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John and William Shakespeare the Sources and Acquisition of Their Wealth in Two Volumes

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John and William Shakespeare the Sources and Acquisition of Their Wealth in Two Volumes John and William Shakespeare The Sources and Acquisition of their Wealth in two volumes Submitted by David Fallow to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Research in Drama July 2011 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. (signature) ......................................................................................... David Fallow Abstract This thesis explores the proposition that to comprehend William Shakespeare better in his social and creative contexts one has to understand both his and his family’s money - where it came from and where it went. The Shakespearian mythos1 posits that John Shakespeare came penniless to Stratford where he did well in business before losing his wealth. Thereafter, his son William went to London, wrote plays which made him rich and then made a number of investments in Stratford. Among the various errors in this statement there is one that stands out - the “rich” part. It is not simply the fact that he made the investments - his house New Place, land, tithes etc. are well documented - it is when he made them that is of significance. The bulk of the Shakespeare family investments were made before William became part owner of the Globe or Blackfriars theatres. This evaluation has focused on the tangible data from the period, chiefly legal and financial records. Its conclusions challenge many pre-existing notions of how money flowed into the Early Modern Theatre and into William Shakespeare’s pockets. The fable is that young Will Shakespeare, like the pantomime Dick Whittington, left his poverty-stricken family, walked to London and won his fortune. In neither case was this true. The Early Modern theatre in London was brutally commercial and the aim was the acquisition of wealth more than the pursuit of art. For William Shakespeare, Pope put it neatly Shakespeare (whom you and every playhouse bill Style the divine! the matchless! what you will), For gain, not glory, wing’d his roving flight, And grew immortal in his own despite.2 This thesis provides the evidence to dismiss many of the fantasies that surround William and John Shakespeare’s by replacing these with a clear financial picture of the sources and acquisition of their wealth. 1 mythos, A body of interconnected myths or stories, esp. those belonging to a … cultural tradition. OED. 2 Alexander Pope, Imitations of Horace (London: T. Cooper, 1737). I. ii. i. 69 Table of Contents Notes, Abbreviations and Defined Terms 8 Introduction 10 The Structure of this Thesis 16 The Body of the Thesis 17 Chapter 1 - AN IMPERTINENT QUESTION 19 Placing this Thesis, Placing this Research 21 The Benefit and Challenge of a Multi-Disciplinary Approach 25 Chapter 2 - MONEY AND PERFORMANCE 29 The Limitations of Certain Approaches to Theatre Finance 29 The Nature and Function of Banks 32 The Cost of Money 33 Factors Affecting Theatrical Earnings 35 1. Theatre Closures 36 2. Alternative Sources of Revenue 40 Alternative Sources of Revenue - Summary 60 3. Certain Expenses of Playing 60 Expenses of Playing -The Rose Theatre 68 Expenses of Playing - Summary 71 Usury 72 Capitalists, Bankers or Usurers? 75 Tax 79 Background to Early Modem Taxation in England 79 Tax and Geese 81 Analyzing the Takings 88 William Shakespeare's Theatrical Earnings 94 Portfolio Analysis, Income and Expenditure 97 Income 98 Chapter 3 - JOHN SHAKESPEARE & STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 105 Building a Theory 106 This Chapter 108 The Corporation 110 The Very Civil Officer, 1556-79 117 John Shakespeare, Businessman 141 The Law concerning Interest, Tax and Trade Credit 147 Legal Records 149 The Seeming Fall from Financial Grace 153 Making their marks 171 Illiteracy 176 Stratford's “Middling Sort” 179 John Shakespeare - A Summary 184 Chapter 4 - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON 185 The Median Playwright 185 William Shakespeare and Tax 191 Learning Financial Manipulation 193 William, The Artful (Tax) Dodger 196 Chapter 5 - IN SEARCH OF THE PLAYWRIGHT 202 The Criminal Theatre of the South Bank 206 The Business of Organizing Crime 206 Godfathers of Bankside 208 Francis Langley and William Gardiner 209 The Writ 210 Langley b. 1548 d. 1602 211 Gardiner b. 1531 d. 1597 222 Philip Henslowe c. 1555 - 1616 and Edward Alleyn 1566 - 1626 224 George Wilkins d. 1618 and Henry Chettle d. 1603 242 All Honourable Men - The Example of Robert Cecil 248 William in London - A Summary 251 Chapter 6 - THE SHAKESPEARE FAMILY INVESTMENTS 253 Gentlemanly Atchievements 254 New Place 256 Sharer and Housekeeper 262 Land in Fee Simple 264 The Moiety of a Lease of the Tithes 266 Another 20 Acres 271 Buying The Farm 271 Blackfriars Gatehouse 272 Chapter 7 - THE SUMMATION OF THE EVIDENCE 291 The Research Findings 292 John Shakespeare & Stratford 292 William Shakespeare in London 295 The Early Modem Theatre in London 298 Conclusion: Nec Manifestum 299 A Chain of Events 301 Postscript - Further Research 304 Appendices, Glossary & Bibliography 310 I - The Abridged Introductions of Edgar I. Fripp 311 II - Further Reading 360 III - Extracts from Records Held at The Public Records Office 393 IV - Explanatory Notes to Financial Tables 396 V - Three Short Papers - Factors Affecting Commerce 399 Paper I - Law 399 Paper II - Money 409 Paper III - Wool and Cloth 414 VI - The Blackfriars Gatehouse - Indentures 423 VII - Tithes as an Investment 427 VIII - William Shakespeare's Will – 1616 434 IX - Conveyance of Over a Hundred Acres of Land 437 X - Conveyance to Bartholomew Hathaway, 1610 439 XI - Two “Performances” and The Isle of Dogs 440 Glossary of Words, Terms and Additional Explanatory Notes 471 Bibliography 482 .
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