Shakespeare purchased New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford-upon-Avon, from William Underhill in 1597. He also purchased other properties, including one in London near the Blackfriars playhouse--the indoor theater where his acting company performed. The Blackfriars gatehouse, purchased from Henry Walker in 1613, may have been an investment by the business-savvy Shakespeare or a convenient London residence. This section includes documents relating to these two purchases, and to many other purchases as well.
All Documents
ca. August 1, 1606
SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTED IS STILL GROWING! Descriptive content and transcriptions will continue to be added, updated and expanded. Check back for regular updates!
ca. July 1605 - January 1608
On January 16, 1598 the Corporation entered a survey of its property into the “Bridge Book” (Minutes and Accounts, v, pp. 124-31).
ca. 1609
A messy note, included on the back of a 1572 lease, informs us of the extent of Shakespeare’s property at New Place. Shakespeare purchased New Place in 1597, which stood on the corner of Chapel Street and Chapel Lane.
July 20, 1609
John Shakespeare’s property in Henley Street, inherited by his son William in 1601, and now known as the Birthplace, had a frontage of about 90 feet. When an urban property changed hands, its boundaries were often defined by reference to neighboring properties.
September 9, 1609
Thomas Greene, a Middle Temple lawyer, was appointed Stratford’s steward in August 1603. He clearly settled in the town at that point, but until September 1609 there is no record of where he lived.
1610
SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTED IS STILL GROWING! Descriptive content and transcriptions will continue to be added, updated and expanded. Check back for regular updates!
October 5, 1611
Following John Shakespeare’s death in 1601, and perhaps for a year or two earlier, the Shakespeare family’s property in Henley Street (now known was the Birthplace) was let out to tenants.
February 1611
Late in 1610 Richard Lane, William Shakespeare and Thomas Greene had filed a complaint in Chancery seeking to ensure that all those with interests in property (principally the Stratford tithes) formerly belonging to the Stratford College should be required to contribute to
ca. Easter 1610 - Hilary 1611
SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTED IS STILL GROWING! Descriptive content and transcriptions will continue to be added, updated and expanded. Check back for regular updates!
ca. late 1610 - early 1611
This document is a draft of a bill of complaint to be submitted to the Court of Chancery regarding annuity payments on property relating to the 1544 lease of the Stratford tithes.
