Parish register entry recording Richard Shakespeare's burial

Richard, William Shakespeare’s brother, was buried on February 4, 1613, according to the Holy Trinity Church parish register. Next to the entry, an “X” added by a later hand highlights its significance. He was nearly 39 years old. As with his older brother Gilbert, who had died almost exactly a year before, Richard, as far as is known, left no will nor did his estate require administration, suggesting that he was not maintaining an establishment of his own but living with his brother William at New Place.  His cause of death is unknown, but the mortality rate that winter (28 burials during the months December–February) was higher than the 23 burials over the same period the previous winter. The man writing the entries from September 1612 and for some 12 months afterwards has not been identified.