, April
27, 1710.[341]

Benjamin Shakespear, of the parish of St. Christopher, painter, made his
will 1707, and bequeathed to his father, Benjamin Shakespear, of
Tamworth, in Warwickshire, his wearing apparel, and left a legacy to his
mother Joyce, his wife Judith being sole executrix[342] (proved December
4, 1714).

In the records of the Leather Sellers' Company is preserved the
apprenticeship of George, son of Thomas Shakespeare, of Arley, county
Warwick,[343] October 12, 1693. George, son of William Shakespeare, also
of Arley, was apprenticed 1732. Thomas Shakespeare, son of George,
citizen and leather-seller of London, was apprenticed to William
Jephson, vintner.[344]

An important branch of the family settled in the east. John Shackspeer,
of Rope Walk, Upper Shadwell, appears in 1654. His father has still to
be found, but his posterity believe he descended from the poet's
grandfather. I had hoped to satisfy them through the St. Clement's Danes
registers. But his age at his marriage precludes this, for it gives the
year of his birth as 1619. The only John that I know to be born in that
year was John, son of Thomas Shakespeare, gent., baptized July 18, 1619,
in St. Gregory by St. Paul's. I had taken him to be the son of Thomas,
the Staple Inn student and lawyer of Leicester, but I cannot prove it.
On June 14, 1654, John married Martha Seeley,[345] and had four sons and
four daughters, of whom survived Martha, Samuel, Benjamin, Mary, John
and Jonathan. A trade token of his still exists.[346] Ropemaker
Shakespeare was summoned, with others, to appear before the Admiralty
regarding a breach of contract for ropes, January 26, 1656-57.[347] John
Shakespear, son of John of Shadwell, ropemaker, was apprenticed to John
Grange, of Upper Shadwell, chafer, 1663-64.[348] Jonathan, the youngest
son, born February 6, 1670, succeeded his father, who died 1689. He
married,[349] April 26, 1698, Elizabeth Shallet, of Clapham, aged
nineteen, and had thirteen children. Samuel Wilton was apprenticed to
Jonathan Shakespeare, citizen and _broiderer_ of London, April 7, 1725.
He died 1735. The business of ropemaking was carried on by the eldest
son, Arthur, born 1699, who died 1749, leaving the property and business
to his youngest brother John, on condition he brought up his heir to
ropemaking. This John, twelfth child of Jonathan, born 1718, married,
1745, Elizabeth, daughter of Colin Currie, and Anne, daughter of the
Honourable John