Gilbert Shakespeare, William Shakespeare’s younger brother, witnesses a Stratford-upon-Avon deed

On March 5, 1610 Gilbert Shakespeare, one of William Shakespeare’s younger brothers, witnessed the deed shown here as a Stratford resident. His signature, in a neat hand, indicates a sound education probably provided at the town’s grammar school. It is the only example of his handwriting currently known.

There is no obvious reason why Gilbert Shakespeare was called on to witness this document. The deed relates to a house, managed as a tavern by Margery Lord, and situated in Middle Row (a row of houses which once ran down the center of modern-day Bridge Street). Margery, with her son by an earlier marriage, Richard Smith, alias Court, a butcher, was selling the freehold to the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation (the sale was completed on March 20). However, both Margery and Richard took care to protect their interests, firstly by securing Richard’s tenancy of the house for twenty-one years. However, as this document makes clear, Margery also leased to her son, for 99 years at an annual rent of 2 pence, a small piece of ground in the cellar of her tavern supporting the base of “a chymneye now in the hall of the dwelling house of the saide Richard.” Other deeds confirm that this house stood in Middle Row to the west of Margery Lord’s tavern.

Not a great deal is known about the other witnesses but William Bellamy was described elsewhere as a horse-rider living in Rother Street (Minutes and Accounts, vi, 446, 450). Richard Wylling has not otherwise been traced.

Little is known about Gilbert Shakespeare’s life but, after trying out his hand as a haberdasher in London in the 1590s, he appears to have returned to Stratford, ca. 1600, in time to act, in Shakespeare’s absence, as the man to whom “seisin” (a formal procedure for taking possession) was granted of the 107 acres which Shakespeare had purchased from John Combe in May 1602. As far as is known, he remained in Stratford until his death in February 1612.