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Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
ca. November 4,
1598

BRU15/1/131 recto

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BRU15/1/131 recto
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Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

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Document-specific information
Creator: Adrian Quiney
Title: Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
Date: ca. November 4, 1598
Repository: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/131
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Item Creator
Adrian Quiney
Item Title
Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
Item Date
October 1598
Repository
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call Number
BRU15/1/131

BRU15/1/131 verso

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BRU15/1/131 verso
Click image to enlarge

Institution Rights and Document Citation

 

Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk

Document-specific information
Creator: Adrian Quiney
Title: Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
Date: ca. November 4, 1598
Repository: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/131
View online bibliographic record

Item Creator
Adrian Quiney
Item Title
Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
Item Date
October 1598
Repository
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call Number
BRU15/1/131

Institution Rights and Document Citation

 

Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk

Document-specific information
Creator: Adrian Quiney
Title: Miscellaneous documents: Stratford-upon-Avon corporation
Date: ca. November 4, 1598
Repository: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU15/1/131
View online bibliographic record

Robert Bearman, "Letter from Adrian Quiney to his son Richard Quiney including a reference to possible negotiations with William Shakespeare on financial matters," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/442.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU15/1/131. See Shakespeare Documentedhttps://doi.org/10.37078/442.

While in London in the autumn of 1598, Richard Quiney received five letters from his father Adrian. Four are dated (October 20 and 29, November 10 and 18). The fifth, shown here, bears no date but, with its reference to dealings with William Shakespeare, probably postdates the news, received in Stratford on October 31, that Richard Quiney had been in discussion with William Shakespeare on financial matters.

Adrian’s letters to his son are almost entirely taken up with news about the family’s business affairs. He begins the present one with a reference to a debt owed by Richard Lane (first mentioned in the letter of October 20) which, as Lane had received some money from Sir Francis Smith of Wootton Wawen, might now be repaid. He continues with some property matters, including a mention of Cecily Bainton, the widow of Richard’s step-brother.

Adrian’s most intriguing reference, however, relates to discussions he implies were under way with William Shakespeare and which might result in an accession of funds: “Yff yowe bargeyn with mr Shakespeare or Receave money.” However, unlike Daniel Baker, whose November 24 letter to Richard Quiney references possible uses for funds in London, Adrian urges his son to “bryng your money home” as he had heard that profits could be made locally in the buying and selling of knit hose. Indeed, Adrian had recently learned that “Edward Wheat and Harrye your brother man’ (Richard’s sister Ann had married William Wheat of Coventry) had spent £20 at Evesham in “knyte hosse Wherefore I thynke yow maye doo good yff yow can have money.”

Semi-diplomatic transcription

[recto]

yowe shalle god wyllying Receve from youre wyfe by Mr baylye thys berer aswrance
of xs y she wold helpe have yow to bye some grocerye yff hyt be Resonabl
yow maye have carryage by a woman who I wyllyd to come to yow Mr Layne by
Report hath Received a great sum of money of Mr Smyth of Wotten but wylle not
be known of hyt & denyed to lend your wyfe any but hys wyffe saye sayd
that he had Received vli which was gevyn hyr & wyshed hym to lend that to your wyfe
which he dyd she hopyth to mayke Evysham to paye Mr Combes & all the Rest
I wrot to yowe concerning Ihon Rogersse the howsse goethe greatlye to dekaye
aske cecillie therein & doe somewhat therein as she ys in doubt that Mr Parsonsse wylle
not paye the 3li 13s 4d wherefore wryte to hym yffe yowe maye
have carryage to bye some such warys as yow may selle presently at profit
yffe yowe R bargen with Mr Shakespear or Receave money there or bryng your money home
w yow maye I see howe knite stockynges be sold ther ys grete byinge of them at Evysham
Edward Wheat & Harrye your brother man were both at Evysham thysdaye sent
& as I hearde bestow 20li there in knyte hosse hosse Wherefore I thynke
yow maye doo good yff yow can have money

[verso, endorsed]

To my lovynge sonne
Rycharde Qwyney at
the belle in Carter
Layne deliver thesse
in London

Written by Robert Bearman

 

Sources

E.I. Fripp and Richard Savage, Draft manuscript of proposed edition of "The Quiney Papers," ER102/4/1, pp. 51-6 (No. 23), Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Last updated May 11, 2020