Bellott v. Mountjoy: First set of depositions, on Bellott's behalf, including Shakespeare's signature

[This transcription is pending final vetting. Transcriptions of Bellott. v. Mountjoy are based on Charles William Wallace, "Shakespeare and his London Associates, As Revealed in Recently Discovered Documents," University of Nebraska Studies, 10 no. 4 (1910), 260-360. This publication has a secondary pagination, followed here for individual entries: pp. 18-23.]]
 

[Image 1: fol. 1a recto, William Shakespeare's deposition]

William Shakespeare of Stratford vpon Aven in the Countye of Warwicke gentleman of the age of xlviij
yeres or thereaboutes sworne and examined the daye and yere abouesaid deposethe & sayethe

1 To the first Interrogatory this deponent sayethe he knowethe the partyes plaintiff and deffendant and hathe ^^know[ne]
them bothe as he now remembrethe for the space of tenne yeres or thereaboutes./

2 To the second Interrogatory this deponent sayeth he ^^{did know} the complainant when he was servant with the
deffendant, and that duringe the tyme of his the complaintes service with the said deffendant he
he the said Complainant to this deponentes knowledge did well and honestly behaue
himselfe, but
to this deponentes remembrance he hath not heard the deffendant confesse that he had gott
any great proffitt and comodytye by the said service of the said complainant, but this deponent saithe he
verely thinckethe that the said complainant was a very good and industrious servant in
the said service  And more he canott depose to the said Interrogatory:/

3/ To the third Interrogatory this deponent sayethe that it did evydentlye appeare that the said deffendant
did all the tyme of the said complaintes service with him beare and shew great good will and
affeccion towardes the said complainant, And that he hathe ^^hard the deffendant and his wyefe diuerse and
sundry tymes saye and reporte that the said complainant was a very honest fellowe: And ^^{this deponent sayethe} that
the said deffendant did make a mocion vnto the complainant of marriadge with the said
Mary in the bill mencioned beinge the said deffendantes sole chyld and daughter and willinglye
offered to performe the same yf the said Complainant shold seeme to be content and well
like thereof:  And further this deponent sayethe that the said deffendantes wyeffe did sollicitt
and entreat this deponent to moue and perswade the said Complainant to effect the said Marriadge
and accordingly this deponent did moue and perswade the complainant thervnto: And more t[o]
this Interrogatorye he cannott depose:/

4/ To the ffourth Jnterrogatory this deponent sayth that the defendant promissed to
geue the said Complainant a porcion of monie and goodes in Marriad[ge]
with Marye his daughter./  but what certayne ^^porcion some he Rememberithe
not/ nor when to be payed yf any some weare promissed, nor knoweth
that the defendant promissed the defendant ^plaintiff w twoe hundered poundes with his daughter
Marye at the tyme of his decease.  But sayth that the plaintiff was
dwellinge with the defendant in his house   And they had Amongeste them
selues manye Conferences about there Marriadge which [afterwardes]
was Consumated and Solempnized.  And more he canot [depose.]

5/ To the vth Interrogatory this deponent sayth he can saye noth[inge]
touchinge any parte or poynte of the same Interrogatory for he knoweth
not what Implementes and necessaries of houshould stuffe the defendant gaue
the plaintiff in Marriadge with his daughter Marye./
        (signed) William Shaksper

[Image 4: fol. 1b recto, Joan Johnson's deposition]
 

Depositiones Capte apud Westminster vndecimo die Maij Anno Regni  Iacobi Regis Anglie &c decimo et Scotie xlvto [=11 May, 1612] ex parte Stephanei Bellott quaerentis versus Christopherum Mountioye defendantem./

Johane Johnsone the wyffe of Thomas Johnsone of the parishe of Elinge in
the Countye of Middlesex Baskettmaker of the Age of ffortye yeres or theraboutes
swoorne and examyned the daye and yere abouesaid deposith and say[th]

1/ To the ffirste Interrogatory this deponent sayth shee knoweth the plaintiff an[d hath]
knowne him about Eight yeres./ and the defendant about Eight yeres./

2/ To the seconde Interrogatory this deponent sayth shee did knowe the plaintiff when
he served the defendant, And sayth he behaved him selfe well and in good
sorte when he served the defendant for shee was servant to the defendant
at the tyme./ but shee never herd the defendant confesse that and
saye that he had greate proffitt and Commoddytie by the plaintiffes
service./ And more shee cannot depose.

3/ To the thirde Interrogatory this deponent sayth that the defendant seemed to
beare greate good will and affection towardes the plaintiff when he
served him, geuinge him reporte to be A verry good servaunte for pliing [?]
his service./  But that the defendant moved the plaintiff to Marrye with his
daughter Marye she knoweth not./.  But sayth that there was
A shewe of goodwill betweene the plaintiff and defendantes daughter
Marye which the defendantes wyffe did geue Countenaunce vnto and thinke
well of./ And as shee Remembereth the defendant did send and perswade one
Mr Shakespeare that laye in the house to perswade the plaintiff to the
same Marriadge./  And more shee cannott depose

4/ To the iiijth Interrogatory this deponent sayth shee never herd her [Master]
the defendant proffer the plaintiff any some of money in Marriadge [with]
his daughter Marye.  but yt was Reported in the house that
the plaintiff was to haue with her in marriadge the some of ffyftye
poundes.  but what tyme of payment was therof appoynted or agreed
vppon shee knoweth not.  nor of any promise of any other or further
porcion to be payed the plaintiff eyther at the tyme of marriadge
betweene them, or at the tyme of the defendantes deceas[e] [cut off]
they ^^after married togeather after./  And more shee cannott [depose]
        X [Her Mark]

[Image 6: fol. 2 recto, Daniel Nicholas's deposition]

5/ To the vth Interrogatory this deponent sayth shee can saye nothinge ^^{knoweth not what}
parcelles of goodes and houshould stuffe the defendant promissed to ge[ue]
vnto the plaintiff in marriadge with his wyffe./   But sayth the
defendant gaue in the marriadge with her to the defendant the seuerall parcells [of]
goodes in the Interrogatory mencioned./  but the valewe of them she
Cannot certaynlie knoweth not, but thinketh ^^{they were} woorth some Eight
Poundes./  or thereaboutes./  And more shee cannot depose./
         X [Her Mark]

Danyell Nycholas of the parishe of Sainct Olphadge within Criplegate
London gent’ of the Age of ffyftye twoe yeres or theraboutes sworn[e]
and examyned the daye and yere abouesaid deposith and sayth

1/ To the ffirste Interrogatory this deponent sayth he hath knowne the
plaintiff about twenty yeres and [the] defendant about twelue yeres

2/ To the seconde Interrogatory this deponent sayth he knewe the plaintiff
servaunte vnto the defendant who behaved him selfe verry well in
the defendantes service for any thinge he euer herd to the contrary.
And hath herd that the defendant profitted well by the plaintiffes service
with him.  And more he Cannott depose./

3/ To the thirde Interrogatory this deponent sayth he herd one William
Shakespeare saye that the defendant did beare A good opinnion
of the plaintiff and affected him well when he served him, And
did move the plaintiff by him the said Shakespeare to haue [a]
marriadge betweene his daughter Marye Mountioye [and]
the plaintiff. And for that purpose sent him the said Sh[akespeare]
to the plaintiff to perswade the plaintiff to the same, as Shakespeare
tould him this deponent ^^{which was effected and Solempnized vppon promise of a porcion with her.} And more he cannott depose.

4/ To the iiijth Interrogatory this deponent sayth the said that the plaintiff
did Requeste him this deponent to goe with ^^{his wyffe}him to Shakespe[are]
        (signed) Daniell Nicholas

[Image 7: fol. 3 recto]

to vnderstande the truthe howe muche and what the defendant ^^{did promise [to]}would
bestowe on his daughter in marriadge with him the plaintiff, who
did soe./  And askinge Shakespeare therof, he Answered
that ^^{he promissed} yf the plaintiff would marrye with Marye his onlye
the defendantes onlye daughter, he the defendant would by h[is]
promise ^^{as he Remembered} geue the plaintiff with her in marriadge ^^about the some of
ffyftye poundes in money and Certayne Houshould stuffe./
And more he cannott depose touchinge the said Interrogatory
to his Rememberaunce for he remembereth not any daye
sett downe for payment of the porcion or deliuerye of the houshould
Stuffe. but only that he would geue her soe much at
the tyme of her marriadge./

5/ To the vth Interrogatory this deponent Can saye nothinge more
then he hath alreddye deposed./
        (signed) Daniell Nicholas

[Image 9: fol. 4 recto]

Interrogatories to bee mynistred to Wittnesses to bee
produced on the parte and behalf of Stephen Belott Complainant.
against Christopher Mountioye Defendant.

1 Imprimis whether doe you knowe the parties plainant and defendant.
and howe longe haue you knowne them and either of them.

2 Item whether did you knowe the Complainant when he was
servaunt with the said defendant howe and in what sort did
he behaue himselfe in the service of the said defendant
and whether did not the said defendant Confesse that hee
had got great profitt and Comodytie by the service of
the said Complainant.

3 Item whether did not the said defendant seeme to beare
great good will and affeccione towardes the said Complainant
during the time of his said service and what report
did he then giue of the said Complainant toucheing his
said service and whether did not the said defendant make
a mocion vnto the said Complainant of marriage with the
said Mary in the Bill mencioned being the said
defendantes sole Child and daughter and willingly offer
to performe the same yf the said Complainant should
seeme to be content and well lyke thereof. and
whether did not hee lykewise ^^{send anie person or noe to} perswade the said
Complainant to the same, declare the truthe of your knowledge
herin.

4 Item what some or somes of moneye did the said
defendant promise to giue the said Complainant for a
porcion in marriage with the said Marye his daughter
whether the some of threscore poundes [5 minims] or what other
somme as you knowe or haue hard and when was
the same to bee paied whether at the daie of
Mariage of the said Complainant and the said
Marye or whath other tyme and what further
porcion did the said defendant promise to giue
vnto the said Complainant with the said Marye at
the tyme of his decease whether the some
of twoe hundred poundes or what other somes
and whether vppon the said perswaciones and
promisses of the said defendant did not the said
Complainant shortly after marrye with her the
said Marye declare the truthe ^^herin as you knowe
verylie believe or haue Credybly hard.

5/ Item what parcells of goodes or household stuffe did the defendant ^^{promise to geue}
vnto the complainant in Marriadge with his said wiefe
And what parcells of goodes did he geue him in Marriage
with his said wyffe did he not geue them these
parcels (vizt.)  One ould ffetherbed, one oulde
ffether boulster, A flocke boulster, a thine greene Rugg,
two ordanarie blanckettes woven, two paire of sheetes,
A dozine of napkines of Course Dyaper, twoe short table
Clothes, six short Towelles & one longe one, An
ould drawinge table, two ould Joyned stooles, one
Wainscott Cubberd, one Twistinge wheele of
woode, twoe paire of litle Scyssers, one ould
Truncke and a litle ould Truncke./  One
Bobbine box:  And what doe youe thincke in your
Conscyence all these said parcelles might be
woorthe at the tyme when they weare so deliuered
by the defendauntes appoyntment, vnto the plaintiffes
declare the truthe hearein at lardge./