f "Domina Jane," formerly a nun of Wroxall, who would seem
to have been the last sub-prioress, probably connected with Richard
Shakespere, the Bailiff. In 1558 a Roger Shakespere was buried--by some
supposed to be the old monk of Bordesley[48]--who received 100s.
annuity.

The earliest Shakespeare will at Worcester, proved at _Stratford_, was
that of Thomas Shakespere, of Alcester, 1539, who left 20s. each to his
father and mother, Richard and Margaret. He had a wife Margaret and a
son William.[49] Among other Worcester wills is that of Thomas
Shakespere of Warwick, shoemaker, May 20, 1557, who left his wife Agnes
lands in Balsall for life; his daughter Jone, wife to Francis Ley, L4;
to his sons Thomas and John 4 nobles each; and his son William was to be
his heir. Richard Shakysspere of Rowington, weaver, June 15, 1560, left
his property to his sons Richard and William. His brothers-in law John
and William Reve were executors and Richard Shakespeare was a witness.
In 1561 this William Reve in his will left a sheep to Margaret
Shakspere, and in 1565 Robert Shakespeere of Rowington made his will.

But among all these Shakesperes we cannot certainly fix upon any one
that is directly connected with our Shakespeare. It seems _almost_
certain that John Shakespeare was son of Richard Shakespeare, of
Snitterfield. And yet many doubt it on grounds worthy of consideration,
which are treated later in the notice of John Shakespeare. Mr. Yeatman
found that an Alice Griffin, daughter of Edward, and sister of Francis
Griffin of Braybrook, married a Shakespeare. He takes it for granted
that she married Richard of Wroxall, and that it was he who came to
Snitterfield. We must beware of drawing definite conclusions, of making
over-hasty generalizations. We only collect the bricks to help future
investigators to build the edifice.

The Sir Thomas Schakespeir, Curate, of Essex, Bristol and London, who
died 1559, is treated later among the Essex Shakespeares.

There is one curious mention of the name which no student seems to have
worked out. A certain Hugh Saunders, _alias Shakespere_,[50] of Merton
College, Oxford, became Principal of St. Albans Hall in 1501. He was
Vicar of Meopham, in Kent, Rector of Mixbury, Canon of St. Paul's, and
Prebendary of Ealdstreet, in 1508; and Rector of St. Mary's,
Whitechapel, in 1512. He died 1537. Now, such an alias was common at the
time, when a man's mother was of higher social station than his fathe