Shakespeare's Birthplace

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Shakespeare's Birthplace
Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford - upon - Avon - panoramio.jpg
Shakespeare's Birthplace in 2010
Shakespeare's Birthplace
General information
TypeHouse
Location Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Coordinates 52°11′38″N1°42′29″W / 52.1939°N 1.7080°W / 52.1939; -1.7080
Completedbefore 1552
Owner Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Technical details
Structural system Half-timbered
Website
www.shakespeare.org.uk

Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house situated on Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years. [1] [2] It is now a small museum open to the public and a popular visitor attraction, owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. [3] [4]

Contents

Description

The second-story room in which Shakespeare is thought to have been born. Unknown artist, 1903. Birthplace room.JPG
The second-story room in which Shakespeare is thought to have been born. Unknown artist, 1903.

The house itself is relatively simple, but for the late 16th century it would have been considered quite a substantial dwelling. [2] John Shakespeare, William's father, was a glove maker and wool dealer, and the house was originally divided in two parts to allow him to carry out his business from the same premises. [1]

The building is not outstanding architecturally, [5] and typical of the times was constructed in wattle and daub around a wooden frame. Local oak from the Forest of Arden and blue-grey stone from Wilmcote were used in its construction, while the large fireplaces were made from an unusual combination of early brick and stone, and the ground-floor level has stone-flagged floors. [1] [5]

The plan of the building was originally a simple rectangle. From north-west to south-east, the ground-floor consisted of a parlour with fireplace, an adjoining hall with a large open hearth, a cross passage, and finally a room which probably served as John Shakespeare's workshop. This arrangement was mirrored on the first-floor by three chambers accessed by a staircase from the hall, probably where the present stairs are sited. Traditionally, the chamber over the parlour is the birthroom. A separate single-bay house, now known as Joan Hart's Cottage, was later built onto the north-west end of the house, and the present kitchen was added at the rear with a chamber above it. [6]

History

Shakespeare's Birthplace
(as seen between 1890 and 1905) Stratford Shakespeare 1900.jpg
Shakespeare's Birthplace
(as seen between 1890 and 1905)

There are differing views concerning the origin of the building, which possibly dates back to the 15th century, but more likely was built in the mid-16th century. [5]

Records show that in 1552 John Shakespeare was fined for leaving a pile of muck outside his home in Henley Street, suggesting that he could have resided in a house there at the time. In Jephson's account of Shakespeare's time in Stratford he states that at the time of Shakespeare's birth his father was renting the property and that ten years later he was able to purchase two freehold houses in Henley Street. [7] The house remained in the family until it was handed down for the final time to William Shakespeare's daughter and, given that he was born in 1564, it is fairly certain that he was born and brought up there. [8]

Ownership

Shakespeare's birthplace as it appeared in 1847 before restoration. Engraved by W. J. Linton after a drawing by Edward Duncan. Shakespeare's house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon - ILN 1847.jpg
Shakespeare's birthplace as it appeared in 1847 before restoration. Engraved by W. J. Linton after a drawing by Edward Duncan.

The ownership of the premises passed to William on John Shakespeare's death. However, by that time William already owned New Place in Stratford and had no need for the Henley Street premises as a home for himself or his family. Consequently, the main house was leased to Lewis Hiccox, who converted it into an inn known as the Maidenhead (later the Swan and Maidenhead Inn), and the small, one-bay house to the north-west was put to residential use. By the time of Shakespeare's death in 1616 it was occupied by Joan Hart, his recently widowed sister. [6]

Under the terms of Shakespeare's will, the ownership of the whole property (the inn and Joan Hart's cottage) passed to his elder daughter, Susanna. In 1649 it passed to her only child, Elizabeth, and then in 1670 to Thomas Hart. Hart was the descendant of Shakespeare's sister, Joan, whose family had continued as tenants of the smaller house after her death in 1646. The entire property remained in the ownership of the Harts until 1806, when it was sold to a butcher, Thomas Court, who also took over the running of the Swan and Maidenhead Inn. The smaller house remained occupied by Thomas Hornby, another butcher, to whom the Harts had let it when they moved away from Stratford in the 1790s. [6] Mrs Hornby continued as a tenant and custodian of Shakespeare's Birthplace until her rent was increased in 1820. [2]

Acquisition

Shakespeare's birthplace, Henley Street, Stratford On Avon, Ernest Edwards, 1863, from Jephson, J., & Edwards, E. (1864). Shakespere, his birthplace, home, and grave. Shakespeare's birthplace, Henley Street, Stratford On Avon, Ernest Edwards, 1863, from albumen print,.jpg
Shakespeare's birthplace, Henley Street, Stratford On Avon, Ernest Edwards, 1863, from Jephson, J., & Edwards, E. (1864). Shakespere, his birthplace, home, and grave.

Once the family line had come to an end, the house was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair until a rekindling of interest in the 18th century. [8] Isaac Watts, Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott and Thomas Carlyle were among the notables that visited the birthplace and autographed the walls and windows. [9] Many of the signatures still remain on the windowpanes around the house, although the signed walls have long since been painted over. [1] [6] A guest registry book includes the signatures of Lord Byron, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, John Keats, and William Thackeray. [9]

The restoration was based upon this engraving, first published in The Gentleman's Magazine in July 1769. Benjamin Cole engraving after a drawing by Richard Greene. Shakespeare's birthplace 1769.jpg
The restoration was based upon this engraving, first published in The Gentleman's Magazine in July 1769. Benjamin Cole engraving after a drawing by Richard Greene.

Interest in the property again increased when the whole premises were put up for sale on the death of Court's widow in 1846. The American showman P. T. Barnum proposed to buy the home and ship it "brick-by-brick" to the US. [8] [10] In response, the Shakespeare Birthday Committee (becoming the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust by a local Act of Parliament) was established and, with the help of donors including Dickens, the committee raised the necessary £3,000 and bought it the following year. [8] [10]

Restoration

Once the committee (Trust) had acquired the building, restoration work was able to proceed. Originally the Birthplace formed part of a terrace with later houses built either side, [6] and the first stage in its conservation was their destruction, thought necessary to avoid the risk of any fire spreading from them to the Birthplace. [5]

Old photographs reveal that early in the 19th century, part of the front of the Birthplace was faced with brick. This was an economical alternative to the common practice of replacing timber-framed buildings and rebuilding in brick in 18th century England. Referring to an engraving of 1769 as well as taking into account surviving architectural evidence, a reconstruction carried out by the Trust between 1857 and 1864 restored the outside of the building to its 16th century state. [5] [6]

Present day

Garden at the rear of the house in 2006. Shakespeare's Birthplace (rear view) Stratford-upon-Avon2.jpg
Garden at the rear of the house in 2006.
The view towards Henley Street from the upper floor of Shakespeare's Stratford upon Avon birthplace. View from Shakespeares Birthplace Stratford upon Avon.jpg
The view towards Henley Street from the upper floor of Shakespeare's Stratford upon Avon birthplace.

Adjoining the Birthplace is the Shakespeare Centre, a contrasting modern glass and concrete visitors centre which forms the headquarters of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The driving force behind its construction, and opening in 1964, was Levi Fox, OBE, Director of the Trust from 1945 to 1989, with a view to properly housing its library, documents and collections. [11] As well as showing Shakespeare-related displays, the Shakespeare Centre also provides public access to the Birthplace. [1]

The Birthplace recreates a picture of family life at the time of Shakespeare complete with period domestic furnishings, a glass window inscribed with the signatures of visitors to the house over the centuries, and John Shakespeare's glove making workshop. [6]

The walled garden at the back of the house has been specially planted with flowers and herbs that would have been known in Shakespeare's time. [8]

Related Research Articles

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Stratford-upon-Avon, commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick. The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area at the northern extremity of the Cotswolds. In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Hathaway's Cottage</span> Historical building in Shottery associated with Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a twelve-roomed farmhouse where Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, lived as a child in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon. Spacious, and with several bedrooms, it is now set in extensive gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shakespeare</span> Father of playwright William Shakespeare (c. 1531–1601)

John Shakespeare was an English businessman and politician who was the father of William Shakespeare. Active in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was a glover and whittawer by trade. Shakespeare was elected to several municipal offices, serving as an alderman and culminating in a term as bailiff, the chief magistrate of the town council, and mayor of Stratford in 1568, before he fell on hard times for reasons unknown. His fortunes later revived and he was granted a coat of arms five years before his death, probably at the instigation and expense of his son, the actor and playwright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Shakespeare</span> Mother of William Shakespeare (1536-1608)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Place</span> House in Stratford-upon-Avon associated with William Shakespeare

New Place was William Shakespeare's final place of residence in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died there in 1616. The whole building was demolished in 1702 by Sir John Clopton, who replaced it with a modern-style house, also called New Place. This in turn was demolished by Francis Gastrell, vicar of Frodsham, Cheshire, in 1759. It was never rebuilt after the second demolition and only the foundations remain.

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The Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is often known simply as Holy Trinity Church or as Shakespeare's Church, due to its fame as the place of baptism, marriage and burial of William Shakespeare. More than 200,000 tourists visit the church each year.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmcote</span> Village in Warwickshire, England

Wilmcote is a village, and since 2004 a separate civil parish, in the English county of Warwickshire, about 3 miles (5 km) north of Stratford-upon-Avon. Prior to 2004, it was part of the same parish as Aston Cantlow, and the 2001 population for the whole area was 1,670, reducing to 1,229 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susanna Hall</span> Eldest child of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway

Susanna Hall was the oldest child of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway and the older sister of twins Judith and Hamnet Shakespeare. Susanna married John Hall, a local physician, in 1607. They had one daughter, Elizabeth, in 1608. Elizabeth married Thomas Nash, son of Anthony Nash on 22 April 1626 at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall's Croft</span> House owned by Shakespeares son-in-law in Stratford-on-Avon

Hall's Croft is a building in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, which was owned by William Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna Hall, and her husband Dr John Hall whom she married in 1607.

Joan Shakespeare was the sister of William Shakespeare. She is the only member of the family whose known descendants continue down to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boar's Head Inn</span> Name of various pubs, mostly in the UK

The Boar's Head Inn is the name of several former and current taverns in London, most famously a tavern in Eastcheap that is supposedly the meeting place of Sir John Falstaff, Prince Hal and other characters in Shakespeare's Henry IV plays. An earlier tavern in Southwark used the same name, and an inn of the name in Whitechapel was used as a theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakespeare Birthplace Trust</span> British educational foundation

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) is an independent registered educational charity based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, that came into existence in 1847 following the purchase of William Shakespeare's birthplace for preservation as a national memorial. It can also lay claim to be the oldest conservation society in Britain. Receiving no government funding or public subsidies, it is totally dependent upon the public for support, and relies on donations and the income generated from visitors.

Dr. Levi Fox OBE, DL, MA, FSA, FRHistS, FRSL, was the son of a Leicestershire smallholder. He became Archivist for the city of Coventry and then Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and was a conservationist, local historian, and author.

Gilbert Shakespeare was a 16th-/17th-century English haberdasher, and a younger brother of playwright and poet William Shakespeare. His name is found in local records of Stratford-upon-Avon and London.

The Shakespeare Club of Stratford-upon-Avon is a society based in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, that celebrates the life and literary works of William Shakespeare. It is the oldest Shakespeare society in the world, having been in existence since 1824. It now meets monthly between October and May at the Shakespeare Institute, for a series of lectures on a wide range of Shakespeare-related subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford's Historic Spine</span>

Stratford's Historic Spine is the name given to a route in Stratford-upon-Avon along which many of the town's most important and historic buildings are sited, with many of the buildings connected to William Shakespeare. The Historic Spine was once the main route from the town centre to the parish church. It begins in Henley Street at Shakespeare's Birthplace and finishes in Old Town at The Holy Trinity Church and has buildings from the 14th up to the 20th centuries.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Shakespeare's birthplace aboutbritain.com. Retrieved: 11 November 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 Shakespeare's Birthplace britainexpress.com. Retrieved: 12 November 2008.
  3. Muir, Kenneth (2002). Shakespeare Survey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-52368-4.
  4. Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver Burdett. p.  50.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Shakespeare's birthplace know-britain.com. Retrieved: 11 November 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shakespeare's Birthplace Archived 2008-12-13 at the Wayback Machine Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Retrieved: 17 November 2008.
  7. "Shakespeare – his birthplace, home and grave". Discover Collections. State Library of New South Wales. 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 The Bard's birthplace bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  9. 1 2 Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver Burdett. p.  51.
  10. 1 2 Winkler, Elizabeth (23 April 2024). "460 Years Ago, Shakespeare Was Born Here. Or Somewhere". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  11. Obituary of Levi Fox The Guardian. Retrieved 17 October 2008.