urn into the bofom of the filver 
 Avon's lucid firearm The feat is now poffeffed by 
 the Rev. John Lucy Hammond, a defcendant from 
 the hon. knight above mentioned, who had at that 
 time alfo another park at a place called Fullbroke, 
 two miles difhant from the other; and there tradition 
 reports it was that Shakfpeare and his companions 
 made a praclife of following their favourite diverfion; 
 which they did fo often, that the knight's refentment 
 
20 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 was raifed, and he commenced a profecution againfl 
 them, but defifted upon their making an abjeci fub- 
 miffion; but which fo hurt the high fpirit of our poet 
 that he could not reprefs his indignation. A fatirical 
 fong went abroad, which inflamed Sir Thomas to the 
 utmoft pitch, and he renewed the profecution with 
 redoubled vigour. His power was too great for 
 poor Shakfpeare to contend with, and he now faw, 
 perhaps with horror, that his youthful levity obliged 
 him to quit his father, his fond wife, his prattling 
 babes, and his native place. However melancholy 
 his mind then was, it led him from the inconfiderate 
 circle that inclofed him, to blaze forth with a luftre 
 that will never be extinguifhed. Before we follow 
 him an exile from the banks of the Avon, it will not 
 be improper to relate the only part of the fatire 
 againfl: Sir Thomas that is ftill extant. 
 
 A parliament member, a juftice of peace, 
 At home a poor fcare-crowe, in London an affe ; 
 If Lucy is lowfie as fome volke mifcalls it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 He thinks himfelf great, 
 
 Yet an affe in his ftate 
 We allowe by his ears but with affes to mate ; 
 
 If Lucy is lowfie as fome volke mifcall it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever mifcall it. 
 
 He's a haughty, proud, infolent knight of the fhire, 
 Whom nobody loves, yet there's many him fear ; 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 2 1 
 
 But Lucy is lowfie how fome volke mifcall it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 To the feffions he went, 
 
 And did forely complain 
 
 His parke had been robb'd, 
 
 And his deer they were flain. 
 So Lucy is lowfie as fome volke mifcall it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 He faid 'twas a riot, his men had been beat, 
 His venifon was ftole and clandeftinely eat ;* 
 But Lucy is lowfie how fome volke mifcall it ; 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 So haughty was he when the fault was confefs'd, 
 He faid twas a crime that could not be redrefs'd. 
 So Lucy is lowfie how fome volke mifcall it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 Tho' Lucys a dozen he paints in his coat, 
 His name it mould lowfie for Lucy be wrote ; 
 
 * The punifhment for deer ftealing by 5th of Elizabeth, 
 chap. . ., anno Dom. 1562, fays the offender fhall yield and 
 pay to the party grieved treble damages and fuffer 3 months 
 imprifonment, and after the faid three months are expired 
 fhall find fureties for his good abearing for the fpace of 
 feven years or lie in prifon. By feet. 7 of this act, the juf- 
 tices in feffions have power to difcharge the recognizance 
 on the offender's fubmiffion and making fatisfaciion to the 
 party grieved. It muft be fuppofed that Shakefpeare was 
 profecuted according to the letter of this act. 
 
2 2 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 For Lucy is lowfie how fome volke mifcall it, 
 Sing lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 If a juvenile frolic he cannot forgive, 
 We'll fing lowfie Lucy as long as we live, 
 And Lucy the lowfie a libel may call it, 
 We'll fmg lowfie Lucy whatever befall it. 
 
 Whether this fong is genuine or not I cannot pre- 
 tend to determine. It was given me by a perfon 
 who found it in a private drawer in an old cheft that 
 was fold among the effects of Samuel Tyler, Efq., de- 
 ceafed, who was many years owner, and an inhabit- 
 ant of the houfe and eftate which had been the pro- 
 perty of Mr. Thomas Queeny, who married Judith, 
 youngeft daughter of the poet. Although the above 
 fong has no great merit, neither in the versification 
 nor the compofition, yet the poignancy of the fatire 
 mufl have been extremely aggravating to a gentle- 
 man who had certainly been wronged, and who in 
 every refpect was endowed with fuch qualities that 
 mufl: have made him refpecled by the world in 
 general, and his own neighbourhood in particular. 
 
 Amongft the many juvenile levities of Shakfpeare, 
 I cannot omit delineating fome other traits of his 
 character. Tradition fays that he loved hearty 
 draughts of Englifh beer or ale, and that there were 
 then two companies of people who ufually met at a 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 23 
 
 village called Bidford, about feven miles below Strat- 
 ford upon the banks of the Avon, who diflinguifhed 
 themfelves by the appellation of the Topers and 
 Sippers, the former of whom were accounted the 
 molt eminent in the fcience of drinking the largeft 
 quantity of liquor without being intoxicated; yet the 
 latter were alfo very powerful, and looked on them- 
 felves fuperior to moll other companies of drinkers 
 in this country. 
 
 Thefe fons of Bacchus challenged all the men in 
 England to drink with them, to try the ftrength of 
 their heads. The Stratford bard and his companions 
 accepted it, and repaired to Bidford on a Whitfun 
 Monday to make a trial with the Topers, but to 
 their difappointment, they difcovered that they were 
 gone to Evefham fair upon a like excurfion ; fo the 
 Stratfordians, with Shakefpeare, were obliged to 
 take up with the Sippers, who they fcoffed at as un- 
 worthy the conteft, but upon trial they found them- 
 felves very inferior to their opponents, and were at 
 laft obliged to own their fuperiority ; for the poet and 
 his companions got fo intoxicated that they were 
 obliged to decline any further trial, and leaving Bid- 
 ford, they proceeded homeward ; but poor William, 
 when he came about half a mile from the village, un- 
 able to go on, laid himfelf down upon the verdant 
 turf beneath the umbrageous boughs of a wide- 
 
24 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 fpreading crab-tree, where he took his night's re- 
 pofe. The lark's early mattins awaked him, and he 
 was invited to return to Bidford by fome of his con- 
 vivial companions to renew the conteft ; but he re- 
 fufed : fays he, I have drunk with 
 
 Piping Pebworth, Dancing Marfton, 
 Haunted Hillborough, and Hungry Grafton, 
 With Dodging Exhall, Papift Wixford, 
 Beggarly Broome, and Drunken Bidford. 
 
 Thefe lines feem to intimate that the opponents con- 
 fifted of a motley group felecied from the above 
 villages : — Pebworth is ftill celebrated for the ikill 
 of the inhabitants in mufic and rural feftivity ; and 
 Long Marfton, or Marfton Sicca, as it is commonly 
 wrote, the inhabitants of which are noted for their 
 activity in country dances. And Hilborough is a 
 lonely hamlet, faid by the tradition of the vicinage 
 to have been haunted by fpirits and fairies. Hungry 
 Grafton, I fuppofe, received that appellation from 
 the barrenness of its foil ; but however that may be, 
 the produce of its excellent (lone quarries make 
 fufficient amends for the fterility of the land. Dodg- 
 ing Exhall, — I muft confefs I am at a lofs how to 
 account for the appellation of dodging, but Papift 
 Wixford is a village belonging to the Throckmorton 
 family, and the tenants are moft of them of the 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 25 
 
 Roman Catholic religion. Beggarly Broome muft 
 have been fo called from the badnefs of the foil ; 
 and Drunken Bidford ftill deferves the name, for 
 though it is but a fmall village, there are 5 public 
 houfes in it, and the people love ale as well as they 
 did in the days of Shakfpeare : of this I am certain 
 from my own obfervations, having refided amongfh 
 them above half a year. The tree under which the 
 poet flept is now ftanding, and is called Shakfpeare's 
 Crab tree,* and is often vifited by the admirers of 
 his unbounded genius. To return to the fugitive 
 from knightly malice ; however feeming unfortunate 
 the youthful levity and frolicfomenefs of Shake- 
 fpeare had rendered both himfelf, his wife and 
 children, for at that time he had three, yet it was the 
 means, as has been already mentioned, of calling 
 forth all thofe vaft powers which were almoft hid, or 
 but faintly traced in the dealer in wool ; and of pub- 
 lishing the brilliancy of his genius then unnoticed 
 but by wild and diforderly young companions. The 
 lot was now caft, and as he found it impoffible to 
 remain in his native place or in its vicinity, he bid 
 adieu to both, and boldly ventured to where his vafl 
 mind could only meet its reward, London. Here, 
 
 * I got a branch from this tree, on which I have carved 
 a head, and converted it into a walking ftick, which is ef- 
 teemed as a curiofity. 
 
 E 
 
26 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 however, accident as much as either neceffity or 
 choice, directed him to the ftage, for Thomas 
 Green,* a native of Stratford, and faid to have 
 been his coufm, having been fome years in the 
 theatrical line, was applied to by our immortal 
 bard, who recommended him, there can be no 
 doubt, to the fame mode of life, or at leaft gave his 
 patronage when he undertook it. The ftage was at 
 that time in its infancy, and juft emerging from 
 ignorance and barbarifm ; what reception or employ 
 he met with there at firft, cannot be afcertained ; 
 fome relate that he had the care of gentlemen's 
 horfes, for carriages at that time were very little 
 ufed. His bufinefs, therefore, fay they, was to take 
 the horfes to the inn and order them to be fed till 
 the play was over, and then fee that they were re- 
 turned to the right owners, and that he had feveral 
 boys under him conftantly in employ, from which 
 they were called Shakefpeare's Boys. If this is a 
 true ftatement of the affairs, it could not be long 
 that a perfon fo neceffary for the ftage mould ac~t in 
 fo mean a capacity. The time of his acting and 
 writing his iirft play is equally unknown, nor can it 
 
 * If this account is true, Shakefpeare muft have went 
 upon the ftage before he was 25 years old, for Thomas 
 Greene alias Shakefpeare, was buried, according to the 
 Stratford regifter, March the 6th, 1589-90. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 27 
 
 be difcovered what play he firft wrote. It has been 
 thought Romeo and Juliet, as there is an edition of 
 it extant printed in 1597, and the year following 
 came out his plays of King Richard II and III, 
 at which time he was 33 years of age ; but an anec- 
 dote relating to the former of thefe plays is againft 
 this idea ; for when a gentleman of learning was fo 
 charmed with the fprightly wit of the character of 
 Mercutio that he told the author he fhould have 
 been happy to have feen him furvive to the end of 
 the play, Shakefpeare replied, he was obliged to kill 
 him in the third act, for otherwife he would have 
 ruined him, intimating how well he was acquainted 
 with the rules of the drama, which probably he was 
 not when he wrote his firft play. It is more pro- 
 bable that he wrote the firft and fecond part of his 
 play of King Henry the Fourth before the printing 
 of Romeo and Jtiliet, as Queen Elizabeth was fo 
 delighted with the character of Sir John Oldcaftle 
 that fhe commanded him to continue it for one play 
 more, and mow the fat knight in love, reminding 
 him, however, that as fome of the family was ftill 
 living, it would be better to change the name. In 
 compliance to the royal mandate, he wrote the 
 Merry Wives of Wind/or, where, befides the other 
 foibles of Sir John, whofe name he now altered to 
 Falftaff, he makes him a deer ftealer ; pointing his 
 
28 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 fatire againfi: his Warwickfhire profecutor by making 
 Sir Hugh Evans, the Welch parfon, defcant fo very 
 humoroufly upon the armorial bearings of the Lucy 
 family. This he now durft do, becaufe patronized 
 and protected by royalty ; and this feems to be a 
 convincing proof that he wrote the play prior to the 
 year 1593, for in that year Sir Thomas Lucy died. 
 Therefore it would have been unpardonable in the 
 poet to have fatirized the knight after his deceafe. 
 That he had ingratiated himfelf into the favour of 
 the queen is beyond a doubt, by the elegant compli- 
 ment he pays her majefty in his Midfummer Night's 
 Dream. 
 
 It is far from improbable that when he drew the 
 character of King Henry the Vth, he had in view 
 fome of his own actions, the parallel holding good if 
 paffmg from the greateft folly and extravagance to 
 the height of human glory by different ways did 
 they each obtain a never-dying fame ; the fword 
 won the all conqueror of fair France his laurels, the 
 pen gave the bays to Britannia's choiceft bard ; the' 
 following lines are alike applicable to each, when 
 they mould difmifs the riotous companions of their 
 youth, and become themfelves virtuous and re- 
 fpeclable. 
 
 I know you all, and for a while will uphold 
 The unyok'd humour of your idlenefs, etc. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 2 9 
 
 It muft be confeffed that a greater change in manners 
 or in fortunes could fcarce be than the libertine, 
 fportive young Shakfpeare, the leader of a loofe 
 rabble in a country town, oppreffed probably with 
 debt, and encumbered prematurely with a family ; 
 to the man of true genuine worth, whofe every action 
 was an honour to humanity, whofe unbounded 
 abilities were applied in the caufe of virtue and 
 truth ; he who was a leader only to fome inconfider- 
 able young rakes, now affording entertainment to 
 thofe of the higher rank, and the mofh exalted and 
 refined underltandings ; inftead of perfecution from 
 an inconfiderable knight, he now found protection 
 from Elizabeth upon the throne, a princefs not more 
 admired for knowledge of government than her 
 judgment, and extenfive learning ; it argues a great 
 mind that could exchange the ruftic behaviour of a 
 village fvvain to that of the gentleman ; and yet fuch is 
 the extent of the word can we aver Shakefpeare 
 became, as his company was eagerly fought after by 
 perfons of the higher! rank, his fortune kept pace 
 with his merit, and his prudence added (lability to 
 it. With what joy muft his fond parent fee fo vaft 
 a change ; what a revolution to a wife's fituation, in 
 feeing him, whom malice had driven an exile from 
 his native town, received with refpect by the great 
 and good ; yet did all this foon happen : amongft the 
 
30 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 lift of great names who were the poet's friends and 
 his cotemporary wits, Ben Jonfon, Chapman the 
 tranflator of Homer, Rowley, Beaumont and Fletcher, 
 the Earl of Southampton, the unfortunate friend of 
 the more unhappy Earl of Effex, was extremely 
 attached to Shakfpeare. It was to this nobleman he 
 dedicated his poem of Venus and Adonis, and Tar- 
 quin and Lucrece, nor was he lefs obliged to the peer 
 for his patronage, than for the care he took of his for- 
 tune, for Sir William Davenant relates that at one 
 time he prefented him with a thoufand pounds to en- 
 able him to make a purchafe he fancied. It may be 
 gueffed that it was the houfe he bought in Black- 
 friers in London. 
 
 As his property enabled him to keep up the 
 figure of a man of fafhion, he feemed defirous of 
 mowing to the world that he was defcended from 
 anceftors that he ought not to be afhamed of, and 
 that he was entitled to armorial bearings ; a circum- 
 ftance at that time of importance. He, therefore, 
 we may fuppofe, prevailed upon his father in 1599 
 to take out an exemplification of his arms from the 
 Heralds' Office, the whole of which is given in the 
 appendix. It was at this time he piirchafed the 
 houfe in his native place, together with four yard 
 land and a half lying in the common fields of Strat- 
 ford, Welcombe, and Bifhopton ; to which he re- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 3 I 
 
 tired after he had quitted the ftage, and perhaps 
 fome time before; becaufe King James I., in 1603, 
 granted a patent of the theatre of the Globe to 
 Lawrence Fletcher, William Shakfpeare, Richard 
 Burbage, Auguftine Phillips, John Hemings, Henry 
 Condell, William Sly, Robert Armin, Richard Cow- 
 ley, etc. 
 
 He for feveral years conducted the theatre with 
 univerfal fatisfaclion, during which time he continued 
 to write new plays ; but having at length acquired a 
 fufflcient fortune to enable him to fpend the re- 
 mainder of his life in eafe and retirement, he quitted 
 the public bufinefs, and fettled at this houfe in his 
 native town of Stratford, and called his refidence the 
 New Place. Having thoroughly repaired it fit for 
 his own reception, during his abode here, the fweet- 
 nefs of his manners, with the eafe and vivacity of 
 his converfation, recommended him to the company 
 of the moft diftinguifhed gentlemen in the neigh- 
 bourhood, amongft whom was Mr. John Combe, of 
 an ancient and refpeclable family. He refided at 
 the college near the church, which he had previoufly 
 purchafed of Queen Elizabeth ; the method by which 
 he greatly augmented his original fortune, was by 
 placing his money out at intereft and, perhaps, often 
 at a very high extravagant rate. Mr. Combe and 
 the bard of Stratford were intimately acquainted. 
 
3 2 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 The former, one day, in a tavern, faid to be the fign 
 of the Bear, in the Bridge Street in Stratford, faid 
 to the other : " I fuppofe you will write my epitaph 
 when I am dead ; you may as well do it now, that I 
 may know what you will fay of me when I am 
 gone." Immediately he replied, It fhall be this : — 
 
 Ten in the hundred lies here ingraved,* 
 
 Tis a hundred to ten his foul is not faved ; 
 
 If any man afks, who lies in this .tomb, 
 
 Oh ! oh ! quoth the devil, 'tis my John a Combe. 
 
 The company inilantly burft into a loud laugh, per- 
 haps from the juftnefs of the idea, and the hatred 
 all men have to the character of a mifer and ufurer ; 
 the violence of the mirth fomewhat fubfiding, they 
 defired to hear what he had to fay of Mr. Thomas 
 Combe, brother of the former gentleman, when he 
 inftantly faid : 
 
 But thin in beard, tho' thick in purfe, 
 He 's gone to hell with many a curfe ; 
 The devil and he fuck'd both one nurfe, 
 For never man was loved worfe ! 
 
 This brother was remarkable for the thinnefs of his 
 
 * It was ufual about this time to engrave the effigies of 
 the defunct in brafs, and place them upon their grave or 
 tombftone. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 33 
 
 beard, and no doubt alfo for his covetous difpofition ; 
 therefore the poignancy of the farcafm afforded no 
 fmall diverfion amongft the convivial meeting ; but 
 it is faid the feverity of this fatire made fo deep an 
 impreffion upon the two brothers that they never 
 forgave the author of their epitaphs. Whether this 
 is true is not now to be known, though it is by no 
 means improbable ; however, it is certain that he 
 himfelf entertained a regard for the fon of Mr. 
 Thomas Combe, whofe name was alfo Thomas. 
 This affair is fuppofed to have happened about the 
 year 1610, for Mr. Thomas Combe the elder died in 
 161 1, and Mr. John Combe died in 1614, two years 
 before the bard, who bequeathed to Mr. Thomas 
 Combe his fword,* as appears by his will, dated in 
 March, 1616. It is fmgular that the day of his 
 death was the anniverfary one of his nativity, and 
 upon which he completed his fifty-third year. His 
 
 * Should the fword of Shakefpeare be difcovered which 
 he left to Mr. T. Combe, it would deferve at leaft as much 
 attention as the toys made of the mulberry tree he planted, 
 or the goblet which he had ufed to take his draught of ale 
 every Saturday in the afternoon at a tavern in the vicinity 
 of Stratford, and the bench whereon he ufed to fit in the 
 garden. Thefe were highly prized by their owner, the late 
 James Weft, of Alcrot, Efq., F.R.A.S. Or even the old- 
 fafhioned chair that is fhown to ftrangers in the houfe 
 where he was born. 
 
 F 
 
34 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 remains were depofited on the north fide the chancel 
 of Stratford Church, under the fecond ftep that leads 
 to the altar, where a neat monument was erefted to 
 his memory at the expenfe of his executors ; but 
 that falling to decay, it was repaired and beautified 
 in the year 1747, from the profits of a benefit given 
 by a company of comedians then in this town, Mr. 
 Ward, the father of Mrs. Kemble, and grandfather to 
 the prefent accomplifhed actor Mr. John Kemble, 
 and the juftly celebrated Mrs. Siddons, was the ma- 
 nager ; and ftill further to promote an encourage- 
 ment to the defign, the following lines were written 
 by a very ingenious gentleman, eminent for his abi- 
 lities in literature, and which was delivered in a moft 
 eloquent manner by Mr. Ward, who always ex- 
 preffed a great veneration for the memory of Shake- 
 fpeare, which moft confpicuoufly appeared during 
 the recital of thefe lines on the ftage, which very 
 much contributed to the evening's entertainment, 
 and was received with that univerfal applaufe his 
 merit moft juftly deferved. 
 
 To roufe the languid breaft by ftrokes of art, 
 When liftlefs Indolence had numbed the heart, 
 In Virtue's caufe her drooping fons t'engage, 
 And with juft fatire lafh a vicious age, 
 For this firft Attic theatres were rear'd, 
 And guilt's great foe in Sophocles appear'd ; 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 35 
 
 For this the Roman bards their fcenes difplay'd, 
 
 And vice in its own odious garb array 'd ; 
 
 Taught men afflicted Innocence to prize, 
 
 And wrefted tears from even tyrants' eyes ; 
 
 But to great Nature to hold up the glafs, 
 
 To mow from her, herfelf, what is and was ; 
 
 To reafon deeply on the Fates' decree, 
 
 Whether 'tis beft " To be or not to be," 
 
 This, wondrous Shakefpeare, was referved for thee. 
 
 Thou, in thy fkill extenfive, haft reveal'd 
 
 From what the wifeft mortals feem concealed : 
 
 The human breaft thro' every wile to trace, 
 
 And pluck the vizard from the treacherous face ; 
 
 Make the vile wretch difclaim his dark defigns, 
 
 And own conviction from thy nervous lines ; 
 
 Reform the temper, furly, rough and rude, 
 
 And force the half unwilling to be good. 
 
 In mortal breafts new vigour to excite, 
 
 And urge the lingering warrior ftill to fight ; 
 
 Or if a ftate pacific be his view, ] 
 
 Inform'd by thee, juft paths he dares purfue, r 
 
 And ferves his Maker and his neighbour too. ' 
 
 Afk by what magic are thefe wonders wrought, 
 
 Know 'tis by matchlefs words from matchlefs thought 
 
 A ray celeftial kindled in the foul, 
 
 While fentiments unerring filled the whole : 
 
 Hence his expreffion with juft ardour glow'd, 
 
 While Nature all her ftores on him beftow'd ! 
 
 Hail, happy Stratford ! envy'd be thy name, 
 
 What city boafts than thee a greater fame ? 
 
 Here his firft infant lays great Shakefpeare fung, 
 
36 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 Here his lafh accents faulter'd on his tongue ; 
 His honours yet with future times fhall grow, 
 Like Avon's ftreams, enlarging as they flow.' 
 Be thefe thy trophies, bard ; thefe might alone 
 Demand thy features on the mimic ftone, 
 But numberlefs perfections yet untold, \ 
 
 In every breaft thy praifes have enrolled, I 
 A richer fhrine than if of molten gold ! ) 
 
 Some have expreffed difapprobation to the epi- 
 taph that Shakefpeare compofed himfelf, and or- 
 dered to be put upon his graveflone, as wondering 
 the bard fhould imprecate a curfe upon thofe who 
 mould difturb his afhes. The reafon why Shak- 
 fpeare was fo pointed in his diflike to have his bones 
 thrown out of their depofitum, was the praclife that 
 had prevailed at this place before his time of taking 
 up the bones of the dead, and putting them into the 
 charnel houfe adjoining to where he lies buried, and 
 where vaft numbers ftill continue. His delicacy of 
 fentiment no doubt made him look upon fuch a prac- 
 tife with horror, as barbarous and highly indecent, 
 as may be gueffed by what he makes Hamlet fay to 
 Horatio on feeing the gravedigger throw up a fkull. 
 Certainly we are entitled to wifh a bleffing upon fuch 
 who preferve our remains : however unchriftianable 
 it may be to call down curfes upon thofe that violate 
 them. It is, we may fuppofe, a pofitive proof of the 
 
 i 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 37 
 
 illuftrious dead's expectation of the refurrection of 
 thofe afhes he was fo anxious to have preferved. 
 
 Shakefpeare as a poet beggars all defcription. 
 Suffice it that he feems to have known Nature and 
 the paffions of men better then any other. He is 
 fuppofed in his religion by fome to have been a 
 Roman Catholick, and this paffage is quoted as a 
 proof of it, that the Ghoft tells Hamlet that " he was 
 cut off in the bloffom of his age, and fent to his ac- 
 count with all his imperfeclons on his head ; un- 
 houfeled, unanointed, unanealed." But he fpeaks 
 only of a prince that he had defcribed to be of that 
 faith, and whofe opinion was not changed by death ; 
 for can it be believed that two fovereigns, efpecially 
 Elizabeth, mould notice a man of a religion that was 
 profcribed, and whofe advocates were held in a kind 
 of abhorrence from the volumes they had ufed ; the 
 maffacre of St. Bartholomew acted at Paris would 
 not fo foon have been forgotten ; reafon too is 
 againft the idea ; his enlarged mind could not brook 
 the narrow limits of that fyftem of bigotry and un- 
 charitablenefs in this enlightened age ; it would be 
 immaterial to what mode of faith he fubfcribed. The 
 good of all opinions now love the good : to be a 
 man is to be regarded as fuch by every one who does 
 not adopt the manners of worfe than brutes. Un- 
 happily that was not then taught or but imperfectly, 
 
38 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 if we may judge by the practife of thofe who lived in 
 the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries : there can, 
 however, be little doubt but that his father was at 
 leaft a concealed Romanift, as has been before ex- 
 preffed. 
 
 It has much difturbed the world whether Shak- 
 fpeare was learned or not ; that he was inftructed in 
 the Latin language, when a boy, cannot well be 
 doubted, and his genius we may fuppofe might em- 
 power him to make a proficiency in that language ; 
 but considering how foon he mufl have been taken 
 from fchool, as he was employed in his father's bufi- 
 nefs, either as an affiftant or a principal until, he left 
 Stratford, which might be as foon as a perfon could 
 write himfelf man, and that he married when only 
 feventeen ; we are certain too that he fpent his time 
 in a manner very different from one who wifhes to 
 improve his underftanding or his parts ; the follies of 
 youth were in him confpicuous ; and after he left his 
 native home, he muff be taken up for a confiderable 
 time in bufmefs which required too much attention 
 than to ftudy languages. 
 
 No doubt but fuch a genius as Shakfpeare mufl 
 have written very many fmall pieces of poetry ; yet 
 few of thefe have reached to our time. There is an 
 improbable tale fet forth by Mr. Theobald in his 
 preface to his edition, that two chefts full of papers 
 
 ( 
 
 i 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 39 
 
 were thrown about without the leafl regard to their 
 merit ; that they came at laft into the hands of an 
 ignorant baker at Warwick, who was one of his de- 
 fcendants, and that they were deftroyed in the dread- 
 ful conflagration which happened in Warwick in 
 1694. He fays that he had the ftory from Sir Hugh 
 Clopton, who faid it was told him by Sir William 
 Bifhop of Bridgetown ; if it was fo, from what fol- 
 lows it is a plain proof that Sir William knew no- 
 thing about the matter. 
 
 As Heminge and Condell publifhed his works in 
 1623, the very year that his wife died, and feven 
 years after his deceafe, it feems probable that they 
 collected all the manufcripts the family were pof- 
 feffed of; but as they were players, it may be fup- 
 pofed they did not take any notice of his works ex- 
 cept dramatic, and which perhaps to them was only 
 ufeful, and therefore the others were careleffly loft. 
 It mufb be confeffed that Shakefpeare himfelf never 
 took any care to preferve his fame to pofterity, nor 
 does it feem that any of his plays were printed under 
 his own infpeclion, and therefore perhaps he had 
 very few by him at the time of his deceafe, for it is 
 well known his daughter Hall was extremely well 
 informed and beloved by her father, whom fhe fur- 
 vived thirty-three years ; therefore it cannot be fup- 
 pofed that fhe would have let her immortal father's 
 
4-0 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 works have been thrown about in fuch a carelefs 
 manner as has been reprefented. However, it can- 
 not but be remarkable that fo little attention mould 
 have been paid to his memory by his family as not 
 to give his plays to the public in an accurate manner, 
 together with whatever elfe they might have found 
 of his, for thofe that appear to have been printed in 
 his lifetime were done in the mofh carelefs manner, 
 without any interference of the author, or perhaps 
 even his knowledge, as the edition in 1623 did with- 
 out the infpection of his children. Nor can we 
 wonder lefs at the very few private anecdotes which 
 relate to this admired man that have reached us, 
 many moft important circumftances as muft have 
 arifen in fuch a life as his well worth recording; and 
 ftill more brilliant expreffions ; but he lived in an age 
 when thefe were only enjoyed by thofe who knew 
 him. Had he been born in the eighteenth century, 
 whole volumes had been written of his actions and 
 fayings, and they would have been ineftimable. 
 Pofterity has endeavoured to fupply the deficiency 
 of his relations and cotemporaries in publifhing and 
 illuftrating his works, though it is confeffed with little 
 fuccefs. Some have been more anxious to obtain 
 emolument for themfelves than fame for their author, 
 and others have attempted what they were not able 
 to perform. Nicholas Rowe, Efq., Mr. Theobald, 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 4 I 
 
 Sir Thomas Hanmer, Dr. Warburton, Mr. Stevens, 
 and Dr. Samuel Johnfon have publifhed his plays 
 with notes and comments, and there are feveral 
 other editions of his works. The firft characters 
 in Britain are now patronizing the moil fumptuous 
 impreffion of his plays that can be imagined, and 
 which will exceed everything that has preceded it in 
 this or any other kingdom, a convincing proof that 
 the author's fame is ftill increafmg, and fo long as 
 human nature continues to have the fame paffions, 
 it may be expected ever will. 
 
 Mr. Shakefpeare made his will March the 15th, 
 1 61 5-6. In the beginning it breathes religious fenti- 
 ments in praifmg God for health and memory, com- 
 mending his foul to God his Creator with affured 
 truft in his mercy through the only merits of Jefus 
 Chrift his Saviour, to be made a partaker of ever- 
 lafting life. This is mentioned at once to fhew the 
 piety of his mind, and is entirely fufficient to prove 
 that he was a religious perfon, as well as a man of 
 wit and genius. His body he bequeathed to the 
 earth, but not fpecifying any particular place or 
 manner of fepulture ; his property he gave thus : to 
 his daughter Judith 150/., a 100/. as part of her 
 marriage portion in one year after his deceafe, with 
 the intereft of two millings in the pound until it 
 mould be paid, and the remaining 50/. he directed 
 
 G 
 
42 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 to be fecured as his overfeers fhould appoint, condi- 
 tionally that fhe furrendered up her moiety of a copy- 
 hold houfe fituate in Stratford, and held of the 
 manor of Rowington, to his daughter Sufannah 
 Hall; alfo to his daughter Judith another 150/. in 
 cafe flie or any child of hers furvived him, but if not, 
 he willed that 100/., part of this laft fum, mould go to 
 his niece Elizabeth Hall, and the remaining 50/. be 
 put out to intereft for the bed benefit of his fitter 
 Joane Hart, and at her death the principal to 
 be divided equally amongft her children; but in cafe 
 his daughter Judith fhould be living three years 
 after his death, or have any child, then the intereft 
 of the whole of the laft 1 50/. to go to her during 
 her marriage ftate, and upon her death to her 
 children : but if not, to whom fhe fhall appoint, un- 
 lefs the husband fhe may have at the three years 
 end fhall affure unto her and her iffue lands anfwer- 
 able to the fortune he bequeaths her by his will ; in 
 fuch cafe the whole 150/. fhall be paid to the huf- 
 band. To his fifter Joane he bequeathed 20/. and 
 all his wearing apparel, which was to be paid and 
 delivered to her within one year after his death, and 
 alfo the houfe fhe then inhabited during her life at 
 the annual rent of twelve pence ; to William Hart, 
 Thomas Hart and Michael Hart, her three fons, 5/. 
 each. To his niece Elizabeth Hall all his plate, ex- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 43 
 
 cept his broad filver and gilt bowl. To the poor of 
 Stratford 10/. To Mr. Thomas Combe his fword. 
 To Thomas Ruffell, Efq. 5/. ; to Francis Collins 
 of Warwick, gent. 13/. 6s. Sd. ; to Hamlet Sadler 
 1 1. 6s. Sd., to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, 
 gent. il. 6s., to buy him a ring. To his godfon 
 William Walker twenty millings in gold. To An- 
 thony Nafh, gent., to Mr. John Nam, to his fellows, 
 John Hemmings, Richard Burbage, and Henry 
 Condell, 1/. 6s. Sd. each, to purchafe rings. To his 
 daughter Sufannah Hall, the better to enable her to 
 perform his will, his capital houfe called the New 
 Place, wherein he dwelt, and two other houfes 
 fituate in the Henley Street in Stratford, with what- 
 ever other premifes he had, in Stratford-upon-Avon, 
 Old Stratford, Welcombe, and Bifhopton, or any of 
 them, all in the county of Warwick, and alfo the 
 houfe he had in the Blackfriars, London, near the 
 Wardrope, then occupied by John Robinfon ; with 
 whatever property real he might die poffeffed of, for 
 her life; remainder to her iffue male, upon whom it was 
 in a molt particular manner limited, remainder over 
 to his niece Elizabeth Hall and her male heirs, and 
 in default remainder final to his right heirs for ever. 
 To his wife his fecond belt bed with its furniture. 
 To his daughter Judith his broad filver and gilt 
 bowl. All the reft of his goods, chattels, leafes, 
 
44 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 plate, jewels and houfehold fluff, after his debts, 
 legacies, and funeral expenfes were paid, he gave to 
 his fon-in-law John Hall, gentleman, and Sufannah 
 his wife, whom he appointed his executors, and en- 
 treated Thomas Ruffell, Efq., and Francis Collins, 
 gent., to be overfeers thereof: which will was wit- 
 neffed by Francis Collins, Julius Shaw, John Robin- 
 fon, Hamlet Sadler, and Robert Whatcote. This 
 will was proved in the Prerogative Court June 22nd, 
 161 6, and adminiftration granted to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Hall 
 
 There is a pleafure in feeing the contents of this 
 will, as it not only manifefts the poet's religious fen- 
 timents towards God, but his benevolence towards 
 the poor and his affection to his fitter and her 
 children ; nor do we fee him in a lefs amiable light 
 in his tendernefs to his friends, feveral of whom have 
 memorial expreffions of his regard. It is obvious 
 that his daughter Sufan was his favourite child, and 
 that he regarded his grand-daughter Hall more than 
 his other daughter Judith. This cannot be now 
 accounted for, unlefs Judith was before provided for 
 fuperior to his wifhes, or that his other daughter or 
 niece had fhewed more attention to him, or that they 
 had ideas more confonant to his own than Judith 
 had. Perhaps fome are furprifed that his wife 
 fhould only have a legacy of a bed, but we muft 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 45 
 
 naturally fuppofe that fhe was provided for before 
 either by a marriage fettlement or an eftate at 
 Shottery in her own right, which either by herfelf 
 alone or jointly with her husband conveyed to 
 Judith in fee after her deceafe. Mrs. Shakfpeare, 
 though eight years older than her husband, furvived 
 him feven years, dying Aug. 6, 1623, aged fixty- 
 feven years ; and her remains were interred clofe by 
 thofe of her husband. 
 
 The iff tie of the poet Shakfpeare by Anne Hathaway 
 his wife. 
 
 1. Sufannah, daughter of Mr. William Shakfpeare, 
 baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon May y e 26, 1583. 
 She was married at the age of twenty-four, June 
 y e 25, 1607, to Dr. John Hall, an eminent phyfician 
 of Stratford. He was born in 1575, and at the time 
 of his marriage he was thirty-two years of age, ten 
 years older than his wife. He, after the death of 
 his father-in-law, refided at New Place till his death, 
 which was Nov. the 25th, 1635. His wife furvived 
 him near fourteen years, and died July y e 2nd, 1649, 
 aged fixty-fix years. They had iffue one only 
 daughter. Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. John Hall 
 and Sufannah his wife, elder! daughter of Mr. 
 William Shakfpeare, was baptized at Stratford-upon- 
 Avon Feb. 2 1 ft, 1608, and married April y e 22nd, 
 
46 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 1626, at the age of eighteen years, to Thomas Nafh, 
 Efq., defcended from a family who had large poffef- 
 fions in Stratford and its vicinity ; he was aged 
 thirty-two at the time of his marriage. He died 
 April y e 24th, 1647, aged fifty-three years. By this 
 marriage there was no iffue. Mrs. Nafh furvived 
 him, and was married again in 1650 to Sir John 
 Barnard, of Abington near Northampton, knight, by 
 whom fhe had no iffue. She feems to have bettered 
 her fortune by her marriage with Mr. Nafh, for there 
 is a memorandum in the old veftry-book of Stratford 
 that, at a veftry held at Stratford Church for the re- 
 pairs of the chancel in 1648 by a levy upon the 
 eftates of the improprietors for that purpofe at is. 
 in the pound, the corn tithes of Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Nafh were valued at 100/. per annum, and accord- 
 ingly rated at 5/. ; and again at another veftry held 
 in 1650, for the fame purpofe, Lady Elizabeth Bar- 
 nard's tithes of Shottery Field were valued at 120/. 
 Whether fhe had any more of Mr. Nam's eftates 
 fettled upon her I cannot tell. She died and was 
 buried at Abington near Northampton in 1669, and 
 left the capital houfe called the New Place in Strat- 
 ford to be fold, and the money to be diftributed in 
 legacies, as is expreffed in her will. 
 
 2. and 3. Samuel and Judith, fon and daughter 
 of Mr. William Shakfpeare by Anne his wife. They 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 47 
 
 were twins, and baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon 
 Feb. y e 2nd, 1584-5, their father not being then 
 arrived at the age of twenty-one years. Samuel, the 
 fon, died and was buried at Stratford Auguft y e 1 ith, 
 1596, aged twelve years. Judith Shakfpeare was 
 married to Mr. Thomas Queeney Feb. 10th, 1616-7, 
 aged thirty-three. Mr. Thomas Queeney or Quiney 
 was defcended from a good family in the parifh of 
 Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford and Shottery, 
 where they had confiderable eftates. This Thomas, 
 that married Judith Shakfpeare, is faid to have 
 built a remarkable houfe at Shottery, which is ftill 
 {landing. It was built very lofty and fuperb, but the 
 walls thin, and was therefore confequently weak, 
 from which it received the appellation of Queeney's 
 Folly, which name it has retained till within thefe 
 few years. The iffue of this marriage was firft, 
 Shakfpeare Queeney, baptized Nov. 10, 1617, and 
 buried May the 8th, 1618. Richard, fon of Mr. 
 Thomas Queeney, baptized Feb. the 5th; 1617-8, 
 and buried in 1628. 3. Thomas, fon of Mr. Thomas 
 Queeney and Judith his wife, was baptized Jan. 
 y e 23rd, 1619-20, died in 1638. So here ended the 
 defcendants of the immortal Shakfpeare in that line. 
 Judith their mother, if I remember right, was buried 
 in 1653, but as I have loft the extract from the re- 
 gifter, I cannot be certain to a year or two. There 
 
48 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 is neither monument nor graveflone erected to her 
 memory ; fo that I cannot tell whether fhe was 
 buried near her father or not, nor neither is there 
 monumental ftone or engraving of any of the name 
 of Queeney either in the church chancel or church- 
 yard : Mr. Queeney dying without iffue, the houfe 
 at Shottery and the eftate, and another large houfe 
 in the Rother Market in Stratford, devolved to a 
 brother's fon, and from him to his fon, who had alfo 
 two fons, the eldeft of whom was many years a 
 lunatic, and died in this houfe about the year 1720, 
 when the eflates came to the fon of his younger 
 brother, who difpofed of them to Henry Thursby, 
 Efq., of Storton near Southam in the county of 
 Warwick, father of John Harvy Thursby, of Abing- 
 ton near Northampton, Efq., who fold it to Samuel 
 Tyler of Shottery, Efq., who, dying in 1764, devifed 
 it to his two fillers, Mrs. Dorothy Tyler, a maiden 
 gentlewoman, and her filler, a widow of a Mr. Nafon, 
 to hold during their lives, and, after their deceafe, 
 to the heirs of another fifler, who was married to one 
 Vernon, an attorney-at-law at Bromfgrove, whofe 
 eldeft fon went to Jamaica as a clerk, where it is 
 fuppofed he died, when the reverfion came to his 
 brother Thomas Vernon, who fold the reverfion 
 during the lives of his aunts to Leonard Court of 
 Shottery, yeoman, who let the houfe to Mr. John 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 49 
 
 Pay ton, where he retired from the White Lion Inn 
 at Stratford, who went there to refide. Leonard 
 Court, dying in 1788, it came to his fon William 
 Court of Shottery, who is at prefent unmarried, and 
 Mr. Payton has left the houfe, and it now ftands 
 void for want of a tenant. Thus having given an 
 account of the eftates of the Queeneys, I fhall pro- 
 ceed to give the hiftory of New Place. 
 
 This was a large houfe fituated at the fouth end 
 of the Chapel Street, and on the eaft fide thereof. 
 It was built originally by Sir Hugh Clopton, knight, 
 Lord Mayor of London, the xij of King Henry the 
 VII, anno 1496, who built Stratford Bridge at his 
 own expenfe, and was otherwife a great benefactor 
 to the town of Stratford. This houfe was the ufual 
 place of his refidence when he came into Warwick- 
 fhire. He, dying a bachelor, bequeathed it to John 
 Clopton, Efq., eldefl fon of his brother Thomas 
 Clopton, Efq., who left it to his fon William Clopton, 
 Efq., who purchafed the manor of Bridgetown in 
 the reign of King Henry the VIII, who died in 
 1 52 1, aged 37. It came to his fon William Clopton, 
 Efq., who died in 1559, who had iffue William Clop- 
 ton, Efq., and Rofa, a daughter, married to John 
 Combe, Efq., whofe epitaph fee in the life of Shak- 
 fpeare. William the fon married Anne the daughter 
 
 H 
 
50 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 of Sir George Griffith, knight, and by her had the 
 following iffue. 
 
 i. Elizabeth, died an infant. 2. Lodowick, died 
 an infant. 3. Joice, a daughter, married Sir George 
 Carew, knight, afterwards Baron Carew of Clopton, 
 and finally Earl of Totnefs. 4. Margery, died 
 young. 5. William, died young. 6. Anne, married 
 to William Clopton, of Sledwick in the county of 
 Durham, Efq., a relation. William Clopton, Efq., 
 died in 1592, and Anne his wife in 1596. The 
 Clopton eftate came to the coheirs Joyce and Anne, 
 when there was a divifion made between them, and 
 part of the Bridgetown eftate and this houfe at Strat- 
 ford came to Anne, the wife of William Clopton, 
 who fold his moiety of the eftate to John Combe, 
 Efq., who was husband to his wife's aunt. And 
 this houfe, then a good deal out of repair, was fold 
 to Mr. William Shakfpeare, who repaired in a 
 manner fuitably for his reception, and laid out the 
 garden in a handfome manner, wherein, about the 
 year 1609, ne planted the mulberry tree, the wood 
 of which is now in fuch great eftimation. We may 
 fuppofe it was planted about this time, for it is re- 
 corded in Howe's Chronicle that King James I. 
 granted a patent to Monfieur Francis Verton, alias 
 Foreft of Verton in Picardie, Efq., for two years, to 
 bring mulberry trees from France, which were fent 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 5 I 
 
 into moft counties in England to be planted, the faid 
 Verton furnifhing the north parts and William 
 Wallenge the weft, fo that it may be fuppofed 
 Shakfpeare had his tree from the latter. From his 
 repairing this houfe he named it the New Place, 
 and where he fpent the latter part of his days in eafe 
 and retirement, and where he refigned his foul into 
 the hands of his Creator. So careful was he, and 
 defirous of having it remain in his polterity, that he 
 limited to the male heirs of his daughters to the 6th 
 and 7th degree, and for want of fuch iffue, then to 
 the heirs male of his grand-daughter Hall, and in 
 default of fuch iffue, then to the right heirs of him 
 for ever. After his deceafe, Dr. Hall and his wife 
 refided there till Mr. Hall's death, in Nov. 1635, 
 when his fon-in-law Mr. Nam and Elizabeth his 
 wife went to refide there with their mother. Mr. 
 Nam dying in 1647, two years before his wife's 
 mother, when Mrs. Nam continued with her mother 
 till fhe died in 1649, and in the year 1650 fhe was 
 married again to Sir John Barnard, who only from 
 that time lived there occafionally, as appears by her 
 will,* in which fhe devifed New Place to be fold, and 
 
 * What Mr. Theobald fays in his preface concerning 
 Queen Henrietta's keeping her court for three weeks at 
 New Place muft be falfe. He fays that the family at the 
 College not being altogether fo loyal to King Charles. 
 
52 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 her couiin Edward Nafh to have the refufal or firft 
 offer : he accordingly made the purchafe. He at 
 that time refided at Eaft Greenwich in Kent ; but 
 we may fuppofe that as he was lord of the manor of 
 Loxley, where he had alfo considerable eftate, he 
 fometimes refided at New Place occafionally, until 
 Mary, his only daughter, was married to Sir Regi- 
 nald Forfter of Eaft Greenwich in the county of 
 Kent, created a baronet by King Charles II, the 
 xiii of his reign, on the i ith day of July, 1661. He 
 refided at New Place with his lady till their death. 
 They had three children : Reginald and Mary died 
 
 Now William Combe, Efq., who refided at the College at 
 this this time, was eminent for his loyalty. He ferved the 
 office of high fheriff for the county of Warwick twice ; in 
 1608, and again in 1614 ; and was a member of parliament 
 for the fame county in 1639. He was born Deer. 19th, 
 1587, and died Jany. y e 30th, 1666, aged 80 years, 1 month, 
 2 weeks, and one day, according to the inscription on his 
 graveftone. He had iffue one fon and nine daughters, who 
 all died young except two daughters : Mary, married to 
 Thomas Wagftaff, of Tachbrook, Efq., who was a brother 
 to Colonel Wm. Wagftaff, who commanded a regiment for 
 King Charles, which were beat out of Stratford by the 
 Lord Brooke ; and, moreover, Edward Nafh, Efqr., who 
 was firft coufin to Lady Bernard's firft husband, and lord 
 of the manor of Loxley, and a captain in the Parliament 
 army. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 53 
 
 young, and Jane was married to Franklin Miller of 
 Hyde Hall in the parifh of Sandon in the county of 
 Herts, Efq, Having only one daughter, named 
 Jane, was married to William Norcliff, of the Inner 
 Temple, London, Efq. Mrs. Miller was born in 
 1670, and died in 1732. She with her husband fold 
 New Place to Sir Hugh Clopton, a younger fon to 
 Sir John Clopton, of Clopton, knight, who pulled 
 down the old houfe to the ground, and rebuilt it in 
 a more modern and fuperb ftyle. The kitchen and 
 other conveniences were under ground, which were 
 defcended into by ftone flairs out of the ftreet de- 
 fended by iron palifadoes. The hall door had a 
 flight of fheps . gradually opening from the ftreet, 
 over which was an iron balcony, which had a fine 
 effecl. 
 
 The top of the roof was flat, furrounded with 
 wooden baluftrades, with feats for company to fit and 
 regale themfelves in the fummer evenings. The mul- 
 berry tree in the garden, planted by Shakefpeare, 
 was grown to a very large fize, with wide fpreading 
 boughs that fhaded many yards of ground, under 
 which were placed benches to fit on, in the fhade, 
 and which I have heard Sir Hugh Clopton took 
 great delight in fhewing to the nobility and gentry 
 whofe curiofity excited them to vifit the laft retire- 
 ment of immortal Shakefpeare. The good old 
 
54 JORDAN S MEMOIRS 
 
 knight dying in 1751, New Place* became the pro- 
 perty of his two daughters as coheirs. Anne, mar- 
 ried to Thomas Boothby, fon of Boothby of Tooley 
 in the county of Leicefter, Efqre. ; and Elizabeth, to 
 
 Talbot, brother to the Lord Chancellor of that 
 
 name ; who jointly fold the eftates of their father to 
 I. Gaftrell, Efqre, who came to refide at New Place, 
 which lafted but a few years ; he growing tired of 
 the felicitation of travellers whofe inclination led 
 them to view the mulberry tree, out of regard to the 
 planter, he mo ft malicioufly ordered it to be cut 
 down, which order was immediately executed, and 
 the body cleft for firewood, fome of which was pur- 
 chafed by different people, inhabitants of Stratford, 
 fome of them out of veneration to the planter, and 
 fome out of curiofity ; among which number was 
 George Cooper, a poor joiner of Stratford, whofe 
 curiofity excited him to work what little he was able 
 to purchafe into toys, fuch as tea chefts, boxes, and 
 tobacco ftoppers, &c, fome of which were prettily 
 carved ; but he, having a large family to fupport, 
 could not purchafe but a fmall part. Therefore Mr. 
 Thomas Sharp, a filverfmith of Stratford, who had 
 purchafed the moil confiderable part, and finding 
 Cooper's goods went off pretty well, engaged him to 
 work for him, and previous to the jubilee in 1769 he 
 
 * The length of the front was exactly 54 feet. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 55 
 
 employed another brother of Coopers, who was by 
 trade a fhoemaker, but a very ingenious man, to 
 carve toys for him, which he did in a neat manner. 
 The jubilee coming on, increafed their value, and 
 having a brifk trade, he advanced their price, and 
 by which he has acquired a pretty good fortune, 
 while the poor carvers were in the moft indigent 
 circumftances ; one of them was drowned in a well 
 in 1774, and the other had relief feveral years from 
 the parifh of Hampton Lucy, to which he belonged, 
 till his death, which was in 1784. But William 
 Sharp now continues to employ his fon in the fame 
 bufinefs ; he having fo great a call for thefe goods, 
 excited him to purchafe all the mulberry tree he 
 knew to be genuine ; there were three or four very 
 large arms or boughs in the fhop of George Wills, a 
 joiner of Stratford, that were faved by Mr. Gaftrell's 
 order to make him an eafy chair, which were kept 
 till after his death, and then fold by George Wills to 
 Mr. Sharp at the enormous price of a milling a 
 pound, the whole weighing 90 pounds, and he has 
 bought fome at feveral other places at an advanced 
 price. 
 
 Mr. Gaftrell feemed to be a man deftined by fate 
 to eraze, or at leaft flrive to do it, the memory of 
 the lafh dwelling of the inimitable poet, for the lead- 
 ing men and parifh officers of the corporation having 
 
56 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 affeffed him, as he thought, too highly in the poor's 
 rates, he determined to pull down the houfe to the 
 ground, and fell the materials, which he did in 1759. 
 Some of the materials were purchafed by the late 
 John Venour, Efq., when he built his houfe at King's 
 Mead, about 4 miles from Stratford, and fome were 
 purchafed by John Hunt of Alvefton to build a fmall 
 houfe for a daughter of his that was married to one 
 Marfhall. Thefe affairs have been tranfacled within 
 my own memory, and as I imbibed a particular ve- 
 neration for the works of Shakefpeare almoft as foon 
 as I learned to read, it made me more particular in 
 thefe obfervations. Thus having given all the ac- 
 count of this juftly much admired man I at prefent 
 have been able to obtain, I fhall now proceed to de- 
 fcribe his monument. 
 
 The monument and grave of Shakefpeare are 
 vifited by all travellers who have either curiofity or 
 are lovers and admirers of his works, as well Britons 
 as foreigners, and particularly the Irifh are extremely 
 fond of beholding his features on the mimick ftone. 
 In the chancel of Stratford church, againft the wall 
 upon the north fide, is the monument : it is of mar- 
 ble. On the extremity of the top is a human fkull 
 well reprefented ; under that is the arms and creft. 
 The arms or, on a bend fable a fpear of the field. 
 The creft on a wreath of colours, a falcon or, with 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 57 
 
 his wings difplayed, fupporting a fpear armed headed 
 and fteeled filver, fixed upon a helmet with mantles 
 and taffels. Thefe are above the arch, which is 
 fupported by two Corinthian pillars of black jet or 
 marble, their capitals gilt with gold. Above the ca- 
 pitals are the effigies of two children ; that on the 
 right hand has its eyes open, and leans on a fpade, 
 as an emblem of life. The other, on the left, has its 
 eyes clofed, and leans on a torch reverfed and extin- 
 guifhed, as an emblem of death and mortality. Un- 
 der the arch is a ftone buft down to the waift of the 
 defunct ; the face painted to imitate flefh colour, ac- 
 cording to the abfurd tafte that prevailed in thofe 
 times ; his coat is red, with a kind of loofe gown 
 without fleeves, the colour black ; in the right hand 
 is a pen ; in the left a fcroll refting on a cufhion ; 
 underneath is wrote in gold letters the following 
 epitaphs in Latin and Englifh. 
 
 Judicio Pylium, &c. 
 
 Obit die Aprilis 23, 1616, set at. fuae 53. 
 
 STAY, PASSENGER, WHY GOEST THOU BY SO FAST, &c. 
 
 Upon the pavement, upon a plain flat ftone, is the 
 following epitaph, faid to be written by himfelf. 
 
 GOOD FREND FOR IVS SAKE FORBEARE, &c. 
 
 On the next ftone, engraved on a brafs plate, 
 
 1 
 
58 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 Here lieth interred the body of Anne Shakefpeare, wife 
 of William Shakefpeare, who departed this life the 6 day of 
 Auguft, 1623, being of the age of 6j years. " Ubera tu, 
 mater," &c. 
 
 On Mr. Hall's graveftone thefe armes : Gules 
 3 lions heads erazed or for Hall, empaling or, on a 
 bend fable, a fpear of the field for Shakefpeare. 
 
 Here lieth the body of John Hall, gent. He married 
 Sufanna, daughter and coheir of William Shakefpeare, 
 gent. He deceafed Nov. y e 25th, 1635, aged 60 years. 
 " Hallius hie fitus eft," &c. 
 
 (Hall's arms and Shakefpeare's.) 
 
 Here lyeth the body of Sufanna, wife of John Hall, 
 gent., the daughter of William Shakefpeare, gent. She 
 deceafed the 2nd day of July, anno 1649, aged 66. 
 
 There was the following epitaph, but that has 
 been cut out to make room for the name of one 
 Watts who lived at Ryon Clifford. " Witty above 
 her fex," &c. 
 
 On Mr. Names graveftone 2 coats quarterly and 
 Shakefpeare empaling Hall quarterly. 
 
 Here refteth the body of Thomas Nafh, Efqr. He mar- 
 ried Elizabeth, the daughter of John Hall, gent. He died 
 April the 4th, 1647, aged 53. 
 
 N.B. Lady Elizabeth Barnard was buried at 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 59 
 
 Abington near Northampton, and has (as I have 
 been credibly informed) neither tomb, monument, 
 nor epitaph. 
 
 The Family of Hart 
 
 Have been long inhabitants of Stratford. Whether 
 they are any branch of the Harts of Shipfton, of 
 which family is — Hart, Alderman of the City of 
 London, is not known. Therefore I mall only give 
 thofe that are maternally defcended from the family 
 of Shakfpeare, though prior to that time there feems 
 to have been three brothers in Stratford whofe 
 names were John Hart, Michael Hart and William 
 Hart. William Hart married Joane, daughter of 
 John Shakefpeare. He was buried April y e 17, 16 16, 
 and left iffue 3 fons, Thomas Hart, William Hart 
 and Michael Hart, to whom their uncle the poet left 
 each a legacy of 5/. Thomas Hart had iffue — 
 
 1. Thomas Hart, baptized April y e 13th, 1634, 
 and died 1680, without iffue. To him Lady Ber- 
 nard left the two houfes in the Henley Street, and 
 his heirs ; and in default thereof to 
 
 2. George Hart, born 1636. He was by trade a 
 taylor, and at the age of 21 he married Either, 
 daughter of Thomas Ludiate of Stratford, as appears 
 by the following entry in the regifter, " George 
 Hart, fon of Thomas Hart, and Either Ludiate, 
 
60 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 daughter of Thomas Ludiate, of the fame towne and 
 county, were publifhed of an intent of marriage upon 
 3 feveral market days in the market place at Alcefter 
 upon the i ft, 8th and 15th of December 1657, and 
 being no exception againft them were, upon the 9th 
 of January 1657-8, joined together in marriage by 
 Francis Smith, juftice of the peace in the burrough 
 of Stratford." He had two fillers, but what became 
 of them is unknown. The iffue by this marriage 
 was — 
 
 1. Elizabeth, baptized Jan. y e 9th, 1658, and 
 married 061. 12, 1697 to Stephen Spencer, a forge- 
 man in the parifh of Tarbick, whofe defcendants are 
 many of them ftill living. 
 
 2. Jane, baptized Dec. y e 21, 1661. She was 
 married to one — Hiron, a taylor at Clifford 
 Chambers, in the county of Gloucefter, by whom 
 fhe had iffue George Hiron, who was alfo a taylor, 
 and a daughter named Either, married to John 
 Stone, a Hone mafon of Northneld in the county of 
 Worcefter, as appears by a deed of marriage fettle- 
 ment now in the hands of Thomas Hart, which 
 fecured to her and her heirs an efhate with a ftone 
 quarry at Northfield, two houfes in Bromfgrove and 
 an efhate at Kings Norton. She left as iffue, 2 
 fons, the eldeft of whom fold the eftates ; he left a 
 fon named John, who is now living, and by trade a 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 6 I 
 
 whitefmith, and refides near All Saints Church, in 
 the city of Oxford. The iffue of the other fon is 
 alfo a fon, and lives at Redditch in the county of 
 Worcefter, and I believe they have both children. 
 
 George Hiron had two fons, and both taylors at 
 Clifford, i. George Hiron, now living, who has 
 alfo a fon living, married and has got children. 2. 
 Phillip Hiron died in 1788, and had befide other 
 children a daughter married to Thomas Adkins of 
 Swafford ; and they have 3 children living at this 
 time. 
 
 3. Shakefpeare, eldeft fon of George Hart by 
 Efther his wife, was baptized 1666. At the age of 
 28, in 1694, y e ioth of April, he was married to 
 Anne Prue. He was by trade a plumber and 
 glazier, and had fome real eftate as came to him as 
 heir-at-law, the houfes in the Henley Street where 
 the poet was born, with fome land in the field and a 
 houfe in the Bridge Street, which I fuppofe was the 
 copyhold held of the manor of Rowington, and 
 which the poet left to his fifter Joane for her life, and 
 two houfes and a piece of ground in the village of 
 Old Stratford, which is now Mr. Keating' s garden. 
 In the early part of his life he feems to have been a 
 perfon of confiderable property, and in good bufmefs, 
 as I have feen many of his bills for the repairs of 
 Stratford and other churches ; befides, he was em- 
 
62 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 ployed by the beft families in the neighbourhood of 
 Stratford. In the year 1720 he ferved the office of 
 churchwarden for the borough. He was efteemed 
 as an honeft indunxious man; but he was unfortunate 
 in trade, for inflead of increafmg he rather dimin- 
 ifhed his fortune, and what is fomewhat fmgular, it 
 was by a lofs he fuftained by the Lucy family. 
 There was at that time a Mrs. Lucy, a widow, who 
 was but a very indifferent economift, and had lived 
 beyond her income. She had employed him till his 
 bill amounted to 150/., and dying foon after con- 
 fiderably in debt, this money was never paid to this 
 day, which hurt the old man fo, that he was obliged 
 to fell part of his real eftate and mortgage the other. 
 He fold the houfe in the Bridge Street to one 
 Richard Street, a wheelwright, who was fucceeded 
 by one John Jarrett (Jurrett ?), from whom it came 
 to his fon John Jarrett, organift of Banbury, who 
 fold the premifes to his mother's brother, Edward 
 Stanley of Alvefton, who devifed it to his fecond fon, 
 John Stanley, who is the prefent owner, and the 
 houfe is now inhabited by Mr. John Edwards, a 
 cooper. The houfes in Old Stratford, and the land 
 in the field, were mortgaged to Mr. Bartlett Mafon, 
 an attorney of Stratford; and as they were never re- 
 deemed, on the death of Mr. Mafon without iffue 
 they became the property of his grace the Duke of 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 6 
 
 Dorfet as lord of the manor, who about 30 years 
 ago, granted them to Mr. James Keatinge, a native 
 of Dublin, who is an eminent printer and bookfeller 
 in Stratford, who pulled down the houfes, and laid 
 the ground out into a handfome garden, which is 
 bordered by the river Avon, and is a delightful 
 fpot. The land in the field is now one enclofed 
 ground, the eaft fide is bounded by the Avon, and 
 the north by the turnpike road from Stratford to 
 Warwick. The two houfes in the Henley Street 
 were mortgaged to Mary Smith of Stratford, widow 
 of Samuel Smith, gent., for 150/., who, dying in 
 1755, her grandfon Samuel Smith, gent., then a 
 minor, became heir-at-law, and her executor, whofe 
 guardian was Sarah Taylor, his own aunt, who gave 
 a bond of indemnification of 300/. to Thomas Hart 
 of Stratford, and Benjamin Smith of the parifh of 
 Hampton Lucy, to releafe the premifes to Thomas 
 Hart, who paid off the mortgage and redeemed the 
 premifes in 1757. 
 
 Iffue of Shakefpeare Hart by Anne Prue his wife. 
 
 1. William Shakefpeare, fon of Shakefpeare Hart, 
 was baptized Sept. y e 20, 1695. 
 
 2. Anne, daughter of Shakefpeare Hart, was bap- 
 tized Aug. y e 9th, 1700. Buried March y e 27, 
 1738, aged 38. She was never married. 
 
64 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 3. Catherine, daughter of Shakefpeare Hart, bap- 
 tized July 19, 1703. She was never married. 
 
 4. Thomas, the fon of Shakfpeare Hart, baptized 
 June 13th, 171 1 — was buried March y e 6, 1746. 
 He never married. 
 
 5. Thomas, fon of George Hart by Efther his 
 wife, was buried Dec. 29, 1690. He never married. 
 
 6. George Hart, fon of George Hart by Efther 
 Ludiate, was born in 1676, when his father was 40 
 years old, from whom the prefent family are de- 
 fcended. Efther, the wife of George Hart, died 
 April y e 29, 1696, and George Hart Taylor, her 
 husband, was buried May the 3rd, 1702, aged 66. 
 
 IJfue of William Shakefpeare Hart. He married 
 Anne Southam. 
 
 1. Shakfpeare Hart, baptized Jan. y e 6th, 1744, 
 and was buried March y e 27, 1749. 
 
 2. Catherine, baptized May y e 29th, 1746, died 
 an infant. 
 
 3. Catherine Hart, daughter of William Shak- 
 fpeare Hart and Anne his wife, was baptized May 
 20, 1748. She is now living in Birmingham in a 
 very indigent ftate. She is married. 
 
 William Shakfpeare Hart was buried Feb. y e 28th, 
 1749-50. 
 
 Anne Hart, his wife, was buried Feb. y e 5th, 1760. 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 65 
 
 Shakfpeare Hart fenior was buried July y e 7th, 
 1747. 
 
 There is no graveftone erected to his memory, nor 
 do I know whether he died inteftate or not. Anne> 
 his wife, was buried July 10, 1753. She made her will, 
 and bequeathed her intereft in the two houfes in 
 Henley Street, with all her perfonal effects, to 
 Thomas Hart, fon of George Hart, her husband's 
 nephew, although her granddaughter, Catherine, the 
 daughter of her fon William Shakefpeare Hart, was 
 then and is living. This will was dated the 6th day 
 of June, 1753, and proved the 24th of April, 1754. 
 Witneffes : John Court, William Elderton, and 
 Peter Stratherne. 
 
 George Hart, 5th fon of George Hart, Taylor, 
 and Efther Ludiate his wife, was born in 1676. He 
 was by trade a turner, and married Mary, daughter 
 
 of Richardfon of Stratford. She was buried 
 
 Octr. y e 7th, 1705. He furvived her 40 years, and 
 was buried July y e 29, 1745, aged 69. Her iffue 
 were : 1. Thomas Hart; he was a blackfmith, and 
 died at Leek Wootton near Warwick, unmarried, in 
 1740. 
 
 2. George Hart, baptized Nov. 29, 1700; died 
 1776. 
 
 3. Hefcer, daughter of George Hart and Mary 
 his wife, was baptized February y e 10th, 1702. 
 
 K 
 
66 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 4. Mary, daughter of George Hart, was baptized 
 Oct. y e 7th, 1705, the fame day her mother was 
 buried, which fhews fhe died in childbed. She was 
 married to John Sawyer, a dancing mafter, of Sutton 
 Coldfield ; whether they ever had any children or 
 not, I never heard. 
 
 George Hart, 2nd fon of George Hart and Mary 
 Richardfon his wife, was married Feb. y e 20, 1728, 
 to Sarah Mumford. He was by trade a turner, but 
 in the latter part of his life he left off his trade, and 
 dealt in pigs, and kept horfes to let to hire, and by 
 which he gained a fubfiftence, but was reduced to a 
 very indigent ftate before his death. His wife died 
 in 1754 — by her he had iffue, 
 
 1. Thomas Hart, baptized May y e 9th, 1729 ; now 
 living, Jan. y e 18, 1790. 
 
 2. George, fon of George Hart, 1 73 1. He was 
 many years a chairman in London. Whether he 
 was ever married or not, I cannot tell. He has been 
 dead fome years. 
 
 3. Mary, daughter of George Hart, baptized Jan. 
 y e 13th, 1738. She married William Smith, oftler 
 at the White Lion Inn, in Stratford, whom fhe fur- 
 vived. She died in 1 78 1, and left 5 fons and one 
 daughter, who are all of them now living. 1. John 
 Smith, a furgeon, ferved his apprenticefhip with 
 Mr. Jones of Bewdley. 2. William Smith, a wool- 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 6 J 
 
 comber ; he is a fergeant in the Glocefterfhire mi- 
 litia. 3. Jofeph Smith, yeoman, lives in the parifh 
 of Alvechurch. 4. Thomas Smith ; he is a brick- 
 layer in Stratford. 5. George Smith ; he is an 
 oftler in an inn at Stratford.. Mary, the daughter, is 
 married, and lives at Tamworth. 
 
 4. Anne, daughter of George Hart, baptized Sept. 
 y e 25th, 1740, who is now living in London; and, I 
 believe, is married to her third husband, but has no 
 children. 
 
 5. Frances, daughter of George Hart, baptized 
 Jan. y e 25th, 1744. She was married in 1787 to 
 William Skinner, a blackfmith of Shottery in the 
 parifh of Old Stratford, and has no iffue. 
 
 6. Jemima, daughter of George Hart, baptized 
 June 19th, 1745. She died young. 
 
 7. William, fon of George Hart, baptized Nov. y e 
 27th, 1748. He was killed by a horfe when a 
 boy. 
 
 Thomas Hart was married to Alice, daughter of 
 Stephen Rickets, a labourer of Stratford in 1752. 
 He was brought up to his father's bufmefs, a turner, 
 and married at the age of 23, in the year 1753. He 
 came into poffeffion of the premiffes where his im- 
 mortal relation was born, which he repaired, and 
 went and refided at the Swan and Maidenhead Inn 
 himfelf, which inn he kept fome time ; but the pub- 
 
68 Jordan's memoirs 
 
 lick bufinefs not anfwering the expectation, he de- 
 clined it, and went to refide in another part of the 
 premiffes where his great uncle Shakefpeare Hart 
 had refided, and where it is faid the poet Shakefpeare 
 was born ; where he ftill continues to refide, and is 
 in the 6 1 year of his age, and he carries on the turn- 
 ing bufinefs by keeping a journeyman, but his prin- 
 cipal profeffion is dealing in pigs. He fome years 
 fmce fold part of the premiffes to Mr. Payton, who 
 appropriated part of the ground to the White Lion 
 Inn to which it adjoins, and the buildings are divided 
 into fmall tenements, which are let to different peo- 
 ple. He is in perfon rather corpulent, and is fubjecT: 
 to the gout ; but in other refpects healthy, with a 
 ftrong conftitution. His mental faculties are not 
 adorned with ideas fufficient to make his company or 
 converfation agreeable or defired by thofe who are 
 happily poffeffed with fuperior talents and more re- 
 fined fentiments. So carelefs and ignorant is he of 
 his kindred to the immortal Shakfpeare, that he does 
 not know in what degree he is related to him. 
 
 Iffue of Thomas Hart and A lice his wife, daughter 
 of Stephen Rickets. 
 
 i. Sarah, daughter of Thos. Hart, baptized Oclr. 
 y e 8th, 1753. She went to London, and was married 
 
OF SHAKESPEARE. 69 
 
 to one Jofeph Marl, a taylor, and native of the 
 Ifland of Jerfey, who had been a lieutenant of ma- 
 rines. She died in 1779, without iffue. 
 
 2. John, fon of Thomas Hart and Alice his wife, 
 was baptized Auguft the 18th, 1755. He, in the year 
 1770, went a voyage to China with an uncle, who 
 was husband to his aunt Anne, and an officer of an 
 Indiaman. But John Hart, not liking a feafaring 
 life, he never faild another voyage, but went to im- 
 prove himfelf in the turning bufmefs at Tewksbury, 
 where he married his matter's daughter, named 
 Richardfon ; after which he fet up in trade for him- 
 felf, but was obliged to decline, and went to London, 
 where he was foreman of a fhop, till his father-in-law 
 dying in 1789, about Michaelmas, he returned to 
 Tewksbury, where, I believe, he ftill continues. He 
 has by his wife three children, one of whom is named 
 Shakfpeare. 
 
 3. Mary, daughter of Thomas Hart, was married 
 to a private foldier in the 6th regiment of foot, and 
 fhe is dead without iffue. 
 
 4. Frances, daughter of Thomas Hart, baptized 
 Augt. 8, 1760. She died young. 
 
 5. Thomas, fon of Thomas Hart, baptized Augt. 
 10, 1764. He is now living and married, and is a 
 butcher in Alcefter. 
 
70 JORDAN S MEMOIRS. 
 
 6. Nanny, daughter of Thomas Hart, was bap- 
 tized Jany. y e 16, 1767. 
 
 7. Jane, daughter of Thomas Hart ; fhe is now 
 in fervice at the fign of the Unicorn Inn, Strat- 
 ford. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 TT^HE following is a true and perfect copy of a fpiritual 
 -*- will, teftament, proteftation, profeffion, and confeffion 
 of faith, of John Shakefpeare, found under the tiling in the 
 houfe where he refided and where his children were born, 
 on the 29th day of April, 1757, by Jofeph Molly, a brick- 
 layer of Stratford, who was then repairing the houfe for 
 Thomas Hart. 
 
 I. 
 
 In the name of God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoft, 
 the moft holy and bleffed Virgin Mary, mother of God, the 
 holy hoft of archangels, angels, patriarchs, prophets, evan- 
 gelifts, apoftles, faints, martyrs, and all the cceleftial court 
 and company of Heaven, Amen. I, John Shakefpere, an 
 unworthy member of the holy Catholick religion, being at 
 this my prefent writing in perfect health of body and 
 found mind, memory and underftanding ; but calling to 
 mind the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, and 
 that I may be poffibly cut off in the bloffome of my fins, 
 and called to render an account of all my tranfgreffions ex- 
 ternally and internally, and that I may be unprepared for 
 the dreadful trial, either by facrament, pennance, fafting, 
 or prayer, or any other purgation. Whatever do in the 
 holy prefence above fpecified, of my own free and volun- 
 tary accord, make and ordaine this my laft fpiritual will, 
 
72 APPENDIX. 
 
 teftament, confeffion, proteftation, and profeffion of faith ; 
 hoping hereby to receive pardon for all my finnes and 
 offences ; and thereby to be made partaker of life ever- 
 lafting, through the only merits of Jefus Chrift my Saviour 
 and Redeemer, who took upon himfelf the likenefs of man, 
 fuffered death and was crucified upon the crofs for the re- 
 demption of finners. 
 
 II. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, do by this prefent freely 
 
 acknowledge and confefs that in my pafb life I have been a 
 moft abominable and grievous finner, and therefore un- 
 worthy to be forgiven without a true and fincere repentance 
 for the fame. But trufting in the manifold mercies of my 
 bleffed Saviour and Redeemer, I am encouraged by relying 
 on his facred word to hope for falvation, and be made a 
 partaker of his heavenly kingdom, as a member of the 
 cceleftial company of angels, faints, and martyrs, there to 
 refide for ever and ever in the court of my God. 
 
 III. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe by this prefent proteft, 
 declare that I am certain I muft paffe out of this tranfitory 
 life into another that will to eternity, I do hereby moft 
 humbly implore and intreat my good and guardian angel 
 to inftru6l me in this my folemn preparation, proteftation, 
 and confeffion of faith, at leaft fpiritually, in will adoring 
 and moft humbly befeeching my Saviour that he will be 
 pleafed to affift me in fo dangerous a voyage, to defend me 
 from the fnares and deceites of my infernall enemies, and 
 to conduci me to the fecure haven of his eternall bliffe. 
 
APPENDIX. 73 
 
 IV. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe proteft that I will alfo 
 paffe out of this life armed with the laft facrament of ex- 
 treme unction : the which, if through any let or hinderance 
 I mould not be able* to have, I doe now alfo for that time 
 demand and crave the fame, befeeching his Divine Majefty 
 that he will be pleafed to anoint my fenfes both internall 
 and externall with the facred oyle of his infinite mercy, and 
 to pardon me all my fins,f by feeing, fpeaking, feeling, J 
 fmelling, hearing, touching, or by any other way whatfoever. 
 
 V. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe by this my§ prefent proteft, 
 that I will || not through any temptation whatfoever defpair 
 of the divine goodnefs for the multitude and greatneffe of 
 my finnes, for which although I confeffe that I have de- 
 ferred hell, yet will I ftedfaftly hope in God's infinite mercy, 
 knowinge that he hathe heretofore pardoned as many and 
 as greate finners as myfelf, whereof I have good warrant, 
 dealed with his ^[ mouth in Holy Writ, whereby he pro- 
 nounceth that he is not come to call the juft but finners, 
 
 VI. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe proteft that I doe not 
 know that I have ever done any good worke meritorious of 
 
 * Another copy introduces the word " then" here, 
 f The fame introduces " committed" here. 
 % Ditto "feeling," inftead of " jufting. 
 § " My" omitted in the other copy. 
 || " Never," inftead of "not," in other copy. 
 1" " Sacred" introduced here. 
 L 
 
74 APPENDIX. 
 
 life everlafting, and if I have done any I do acknowledge 
 that I have done it with a great e deale of negligence and 
 imperfection ; neither ihoiild I have been able to have done 
 the leaft without the afliftance of his divine grace. Where- 
 fore let the divell remain confounded ; for I doe in no wife 
 prefume to merit heaven by fuch good workes alone, but 
 through the merits and bloud of my Lord and Saviour 
 Jefus fhed upon the Croffe for me moft miferable fmner. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, do protefh by this prefent 
 writing, that I will patiently endure and fufifer all kind of 
 infirmity, ficknefs, yea, and the paine of death itfelf, where 
 in if it mould happen [which God forbid] that through 
 violence of pain, agony, or by fubtilety of the devill, I 
 mould fall into any impatience or temptation of blafphemy 
 or murmuration againft God or Catholick faith, or give any 
 figne of bad example, I doe henceforth and for the prefent 
 repent me, and am moft heartily forry for the fame, and I 
 doe renounce all the evill whatfoever* I might have then 
 done or faid, befeeching his divine clemency that he will 
 not forfake me in that grievous and painfull agony. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpeare, by virtue of this prefent tefta- 
 ment, I doe pardon all the injuries and offences that any 
 one hath ever done unto me, either in myf reputation, 
 goods, J or any other way whatfoever, befeeching fweet 
 Jefus to pardon them for the fame, and I doe defire that 
 
 * " Which" in another copy. f " My" omitted in ditto. 
 
 t " life" occurs here in ditto. 
 
APPENDIX. 75 
 
 they will doe the fame* by me whom I have offended or 
 injured in any fort howfoever. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe heere proteft that I doe 
 render infinite thanks to his Divine Majefty, for all the be- 
 nefitts that I have received, as well fecret as manifeft, and 
 in particular for the benefitt of my creation, redemption, 
 fanclification, confervation and vocation to the holy know- 
 ledge of him and his true Catholicke faith, but above all 
 for his foe great expectations of me to penance, where he 
 might moft juftly have taken me out of this life when I 
 leaft thought of it, yea even then when I was plunged in 
 the dirtyf puddle of my finnes. Bleffed be therefore and 
 praifed for ever his infinite patience and charity. 
 
 x. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe proteft that I am willing, 
 yea I doe infinitely defire and humbly crave, that of this 
 my laft will and teftament the glorious and ever bleffed 
 Virgin Mary, mother of God, refuge and advocate of fin- 
 ners (whom I honour fpecially above all other faints) may 
 be the chief executreffe, together with thefe other faints and 
 patrons (Saint Winifrida) all whom I invoke and befeech 
 to be prefent at the hour of my death, that fhe and they 
 may comfort me with their defired prefence, and crave 
 fweet Jefus that he will receive my foul into peace. 
 
 XL 
 Item, in virtue of this prefent writing, I, John Shake- 
 
 * Occurs in another copy for " fame/' " like." 
 f " Durty" in another copy. 
 
J6 APPENDIX. 
 
 fpere, doe likewife moft willingly and with all humility con- 
 ftitute and ordaine my good angell for defender and pro- 
 tector of my foul in the dreadfull day of judgement, when 
 the final} fentence of eternal life and death fhall be dif- 
 cuffed and given, befeeching him that as my foule was ap- 
 pointed to his cuftody and protection when I lived, even 
 foe he will vouchfafe to defend the fame in that hour, and 
 conduct it to eternall bliffe. 
 
 XII. 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe in like manner praye and 
 befeech all my dear friends, parents and kinsfolkes, by the 
 bowels of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, that, fince it is uncertain 
 what lot will befall me, for fear notwithftanding leaft by 
 reafon of my fmnes I be to paffe and ftay a long while in 
 purgatory, they will vouchfafe to affift and favour* me 
 with their holy prayers and fatisfactory workes, efpecially 
 with the holy facrifice of the maffe, as being the moft 
 effectuall meanes to deliver fouls from their torments and 
 paines, from the which, if I fhall by Gods gracious good- 
 nefs and bye their vertuous workes be delivered, I doe 
 promife that I will not be ungratefull for fo great a benefitt. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Item, I, John Shakefpere, doe, by this my lafh will and 
 teftament, bequeath my foule, as foone as it fhall be de- 
 livered and loofened from the prifon of this my body, to be 
 entombed in the fweet and amorous coffin of the fide of 
 Jefus Chrift, and that in this lyfe havingef fepulchre is my 
 
 * " Succour," inftead of " favour," in another copy. 
 f " Giving," inftead of " having," in another copy. 
 
APPENDIX. J? 
 
 reft, and live perpetually inclofed in that eternal habita- 
 tion of repofe, there to bleffe for ever and ever that direfull 
 iron of the launce, which like a "Jliarp cutting* razor 
 formed" fo fweet and pleafant a monument within the 
 facred breaft of my Lord and Saviour. 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Item, laftly, I, John Shakefpere, doe proteft that I will 
 willingly accept of death in what manner foever it may 
 befall me, confirmingt my will unto the will of God ; 
 accepting of the fame in fatisfa<5tion of my finnes, and 
 giving thanks unto his divine Majefty for the like J he 
 hath beftowed upon, and if it pleafe him to prolong or 
 fhorten the fame, bleffed be he alfoe a thoufand, thoufand 
 times ; into whofe moft holy handes I commend my foule 
 and bodye, my life and death, and befeech him above all 
 things that he never permitt any change to be made by 
 me, John Shakefpeare, of this my laft§ will and teftament.|| 
 
 I, John Shakefpere, have made this prefent writing of 
 proteftation, confeffion and charter in prefence of the bleffed 
 Virgin Mary, my angel guardian and all the celeftial court 
 as witneffes hereunto, the which my meaninge is that it be 
 of full value now prefently and for ever with the force and 
 virtue of teftament, codicill and donation in caufe^[ of death, 
 confirminge it a new beinge in perfect health of foul and 
 bodye, and figned with my** owne hand, carryinge alfo the 
 
 * " Charge in a canfore formes" in another copy. 
 
 f " Conforming," inftead of " confirming." % " Life," inftead of " like." 
 
 § " Aforefaid," inftead of laft." || Add "Amen." 
 
 % " Courfe," inftead of " caufe." ** " Mine," inftead of "my." 
 
78 APPENDIX. 
 
 fame about me ; and for the better declaration thereof, my 
 will and intention is that it be finally buried with me after 
 my death. Pater nofter, Ave Maria, credo Jefu [line ends] 
 fon of David have mercy on me Amen. [2nd line ends] 
 
 ( Shakefpeare s Will follows here). 
 
 N.B. An inventory of the poet's effects might be pleafing, 
 which perhaps might be found in the Prerogative Court, 
 where the will is depofited. 
 
 The court copy, from which the above will is extracted, 
 is wrote in a very old hand, and feems to have been pro- 
 cured foon after his death, and probably by one of his 
 nephews, as it was put into the hands of Mary Smith by 
 Shakefpeare Hart at the time he mortgaged the premiffes 
 to her, by which means it came into my poffeffion, my wife 
 being grand-daughter to the faid Mary Smith. The court 
 copy of Lady Barnard's will is wrote in a more modern 
 hand, and was certainly obtained many years after that of 
 her grandfather ; though by the writing it mufh have been 
 foon after her death; and I have been told by Thomas Hart 
 his great grandfather George attempted to recover New 
 Place by virtue of his great uncle's, the poet's, will. 
 
 Probatum fuit tefhamentum fuprafcriptum apud aedes 
 Exonienfes fcituat' in le Strand in comitatu Middx. quarto 
 die menfis Martii anno millimo fexcenteffimo novo Domni 
 juxta eos coram venerabili viro domino Egidio fuerit militi 
 et legam doctore. Surro to Venelis et Egidii dum Sedlim 
 Jenkins militis etiam legum do6lore & curiae prerogative 
 Cant, magiftri cufhodis five commiffarii Itand conftitute 
 juramento Edwardi Bayley, executorum 
 
APPENDIX. 79 
 
 teftamento cur' comiffa creditor difun6li 
 
 die 
 
 The reft of this probate is fo torn that it is impoffible to 
 read it 
 
 There was a family of the name of Shakefpeare lived in 
 the parifh of Hampton Lucy, as appears by the regifters of 
 Stratford and Hampton. 
 
 Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Shakefpeare of Hamp- 
 ton, was baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon Feb. y e ioth, 
 
 1583- 
 
 From the Hampton Regifter 1583. 
 
 June the 4th was baptized Lettyce, daughter of Henry 
 Shakefpeare of Ingeon. 
 
 1585. James, fon of Henry Shakefpeare of Ingeon. 
 
 1589. James, fon of Henry Shakefpeare, was buried. 
 
 From this it may be gueffed that Henry and Anthony 
 were brothers, and refided on two of the farms at Ingeon, 
 in the parifh of Hampton Lucy : there are 4 farms of that 
 name adjoining to each other; one was Sir Hugh Clopton's, 
 and was fold to Mr. Gafbrell with New Place, and in 1788 
 was purchafed by Charles Henry Hunt of Stratford, Efq., 
 Clerk of the Peace for the county of Warwick. 
 
 The next is a farm belonging to Mr. Thomas Farren, 
 who occupies it himfelf. 
 
 The next formerly belonged to the family of Cookfey, 
 from whom it came to Mr. Woolmer, many years town- 
 clerk of Stratford, who left it to an only daughter, Catharine, 
 who was married to William Makepeace, Efq., counfellor- 
 at-law, and dying without iffue, the eftate came to the Rev. 
 
80 APPENDIX. 
 
 Henry Wigley, Efq., of Spendfham in the county of Wor- 
 cefter, father of Edmund Wigley, Efq., M.P. for the city of 
 Worcefter. 
 
 The fourth eftate at Ingeon belongs to one Richard 
 Hazlewood, and there is a large clofe of meadow ground 
 which was purchafed by Mary Smith of Stratford (called 
 Shakefpeare's Clofe), who was grandmother to my wife, 
 from whom it defcended to Samuel Smith, her heir, who 
 now enjoys it. 
 
 Statues, bufts, and paintings of Shakefpeare in Stratford 
 and its vicinity. 
 
 1. A ftone buft to the waift. See defcription of his mo- 
 nument in the church. 
 
 2. A portrait painting, down to the waift, over the gate- 
 way at the White Lion Inn, with the following lines. 
 
 Here fweeteft Shakefpeare, Fancy's child, 
 Warbled his native wood notes wild. 
 
 3. A fine whole length ftatue of lead, by Kent, in a niche 
 at the north end of the Town-hall, facing the High Street. 
 It gives the bard in a graceful and eafy attitude, leaning on 
 fome books upon a pillar, and pointing to a fcroll on which 
 are the following lines, taken from the Midfnmmer Night's 
 Dream. 
 
 The poet's eye, &c. 
 
 And a name. 
 On the bafe, 
 
 " Take him, &c. 
 
 again." 
 
APPENDIX. 8 1 
 
 4. A fine painting within fide the hall, by Wilfon, of the 
 whole length of the bard, feated in a ftudious poffcure with 
 a pen in his hand ; the drapery is very fine, and the coun- 
 tenance fo expreffive, it is beyond the power of any writer 
 to defcribe, unlefs he could catch thofe fparks of infpiration 
 that illuminated " the mufe of fire," that warmed the bound- 
 lefs genius of immortall Shakefpeare. 
 
 There is a very good copy of this picture in miniature, 
 painted by Mr. Edward Grubb, a very ingenious artift of 
 Stratford, in the poffeffion of Mr. Thomas Taylor, auc- 
 tioneer. 
 
 4. The fign of Shakfpeare's Head at the inn which bears 
 his name in Stratford, painted by Mr. Grubb, taken from 
 the engraving in Hemminge and Condell's edition of his 
 works, in the poffeffion of the Rev. Jofeph Greene,* A.M., 
 rector of Welford in Gloucefterfhire, near Stratford, with 
 thefe lines : — 
 
 Done from an ancient print 
 Wherein the graver had a ftrife 
 With Nature to out -do the life. 
 
 Ben Jonson. 
 
 5. A fine miniature painting of his monument in the 
 church, by Mrs. Grubb, in the poffeffion of the Rev. Mr. 
 Greene of Welford. 
 
 6. A painting in crayons, by Mr. Grubb, copied from the 
 engraving in Hemming and Condell's edition, in the pof- 
 feffion of the Rev. Mr. Wigley of Stendfham. 
 
 * Mr. Greene has alfo a likenefs of the buft taken off by himfelf with 
 plaifter of Paris. 
 
 M 
 
APPENDIX. 83 
 
 Paffage omitted after the account of the anecdotes of 
 the Combes. 
 
 A man of fo much pleafantry and fuch great good nature 
 and benevolence as Shakefpeare was, certainly much de- 
 parted from his general character in thefe two inftances, by 
 making the Combes the fubject of a cruel mirth, when en- 
 compaffed with their friends and neighbours, who met, we 
 may fuppofe, only to promote cheerfulnefs and good hu- 
 mour. The fo long remembering Sir Thomas Lucy's ani- 
 mofity againft him when an extravagant young man, is 
 alfo another circumftance that mows the poet was fome- 
 times alive to refentment ; this was ihewed indeed only in 
 words, but they were moft fharp biting ones. It (hews, by 
 the poet's retiring from the bufy fcene of London, where he 
 might have accumulated a much larger fortune, that he 
 loved the pleafures of rural life beyond all the luxuries of 
 the metropolis, and that a moderate fortune fufhcient to 
 fupport him as a gentleman was the utmoft of his wifh. 
 His conduct may be juftly likened to the old Romans, for 
 after having ferved the public for many years, and acquired 
 both to himfelf and his nation immortal fame, he retired 
 with his laurels ftill growing to his native plains, and culti- 
 vated that land whofe produce had fupported him from his 
 infancy to manhood. Yes, he who was the admiration of 
 majefty and the companion of peers, became the occupier 
 of a farm, which he f from his own unbounded genius had 
 
84 APPENDIX. 
 
 acquired : from this he no doubt received the moft rational 
 of pleafures ; this happy retirement did not continue many 
 years before he fell into a decline, when he made his will, 
 and probably fitted himfelf every other way for that change 
 that mortality muft once make, which happened to him 
 April y e 23rd, 1616. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 T. RICHARDS, 37, GREAT QUEEN STREET. 
 
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