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Record of a meeting of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation, attended by John Shakespeare

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Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
December 20,
1564
Contributed by
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

BRU2/1 Corp. Rec., Council Book A 1555-1594, p. 355

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BRU2/1 Corp. Rec., Council Book A 1555-1594, p. 355
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Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

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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
Title:  Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
Date: December 20, 1564
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU2/1,  p. 355
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Item Title
Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
Item Date
December 20, 1564
Repository
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call Number
BRU2/1, p. 355
Online Record
View online bibliographic record
TAGS: Shakespeare's family, Shakespeare, John, -1601, 1560s, Manuscript, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
DOI:
doi.org/10.37078/504

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
Title:  Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
Date: December 20, 1564
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU2/1,  p. 355
View online bibliographic record

Robert Bearman, "Record of a meeting of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation, attended by John Shakespeare," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/504.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU2/1 Corp. Rec., Council Book A 1555-1594,  p. 355. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/504.

The outbreak of plague in July 1564, meant that fewer members of the Corporation attended its subsequent meetings. Attendance reached its lowest point on December 20, shown here, when only 13 were present. The aldermen are listed in the left-hand column (seven present and seven absent) and the capital burgesses in the right-hand column (six present and seven absent). Five of the absent burgesses were fined 12 pence apiece. The other two were excused, as were all seven absent aldermen. The entry is in the hand of an anonymous deputy to the steward, Richard Symons; Symons himself had not attended a meeting, including this one, since the beginning of the outbreak. The writer carelessly misdated the entry as December 20 in the “syxt” year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign (i.e. 1563) instead of the seventh year. 

John Shakespeare had been recorded as present at all the meetings held during this crisis period, as had his fellow chamberlain John Taylor.

 
[Misdated as the sixth (instead of the seventh) year of Elizabeth’s reign thus leading to the incorrect pencil note made later. In 1563 the bailiff was George Whateley who is here listed simply as an alderman]

Semi-diplomatic transcription

A Halle holden in the Counsell Chamber of stratford vppon Avon
the xxti day of December in the Syxt yere of the Reigne of oure
Souereign lady Elizabeth by the grace of god Quene of englond
ffrance & Irelond Defendor of the ffeyth etc.

Aldermen beyng then present         Burgesys beyng then present

Mr Balye                                  Iohn leywys
Mr Alderman                           Wylliam Brace
Mr Smyth                                 Thomas Dyxon
Mr George Whaytley               Iohn Sadler
Mr Cawdrey                             Robert Sallesbery
Mr Quyney                              Iohn Shaxspere
Mr Bott

Aldermen absent:                           Burgesys absent:

pardon'  Mr Jeffereys           xijd       Wyllyam Smyth Haberdassher
pardon'  Mr Parrett               xijd       William Smyth Cordyner
pardon'  Mr Sadler               xijd        Iohn Bell
pardon'  Mr Plymley            pardon' Iohn Icheuer
pardon'  Mr Wheler             xijd       Thomas Berber
pardon'  Mr Bratt                 pardon' Richard Symons
pardon'  Mr Tyler                xijd       Iohn Taylor

Written by Robert Bearman

Last updated May 14, 2020

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