n of Matthew
Shackspere, Aug. 30, 1571," it would seem to be an error. Johanne,
daughter of Matthew Shackespere, was buried December 26, 1572, the
second of the name; Jayne, on September 5, 1577, the first of the name.
Robert, son of Matthew Shackspeare, was buried May 5, 1580. Besides
these were buried Francis Shakespeare, October 7, 1571, and Robert
Shakespeare, May 24, 1577. These might be grandfather and uncle of the
family, which might have reckoned a William among its members.

There was a Thomas Shakespeare, royal messenger, in 1572, payments to
whom I have found in the State Papers.[321] And in "Archaeologia" there
is printed his request for payment, in 1577, for carrying letters from
the Privy Council to the Bishop of London at Fulham, the Bishop of York
at Tower Hill, the Bishop of Chichester at Westminster, the Bishop of
Durham in Aldersgate Street, and to the Bishop of Worcester in St.
Paul's Churchyard.[322]

Mr. Hunter and many others supposed that at the time of the poet there
was only _one_ other of the name in London--John of St.
Martin's-in-the-Fields.

In the churchwardens' accounts there were found notices of a John
Shakespeare about 1605. Mr. French thinks that he might be the John, son
of Thomas, of Snitterfield.[323] I have worked through these books and
the registers, and have gleaned a good many scraps about him. He appears
there too early. John of Snitterfield was born in 1581-82. John of St.
Martin's, on January 22, 1589, was married[324] to Dorothea Dodde,
daughter of the Vestry Clerk (her sister Jane had, the year before,
married a Christopher Wren) of that parish; and on December 23, 1593, it
is to be supposed he had a daughter, "Maria Shakespeare," christened,
mentioned there, as is customary in that register, without the name of
her father.

In 1594 Mrs. Shakespeare's sister was staying with her, as among the
burials is entered, "Elizabeth Dod, from Shakespeares."

John[325] Shakespeare, "on the land side of the parish," in 1603,
contributed to the new casting of the bells five shillings, and in 1605
was one of the sidesmen. "Paid to John Shakespeare, one of the sidesmen,
that he laid out at the registers office for putting in the Recusants
Bills 3s. 4d." In 1609 "Dorithie Shakespeare" was buried, and her
expenses brought in to the churchwardens 32s. 2d., relatively a large
sum, as Sir Thomas Windebanck's funeral cost only 16s. In that same year
John contributed also ten shillings t