Shakespeare of Stratford/The Biographical Facts/Fact 67
LXVII. SHAKESPEARE’S WILL (1616).
(Preserved in Somerset House, London.)
Vicesimo quinto die Martii anno regni domini nostri Jacobi nunc Regis Anglie &c. decimo quarto & Scotie xlixo Annoque Domini 1616.[1]
T. Wmi. Shackspeare.[2]
In the name of God, Amen. I, William Shackspeare of Stratford-upon-Avon in the county of Warwick, gent., in perfect health and memory, God be praised, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say: First I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth whereof it is made.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds of lawful English money to be paid unto her in manner and form following, that is to say: one hundred pounds [in discharge of her marriage portion][3] within one year after my decease with consideration after the rate of two shillings in the pound for so long time as the same shall be unpaid unto her after my decease, and the fifty pounds’ residue thereof upon her surrendering [of] or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of to surrender or grant all her estate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease or [that she] now hath of, in, or to one copyhold tenement[4] with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-upon-Avon aforesaid in the said county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Susanna Hall and her heirs forever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if she or any issue of her body be living at the end of three years next ensuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her consideration from my decease according to the rate aforesaid. And if she die within the said term without issue of her body, then my will is and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece,[5] Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be set forth by my executors during the life of my sister, Joan Hart, and the use and profit thereof coming shall be paid to my said sister Joan, and after her decease the said fifty pounds shall remain amongst the children of my said sister, equally to be divided amongst them. But if my said daughter Judith be living at the end of the said three years, or any issue of her body, then my will is and so I devise and bequeath the said hundred and fifty pounds to be set out [by my executors and overseers] for the best benefit of her and her issue, and [the stock] not [to be] paid unto her so long as she shall be married and covert baron; but my will is that she shall have the consideration yearly paid unto her during her life and after her decease the said stock and consideration to be paid to her children if she have any, and if not to her executors or assigns, she living the said term after my decease. Provided that if such husband as she shall at the end of the said three years be married unto or attain after do sufficiently assure unto her and the issue of her body lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her and to be adjudged so by my executors and overseers, then my will is that the said 150 pounds shall be paid to such husband as shall make such assurance, to his own use.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my said sister Joan 20 pounds and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my decease, and I do will and devise unto her [the house] with the appurtenances in Stratford wherein she dwelleth for her natural life under the yearly rent of twelvepence. Item, I give and bequeath unto her three sons, William Hart, ——— Hart,[6] and Michael Hart, five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease.
Item, I give and bequeath unto [the said Elizabeth Hall] all my plate [except my broad silver and gilt bowl] that I now have at the date of this my will. Item, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford aforesaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe my sword; to Thomas Russell, Esq., five pounds; and to Francis Collins[7] of the borough of Warwick in the county of Warwick, gent., thirteen pounds, six shillings, and eightpence, to be paid within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler 26 s. 8 d. to buy him a ring; [to William Reynolds, gent., 26 s. 8d. to buy him a ring]; to my godson, William Walker, 20 s. in gold; to Anthony Nashe, gent., 26s. 8d. and to Mr. John Nashe 26s. 8d., [and to my fellows, John Hemings, Richard Burbage, and Henry Condell 26 s. 8 d apiece to buy them rings].
Item I give, will, bequeath, and devise unto my daughier Susanna Hall [for better enabling of her to perform this my will and towards the performance thereof] all that capital messuage or tenement with the appurtenances [in Stratford aforesaid] called the New Place,[8] wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements[9] with the appurtenances situate, lying, and being in Henley Street within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, situate, lying and being, or to be had, received, perceived or taken, within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford, Bushopton, and Welcombe,[10] or in any of them, in the said county of Warwick; and also all that messuage or tenement with the appurtenances wherein one John Robinson dwelleth,[11] situate, lying, and being in the Blackfriars in London, near the Wardrobe; and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, to have and to hold all and singular the said premises with their appurtenances unto the said Susanna Hall for and during the term of her natural life, and after her decease to the first son of her body lawfully issuing and to the heirs males of the body of the said first son lawfully issuing, and for default of such issue to the second son of her body lawfully issuing and to the heirs males of the body of the said second son lawfully issuing, and for default of such heirs to the third son of the body of the said Susanna lawfully issuing and of the heirs males of the body of the said third son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue the same so to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons of her body lawfully issuing, one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the said fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons lawfully issuing in such manner as it is before limited, to be and remain to the first, second, and third sons of her body and to their heirs males. And for default of such issue the said premises to be and remain to my said niece Hall and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to my daughter Judith and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue to the right heirs of me the said William Shackspeare forever. [Item, I give unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture.] Item, I give and bequeath to my said daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bowl. All the rest of my goods, chattel, leases, plate, jewels and household stuff whatsoever after my debts and legacies paid and my funeral expenses discharged I give, devise, and bequeath to my son-in-law, John Hall, gent., and my daughter Susanna his wife, whom I ordain and make executors of this my last will and testament. And I do entreat and appoint [the said] Thomas Russell, Esq., and Francis Collins, gent., to be overseers hereof, and do revoke all former wills and publish this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand the day and year first above written.
By me William Shakspeare
Note. Shakespeare’s will contains three signatures of the poet, one at the bottom of each of the three pages on which it is written. It was witnessed by Francis Collins, Julius Shaw, John Robinson, Hamnet Sadler, and Rohert Whatcott, and was proved June 22, 1616,
- ↑ ‘On the 25th day of March in the year of the reign of our lord James, now King of England, etc., the fourteenth, and of Scotland the forty ninth, and in the year of our Lord, 1616.’ The month was originally given as Januarij, for which March was later substituted.
- ↑ ‘T[estamentum] of William Shackspeare.’
- ↑ The bracketed words, here and later, are written in above the lines.
- ↑ For the property here referred to see document XXXVI.
- ↑ That is, granddaughter, as commonly in Shakespeare’s plays.
- ↑ The nephew whose name had slipped Shakespeare’s memory was Thomas Hart. He was ten years old at the time and lived till 1661, long surviving his brothers and leaving a line of posterity still extant.
- ↑ Francis Collins was the lawyer in whose handwriting the will is written.
- ↑ Cf. document XV.
- ↑ The birth-house property. Cf. document XXXI, Note.
- ↑ Property covered by documents XXXIV, XLIV, LI, LXIII, LXIV.
- ↑ Property covered by documents LVIII, LIX, LXV. Shakespeare had rented the Blackfriars house to John Robinson.