Shakespeare’s money : how much did he make and what did this mean?

209 Pages·2016·2 MB·English

by  Bearman, Robert

SHAKESPEARE’S MONEY

SHAKESPEARE’S
MONEY
HOW MUCH DID HE MAKE AND
WHAT DID THIS MEAN?
ROBERT BEARMAN
1
3
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Foreword
Much of my working life has been spent in the cataloguing and
arrangement of archive material and in its interpretation as evidence of
past events. In the process I have inevitably come to feel that, if the
documentary evidence is not there, then there is little point in specu-
lating about what might have happened. Even the evidence we do
have is not always reliable or sufficiently definitive, but at least some-
thing survives on which to base an argument as opposed to a hypoth-
esis dependent on the discovery of new data. As it happens, and as is
repeatedly pointed out, the evidence for a study of Shakespeare’s life is
very limited, but I have chosen not to lament this shortage of material
or to give vent to customary expressions of frustration; rather to take a
positive attitude towards what evidence we do have to interpret one
particular aspect of his life which is not often discussed, namely to
what degree did Shakespeare prosper financially and what place in
society did he thereby come to occupy. After all, to his contemporaries
this would have been the most immediate measure of his success; and
indeed, is the best-documented aspect of his career.
Several people have read drafts of what follows and I am very grate-
ful for their comments, particularly from David Ellis, Mairi Macdonald,
James Shapiro, and Martin Wiggins. Stanley Wells has also been gener-
ous with his time and advice. The staff at the Shakespeare Birthplace
Trust’s Library and Archive, where the bulk of the original documen-
tation I have used is safely lodged, have been very helpful, as have those
at The National Archives, the Folger Shakespeare Library and the
College of Arms, particularly in their prompt and efficient supply of
images. I have also benefited from the frequent use of the facilities
offered by the Shakespeare Institute (University of Birmingham)
Library. David Kathman has generously supplied me with copies of
unpublished material and John Taplin’s encyclopaedic knowledge of
the genealogy of Shakespeare’s local contemporaries has been invalua-
ble. But it would be remiss not to include posthumous tributes to
vi Foreword
those earlier scholars who over the years have provided transcripts
and facsimiles of all the key documents on which we depend, most
notably J.O. Halliwell-Phillips, E.K. Chambers, B. Roland Lewis and
S. Schoenbaum, whose frequent appearances in the footnotes bear
witness to the enduring value of their work. Lastly, I must thank my
wife, Jan Bunyan, my sternest critic when it comes to matters of gram-
mar and infelicities of expression but whose superior computer skills
also came into play when, in the twelfth hour, I was driven to the use
of updated (and unfamiliar) operating systems and programmes.
Robert Bearman
June 2015
Contents
List of illustrations ix
Abbreviations xi
1. Introduction 1
2. Early life 7
Family background 7
John Shakespeare’s difficulties 10
Education and marriage 23
Career choices 27
3. Laying the foundations 33
Early years in the theatre 33
A search for patronage? 40
As a Chamberlain’s Man 43
A freelance writer? 55
Early residences in London 61
4. Consolidation 67
The grant of arms 67
The purchase of New Place 76
Early business dealings 86
The property portfolio expands 101
Further investment, 1602–1605 114
Shakespeare the gentleman? 122
5. Retrenchment 131
Shakespeare the maltster 131
The Addenbrooke case 133
The Stratford tithes 135
The Welcombe enclosures 138
6. The final count 146
Shakespeare’s income 146
Shakespeare’s status 155
viii Contents
The Blackfriars Gatehouse 166
Shakespeare’s monument 172
7. Conclusion 174
Works cited 179
Index 187
List of illustrations
1. Page from the appendix to Robert Chester’s Loves Martyr, published
in 1601, with the poem Threnos, attributed to William Shakespeare 58
2. The forty regular householders in the parish of St Helen’s,
Bishopsgate, assessed on the value of their moveable goods as
liable to contribute to a government subsidy, 1 October 1598 62
3. Part of one of the drafts of the grant of arms to John Shakespeare,
20 October 1596 69
4. Richard Quiney’s letter to William Shakespeare asking for his
help in securing a loan of £30, 25 October 1598 94
5. Extract from the ‘noate of Corne & malte’ stored in
Stratford-upon-Avon, 4 February 1598, recording William
Shakespeare’s holding of ten quarters (eighty bushels) of malt 100
6. Agreement between William Replingham (acting on
William Combe’s behalf ) and William Shakespeare that
Shakespeare would be recompensed for any losses he might
suffer as a tithe-holder ‘by reason of anie Inclosure or decaye
of Tyllage’ at Welcombe, 5 September 1614 141
7. An extract from Thomas Greene’s ‘diary’ recording a conversation
in London with William Shakespeare, ‘commyng yesterday to
towne’, about the proposed enclosure at Welcombe, 17 November
1614 144