William Shakespeare's Henley Street property mentioned, 1609

Description:On 20 July 1609, a legal settlement was drawn up concerning the ownership of the house next door to the former Shakespeare home in Henley Street. At this period, the most convenient way of locating a property to be sold was to describe those it stood between. In this case, the one on the west was given as the tenement 'late of William Shakespeare'. In fact, as his will later showed, he was still the owner of the property but from at least the date of his father's death, in 1601, the property had been let and part used as a tavern. Shakespeare's Stratford home, of course, since 1597, was New Place.

The later pencil endorsement reads 'Deed of Gift & Feoffment of the tenement called the Bell in Henley Street adjoining on the East the tenement late of William Shakespeare'.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust reference: TTD 1/83