Accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber," Pipe Office,
542 (1594). See my English article, "The Earliest Official Record of
Shakespeare's Name."--"Shakespeare Jahrbuch," Berlin, 1896, reprinted in
pamphlet form.

[9] "On Shakespere's Signatures," by Dr. F.J. Furnivall, in the _Journal
of the Society of Archivists and Autograph Collectors_, No. I., June,
1895.

CHAPTER II

THE LOCALITIES OF EARLY SHAKESPEARES

We find the name occurs in widely scattered localities from very early
times. Perhaps a resembling name ought to be noted "in the hamlet of
Pruslbury, Gloucestershire,[10] where there were four tenants. This was
at one time an escheat of the King, who gave it to his valet, Simon
_Shakespeye_, who afterwards gave it to Constantia de Legh, who gave it
to William Solar, the defendant." If this represents a 1260
"Shakespere," as there is every reason to believe it does, this is the
earliest record of the name yet found. This belief is strengthened by
the discovery that a _Simon Sakesper_ was in the service of the Crown in
1278, as herderer of the Forest of Essex,[11] in the Hundred of
Wauthorn, 7 Edward I. Between these two dates Mr. J. W. Rylands[12] has
found a Geoffrey Shakespeare on the jury in the Hundred of Brixton, co.
Surrey, in 1268.[13]

The next[14] I have noted occurs in Kent in the thirteenth century,
where a John Shakespeare appears in a judicial case, 1278-79, at
Freyndon.

The fifth notice is in the north.[15] The Hospital of St. Nicholas,
Carlisle, had from its foundation been endowed with a thrave of corn
from every ploughland in Cumberland. These were withheld by the
landowners in the reign of Edward III., for some reason, and an inquiry
was instituted in 1357. The jury decided that the corn was due. It had
been withheld for eight years by various persons, among whom was "Henry
Shakespere, of the Parish of Kirkland," east of Penrith. This gives,
therefore, really an entry of this Shakespere's existence at that place
as early as 1349, and an examination of Court Records may prove an
earlier settlement of the family.

There was a transfer of lands in Penrith described as "next the land of
Allan Shakespeare," and amongst the witnesses was William
Shakespeare,[16] April, 21 Richard II., 1398.

In the "Records of the Borough of Nottingham,"[17] we find a John
Shakespere plaintiff against Richard de Cotgrave, spicer, for deceit in
sale of dye-wood on November 8, 31 Edward III. (1357);