Shakespeare purchases the Blackfriars Gatehouse: Index to Grantees

In March 1613 William Shakespeare and three associates agreed to purchase the Gatehouse of the former Dominican priory in London known as “Blackfriars” from Henry Walker for the sum of £140. The indenture of bargain and sale is dated March 10. The same group agreed to a mortgage, dated March 11, for the property in the amount of £60, implying that the buyers put up only £80 at the time of sale. For a discussion of these transactions, and a description of the property, see “Shakespeare purchases the Blackfriars Gatehouse.”

On March 11, 1613, after all relevant documents were signed, Walker went to the Rolls Office on Chancery Lane to have the indenture of bargain and sale enrolled.

Alphabetical indexes to the enrollments, somewhat crude by modern standards, were maintained by office clerks as finding lists. Shown here, in the Index to Grantees, three relevant entries occur for the year 11 James I, or 1613, two under “I/J”, one under “H”, and one under “S” (temporarily, only the image for the “S” entry is shown here; the other two will be supplied):

Left Margin: Hemynge
Indentura facta Johanni Hemynge et alijs per Henricum Walker

Left Margin:  Johnson / Jackson
Indentura facta Willelmo Johnson Johanni Jackson et alijs
per Henricum Walker

Left Margin: Shakespeare
Indentura facta Willelmo Shakespeare  Willelmo Johnson
Johanni Jackson et Johanni Hemynge per Henricum Walker

These entries may be compared to the single entry in Index to Grantors.