Shakespeare of Stratford/The Biographical Facts/Fact 58
LVIII. SHAKESPEARE PURCHASES A HOUSE IN BLACKFRIARS, LONDON (1618).
Deed from Henry Walker to Shakespeare and his Trustees, March 10, 1613.
This indenture, made the tenth day of March in the year of our Lord God, according to the computation of the Church of England, one thousand, six hundred and twelve [i.e. 1613] . . . between Henry Walker, citizen and minstrel of London, of the one party, and William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon in the county of Warwick, gentleman, William Johnson, citizen and vintner of London, John Jackson, and John Hemmyng of London, gentlemen, of the other party, Witnesseth that the said Henry Walker, for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and forty pounds of lawful money of England to him in hand before the ensealing hereof by the said William Shakespeare well and truly paid . . ., hath bargained and sold, and by these presents doth fully, clearly and absolutely bargain and sell unto the said William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemmyng, their heirs and assigns for ever all that dwelling-house or tenement, with the appurtenances, situate and being within the precinct, circuit, and compass of the late Black Friars, London, sometimes [i.e. formerly] in the tenure of James Gardyner, Esq., and since that in the tenure of John Fortescue, Gent., and now or late being in the tenure or occupation of one William Ireland, or of his assignee or assigns, abutting upon a street leading down to Puddle Wharf on the east part, right against the King’s Majesty’s Wardrobe; part of which said tenement is erected over a great gate leading to a capital messuage which sometime was in the tenure of William Blackwell, Esq., deceased, and since that in the tenure or occupation of the Right Honorable Henry, now Earl of Northumberland; and also all that plot of ground on the west side of the said tenement, which was lately enclosed with boards on two sides thereof by Anne Bacon, widow . . . which said dwelling-house or tenement, and other the premises above by these presents mentioned to be bargained and sold, the said Henry Walker late purchased and had to him, his heirs and assigns for ever, of Mathie Bacon, of Gray’s Inn in the county of Midd., gentleman, by indenture bearing date the fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord God one thousand, six hundred and four . . . And further that all and every fine and fines to be levied, recoveries to be suffered, estates and assurances at any time or times hereafter to be had, made, executed or passed by or between the said parties of the premisses, or of any parcel thereof, shall be, and shall be esteemed, adjudged, deemed and taken to be to the only and proper use and behoof of the said William Shakespeare, his heirs and assigns, for ever, and to none other use, intent or purpose. . . .
Note. There are two copies of this deed. One, signed by Shakespeare and two of his trustees (Johnson and Jackson) and intended to be retained by the vendor, is in the Guildhall, London. The other, signed by Walker, and delivered to Shakespeare, was formerly in the possession of Halliwell-Phillipps, and now belongs to Mr. H. C. Folger. The document makes it clear that the property was purchased by Shakespeare and that Johnson, Jackson, and Hemming were merely acting as trustees in his interest. Whether the John Hemming who figures here is identical with the actor-friend of the poet is uncertain.
Sir Sidney Lee conjectures that the employment of the trustees was a legal device adopted in order to defeat Shakespeare’s widow’s claim to dower.