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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1915)
THE SUNDAY OREGONTAN; PORTLAND, MAT 23, 1915. 4 .nAAA -v f 3x C&C7 CO A 0 A eari 2 . I A- ' Professor Charles William "Wal lace is one of the most eminent of Shakespearian scholars. His researches Into ancient docu ments have enabled him to throw new llnht on Shakespeare's life and pursuits. His most recent discoveries establish distinctions between the poet and certain other William Shakespeares who have been confused with him. It was Ions supposed that William Shakespeare, the poet, combined acting and playwrit InK with a snug: little business in malt, and that one Philip Rogers, brewer, who omitted to pay his bills, had the honor of being sued for 35s 10d by the poet. By an examination of records and a careful comparison of the dates Dr. Wallace advances weighty arguments against the identity of the author of "Ham let" with the William Shexpere who displayed so keenly prac tical a mind In the traffic of this world's business. ' Dr. Wallace is an American, being professor of Kncllsh dra matic literature in the University of Nebraska, sty Ail 'A Hi 1 - . - ' Wirt s -iff. - . i T ; try" IV-' '; 'r': - . yqjJPs,VV; ill'.- 'W:i L' Mft','JWlWJI. f J FK M, W, ' X ; f "30 tauujuii''! fit -4 1 i WW. iiiL.ttrvr.rfis. BT rROFKSSOR CHARLES WILLIAM WALLACE. THE name of William Shakespeare, the dramatist. Is so tndlssolubly associated with Stratford - on--Avon. bis place of birth and death and burial, that the mention of one calls to mind the other, and It Is naturally taken for granted that any William Shakespeare named in connection with Stratford-on-Avon between the dates of his birth and death, 1564-1616, was the poet. We have a prima facie right to that assumption. It Is so well grounded on long-known records that only an absolute fact to the contrary can be entertained In any given instance. It Is with such facts that we have here to do, and if some may regret that the William Shakespeare who sold malt t Stratford and got Into migration with one of his customers about It was not the poet, an equable and temperate-minded world can but find quiet satisfaction In the historical truth that unfetters the life and ideals of the poet from the sordid business of the brewery and the still. While many a poet has felt that he found the divine afflatus in wine, the mere business of malting and brewing and selling has yet to record an instance of conducing to high poetic inspiration. Just now, when the welfare of hu manity mora than ever Is felt to be allied with worldwide temperance and at war with the special Interests of the brewer, it is apposite and timely, doubly so because by chance this Is the month of Shakespeare's birth and death, to inquire who was the "Will lam Shexpere" that was Interested In or about Stratford in the brewing business and to determine at least whether or not he was the poet. Also, since William Shakespeare, the poet, had the copyhold of a cottage at Stratford under the Manor of Rowing-' ton, there is a tendency to confuse him . with one or more of the several Will iam Shakespeares of Rowington, a vil lage about 10 or 12 miles north of Stratford by the nearest road. This .we must clear up first of all. The Manor of Rowington, the reve nues of which belonged to the crown, owned two little properties in Stratford-on-Avon, and one of these, a cot tage and a quarter acre of land, in "Walkers Streete alies Dead Lane," Just behind Shakespeare's residence called New Place, was purchased by tbe poet from Walter Getley In 1602, and he was admitted to the copyhold accordingly at a Court Baron of the Manor of Rowington on September 28, 1602. , The record of this transaction, as en tered on the Manor Rolls, was long ago found by Malone. Nearly a century later, about 1881, Haliwell-Phillipps published also other records relating to it from the land revenue departmvit of the exchequer, one, of 1604, correcDy stating the extent of the grounds as about a quarter of an acre and the annual . rent payable to the crown as 2s 6d (which amount I find continued to be paid annually after his death by his daughter. Susanna Hall, even to the year of her own death in 1649), and another, of 1606, blocked out, but not fully filled In by the accountant, re cording incompletely, by error of omis sion, the annual rent to the crown as 2s, Instead of the correct amount of 2 6d. These and quantities of other rev After Dr. Hall's death. In 1635, the entries were In Mrs. Hall's name, and at a Court Leet of March 28, -1638, was entered, "of Mrs. Hall for her Comon ffyne vjd." Finally, in the year of Mrs. Hall's death, a survey of the Manor enters the annual rent paid to the King enue records have since passed through in these words. "Susan Hall wid.. one my hands In the course of some years of record searching. Among them are scores of entries relating to numerous Shakespeares, eeveral of them named William, not a few of whom belong to the Manor of Rowington. Besides the signature of the poet, I have found the signature of some of Cottage and backside Oil 2s 6J. So much for this little Stratford copyhold passed to William Shakes peare the poet in 1602, and thus de scended to his daughter. Its later his tory we pass. . Besides these Items, there are cer tain others In the 'revenue records of these other William Shakespeares. to the Manor of Rowington relating to one of whom, by the way. King James William Shakespeare." One of these. early made a considerable grant of a cortl of admittance to a copyhold at land. These signatures serv as ouli oa arc" further means of identifying their reads,:,, owners and of differentiating them William Shakespere for a fyne of frnm unli nthor And from the Doet. adyittance IJs." It i. nrcticahl. unrt cessarv at Thls might be assumed On sight the present time to mention specifically rfe t(the Pet- But in faCt h Was only certain of these revenue records admitted, as above, in 1602. Hence this which distinctly name the poet, or his daughter, Susanna, or his son-in-law, Dr. Hall, and such other Items as. nam ing a William Shakespeare, might lead the unwary or the ambitious dilettanti, coming upon these, to further erroneous identification with the poet. One of these revenue records from the Manor of Rowington mentioning William Shakespeare, the poet, is a record of the admittance of his daugh ter, Susanna, to tbe copyhold of the little Stratford cottage the year after his death. It is dated April 18, 1617, and reads as follows: "Itm. of John Haule gen. and Susan, his wief for the ffyne of admyttance of the said Susan vnto one cottage in Stratford after the decease of Wm. does not refer to him, but to some other William. Besides, it occurs third In a list of fines against, respectively, "John Shakespere,' "Thomas Shakes peare" and "William Shakespere," all in the manor of Rowington. thus the more definitely locating this William among the Rowington Shakespeares. Then a year and a half later, at a Court Baron held September 28 and 29, 1609, "Thomas Shakespere & Willm Shakespere for a fyne of admyttance va xd" were together admitted to a copyhold. This turns out to be the same William who, with his wife Mary, was readmitted to this same property upon surrender of it by Thomas, his father, in 1628. as mentioned In another item below. This removes him abso- lutp.lV frnm Oil nn,,1kl)lt Af U .nt f In. Shakespeare gen. late father of the said tlon wlth the t Susan Us Vjd." Pnrth.rmnr. v This admittance of Mrs. Hall to the RowlnKton namesake of the poet was copyhold was in accordance with one of those officers of the law whom ananespeare s wm, wmcn proviaea mat Ehake8peare has so delightfully Immor ...y .wB., v,,!.,,.. taliaed in Dogberry and his kind, a siderations, should surrender all her constable, or "third borough." as he was Interest In It "unto my daughter, Su- called, and on April 18, 1617 a year Banna Hall, and her heirs forever." aftcr the poet8 death tnta ' wmiam A year later, at a Court Leet of the Shakespeare, the constable, was fined Manor of Rowington, held on April 16, at a court Baron of the Manor of i oueiigra w RowJiiffton the sum of 6t "tor yt he - '.a - - r if -. A M V : ' " - V - to X c , T if- - -XXX krJ - 7'iJVpv, vK v AW 1 ; --T--7-c I I i "t1 A i . ' v. v III sfe WK-; v it? Wvp rv ? :t a oa S rlfl Mv 1 Iti-V -x- zo5s? pcss sy ,fa?a m titer c. Van, tx CZ&mfs-'fS PsrC Vsyi ""s. Wt I v - I 'xx it- A - Thomas, and sister, Joan, and the whole family estate. This William wrote a fair hand. Then there was the William Shake speare above identified from 1607 to 1628, whose father was Thomas and whose wife was Mary; also the above named "William Shakespere the young er," in 1625, who was a boy or young man at the time of the poet's death: besides William the soldier of 1603 and William the constable of 1617, not to mention others. Some of these may be identified with each other, but at least six are different Williams. It has even been suggested that William, the above litigant with his brother, John, was the poet. But for tunately we have from this William himself a statement concerning his life and occupation on the farm with, his father. Richard, for the first 40 years of his life, and his service for the matter Judicially, for, as all know, some years thereafter under a master, Shakespeare was at that very time one in all a period of 84 years, thus den of the busiest men In London, and a nitely eliminating htm as a rival claim like muster roll for Stanford in tha ant for the poet's honors. Besides, I same manuscript with the Rowington have his signature, written on February list contains no name of William or 8, 1616. a small, untrained hand, with any other Shakespeare. William Shake- out capitals, differing In character speare, the Rowington soldier, was throughout from the signature of the not Improbably the above-named Wll- poet. Ham Shakespeare, the Rowington con stable or "third borough." an office not incompatible with "soldiering." The records concerning the Rowing- There were still other Shakesprsre families at Rowington, and at least one of them wae engaged In the brew ing business. For example, between 1608 ton Shakespeares are more numerous and 1618 John Shakespeare, senior, than for other families of that name, sometimes called "the oldest," was fined I have come upon many records of the nominal sum of 4d at nearly every them, some known and some unknown session of the Court Leet of the Manor to my illustrious predecessor. Halll- of Rowington during those 13 years, well-Phillips, who reported some 48 "for Yittellng & breaking the assise" years ago that he had found enough (e. ST.. March 27. 1607). or "for brewing about them to fill 100 pages or so of breaking thassise" (September 12. his "Outlines." Part of them were 1608), or "for selling ale within tbia printed as long ago as 1867. But they Mannor & breakings the assise there are not. on the whole, of sufficient lm- or (October JO. 1614). and so on, again portance to print. nd again. Here was a victualler and It is necessary simply to scrutinize brewer who probably found It more every record relating to any William profitable to pay a semi-annual Bno of Shakespeare of Stratford and any 'or breaking some regulation' of his William Shakespeare of Rowington In trade, perhaps by short measure, than which there is any possibility . of ton- to conform strictly. Then from 1618 fusion. The Rowington Shakespeares onward we hear no more of John. His have been traced from the fourteenth son, Thomas, was thereafter from year century. For a long time, until less to year, for the next 20 years, similarly than a century ago. It was thought that "ned "for sellings of Ale by vnlawfull they might be related to the poet's measures A. for breakings the assise" family. There Is no evidence of any , O"7- "" such kinship. If any, it goes back too Also a William Shakespeare of the too far to be of any consequence. ... as above noUced. but also "Of Willm with the enriching lifelong researches In determining who was the "William "m. 'm'ly' a contemporary of the Shakespeare & Marye his veyffe for of Halliwell-PhlUipps knows, numer- Shexpere" that engaged in malt selling poet snarly sold beer and got fined thelre fyne of admittance to a Cotage ous Shakespeare families In Warwick- at Stratford It would be necessary to "r w at Jvnowie, an nouri OL . M . I 1 J tW shUa 1n 4iA lima 4 1?1UrtatK artJt a1tMtHB4a -awia thrlftA n 11 FY) 4V 1 O U S COll - w lu w CO I, V. k " W III S, vvl, va one or tne numoer lined 6d eacn tor beinge Third borowe came nott to make .11 V- i.7 a7 iff.. 7 XW,y,,'Z. Rhakssnearea of miles almost due north of Stratford, "belnsre a Convholder of this Mannor ... . , . , purtenances wthln this Manor surren- James, located in at least 34 different temporary William Shakespeares oi .... , iTJitortVrt mi. iTe " i" ffiCe" by Thomas Shaxper thelder & parishes. A considerable number of Rowington as not belonging to the At a Court Leet of the Manor of . defalt Ih March 1619. he or some other Will- ,al wmmv. xd Thu u th0 the Shakespeares lived near Strat- brewery Shakespeare, there. There was. Knowle held on March 11 1619 three maae aeiaiie. xnis, or course, relates jam ef nis name was fined them 4d ......... . .. . r. , . .... ,,,, w years after the Doet s death and only 4d, same or to the same property. Dr. Hall's In- and on October 10. 1631, the tre.t fn it hin nniir h rirht r hi. ' . " under the admittances or i(07 and lu ",fl I. Z "",lam onaKespere- was whlch ab80lutely eliminates the Wil- During wr& slsn r ...mnl. William ShakeSDear Of Rowington, whose father. Richard, died "" final identifying item above mentioned ford. Several of them under the admittances of 1607 and 1609, named William. the lifetime of William in 1660: another William, whose lather A..in - p...., T - - . ... . nam snaxespeare mere in Question Duaaeaycaro ywci, b cb t u& died in isai: anoiner " unui, j ... 1628 Dr Hali was finVd 12d. thus- "Of ,rt. "- Cmn from th ranka of tho Pet- theao other willlara Shakespeare. a Juryman In the manor court of Row- ' w s " John Han of Strltf 1 rookes. And so these Rowington William were living at Rowington, only two inet)n In 1614 could not sign his name. William Shakespeare for selling IJ if the lnZLJt? t , Then coms anth" y'"m of Row- 6haUespeares continue on and on-dur- or three hours' walk to the north of tut left merely "the mark, of William b without a licen.e-"De W llmo fhis nnor It the fet If St M cL un? tB4 CUrt thV succeeding century and be- Stratford. One of these William Shake- shakespeTre"; anoth.r William, th. eld- Shake.peare quia vendidlt Cervlsiam Srinn next I"" L ,Mlchaf 1 faron held October 20 1625 a fine was yofen1. None of tnem not even tha speares of Rowington joined the army. t on of Richard and Elisabeth Shake- nne llcenciam-liijd." fvn. fE.!2n? m u It'' aalnst, "llamv Shakespere' arllest. has any connection with the being enrolled on th. muster rolls of of Rowington. who brought Di1 William Shakespeare, who rt-llld P U th" yUnert. tha ! bath DOt Poet- This is sufficient forth, pre.- Rowington as a trained soldier in 1605. ,ta with reference to the will, of regularly sold malt at Stratford, be to tn. t-ourtexija. scoured his ditch, accordinge to th. ent to prevent any possible confusion and so by the sensationally Inclined hth big-parents In 1614 for they both lon to thl" eame amlly t brewery Then, in the "Rentall of the Manuor palne xijd." Next, from the record, of them with him. v ha. 0metlme. been absurdly mistaken fn APru of that year, and who Shakespeares? of Rowington - 1630. is entered the an- of "the Create Leete & Courte Baron xfce Po;t Md Brewers. for the poet. tun his wife. Margery, was for th. e Court of Record at Stratford nual payment of rent to the Crown, of our Soveralgne Lord Kinge Charles" w tur nQW t h ,UoB of th, The certainty that he was not. how- few years engaged in a bitter is th ntry of ult bought in "Mr John Hall for hi, coppiehold j. for the Manor of Rowington. held on bWer or maltster William Shake! ever, is not even questionable, it is SoStroVoT. with his T youngest brother. Michaelmas. 1604 by 'William Shex- vjd," as we should find it In every October 7. 1628, we read, not only the apeare. absolute, and Is so regarded by all John, a weaver, in litigation that in- pere" against Philip Rogers to re- year If all the records were extant. Item of the nne of izd on Dr. Hall, There were, as every one familiar aaodern historians who have examined volved his other brothers, Richard and Concluded on Fag Oj.