Letter from Daniel Baker to Richard Quiney including a possible reference to the money with which William Shakespeare’s help might be procured

While in London during the autumn of 1598, Richard Quiney received at least four letters from Daniel Baker, written on October 17, October 26, November 13 and November 24, the last of which is shown here. Baker addresses Quiney as his uncle, and refers to Quiney’s wife as his aunt. This is difficult to explain but Baker was related to Sturley (who addresses Quiney as his brother) through his marriage to Joan, a step-daughter of Richard Hill, whose daughter Ann, by Hill’s first marriage, was Sturley’s wife.

Baker’s four letters deal exclusively with his own business dealings, and in particular debts which he owed to London dealers. In the letter shown here, he mentions a sum of £4 7s. 0d. due to Leonard Kempson, a feature in all four letters. Baker also refers to larger sums, first detailed in his letter of October 26, due to Francis Evington and Randolph Woolley. He had hoped that Sir Edward Greville, who was apparently £70 in his debt, would arrange to meet some of Baker’s obligations but there had clearly been delay and misunderstandings.

While detailing these, he mentions that he had learned from his “Aunt Quiney” (Richard’s wife) that Quiney was about to receive £20 or £30 in London. Baker goes on to suggest that part of this amount could be used as a stop-gap measure to meet some of his obligations. This has generally been taken to refer to the money Quiney had sought Shakespeare’s help in procuring. This may well have been the case, although the complex web of interlocking debts revealed by these, and others, letters could provide another explanation.
   
The letter, when folded and sealed, was addressed to “my Lovinge vnckle Mr Rychard Quyne of Stretford at the Signe of the bell in Carter Lane.”