Order of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation concerning the election of John Wheeler as Bailiff, witnessed by those members present, including John Shakespeare

On September 27, 1564, John Shakespeare was one of ten capital burgesses included in a list of those witnessing an order. The order arose out of difficulties over the election of bailiff for the following twelve months, to some extent the result of an outbreak of plague earlier in the year. 

On July 7, 1564, when William Shakespeare was a little over ten weeks old, plague broke out in Stratford. It was most deadly in September, but it was not until February the following year that the worst was over. On August 30, to reduce the chances of infection, the Corporation met in the Chapel garden (Minutes and Accounts, i, p. 130). Only 14 (of the 28) members attended the next meeting held on September 6, and 15 on September 20 (Minutes and Accounts, i, pp. 131–2).

This poor attendance caused particular difficulty with the election of new officers. Elections usually took place at a major Corporation meeting in September which in 1564, fell on September 6, when only 14 members were present. Nevertheless, they elected John Wheeler, who was absent, to be bailiff for the coming year (Minutes and Accounts, i, p. 131).

However, by the time of the next poorly-attended meeting on September 20 (Minutes and Accounts, i, p. 132), news had reached the Corporation that Wheeler (still absent) was unwilling to serve. This led to another poorly-attended meeting, on September 27 (Minutes and Accounts, i, pp. 132–3) which resulted in the order shown here.

This order instructed Wheeler to attend a Corporation meeting on September 29 to discuss his election, and to take the bailiff’s oath at a further meeting on October 4. There is no record that either of these meetings took place. However, at the following meeting on October 20, Richard Hill was sworn in as bailiff instead, and Wheeler excused the fines he had incurred for his non-attendance since September 6 (Minutes and Accounts, i, pp. 134–5).

The account of the Corporation meeting held of September 27 was entered on page 371 of the Corporation’s order book in its correct chronological sequence. However, the order shown here, issued as the result of the same meeting, was separately entered on page 5 of the Corporation’s order book and has some puzzling features. The account of the meeting on page 371 records only 16 members of the Corporation as present, but 19 members signed the order on page 5. Moreover, the signed order omits one member who had been listed as present, thus creating a discrepancy of four. Whether this was the result of poor record keeping or of soliciting of support after the event is unclear.

The right-hand column of the order shown here lists the capital burgesses present when the order was signed. All the capital burgesses simply made marks, except William Brace who signed at the top. In the left-hand column five out of 10 aldermen added personal signatures, with Lewis ap Williams adding his sophisticated “church gable” mark.

Interest naturally focuses on the mark of John Shakespeare, who is the second capital burgess listed. The mark to the left of his name, resembling a letter “A,” was probably the “Sign manuell” of George Whateley, bailiff, whose name tops the left-hand column. If the mark below the “A” was Thomas Dixon’s, then the “glover’s compasses” to the right of Dixon’s name could have been added by John Shakespeare whose name occurs in the line above.