0] Berkshire[271] and
Oxford.

The three latter are worth noting. In 1597 there resided at Lutterworth,
only a few miles from Stratford, a Thomas Shakespeare, who was employed
by William Glover, of Hillenden, in Northamptonshire, gent., as his
agent to receive and give an acquittance for a considerable sum of
money.[272] It is not clear whether it was this same person or a son who
was the Thomas Shakespeare, gent., of Staple Inn, Middlesex, who
presented a certificate to some unnamed court, October 12, 1604,
accounting for his non-appearance in a case.[273] John Perkyns was the
plaintiff; Thomas Shakespere, William Perkyns, William Teery and others,
defendants. He had been summoned at the suit of Perkyns to appear, in
the Octaves of Trinity, but he had been required to be seventy miles out
of London on the Saturday of the Octaves of Trinity in a Chancery Case.
He only rested on the Sabbath at home, started on the Monday, and
appeared in court on Wednesday. The other defendants were allowed the
explanation; that it was denied to him seemed to be of malice. I cannot
find the decision. I searched the Lay Subsidies of Leicester,[3] in
Lutterworth and elsewhere, for this Shakespeare in vain; but I find that
in 1594 a William Perkins paid in bond for Richard Perkins in Wigston
Parva.[274] A bond of Thomas Shakespeare, of Lutterworth, November 27,
1606, to James Whitelocke for 26s. 8d., is mentioned in the Historical
MSS. Com.[275] A letter addressed to the Mayor of Leicester by certain
leading inhabitants of Lutterworth about the plague is signed first by
Thomas Shakespeare,[276] and Mr. French found in the Admission Books of
Staple Inn,[277] "Thomas Shakespeare, of Lutterworth, in Com. Leic.,
gent., etc., 15th Feb., 5 Jac. I., 1607." Does the following entry refer
to him or to Thomas Shakespere of Warwick? "John, son of Thomas
Shakespeare, gent., baptized July 18th, 1619."[278]

John Shakespear (1774-1858),[279] Orientalist, was born at Lount, near
Ashby, in Leicestershire, son of a small farmer there. He became
Professor of Hindustani, and gave L2,500 towards preserving the
birthplace at Stratford-on-Avon. He did not marry, and his property came
to his nephew, Charles Bowles, who took the surname of "Shakespeare."

A William Shakespeare was convicted at Leicester Assizes of
night-poaching.[280]

The Oxford Shakespeares deserve fuller attention than they have yet
received. The Saunders _alias_ Shakespeare, already mentio