BRU15/2/3 recto
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
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Document-specific information
Date: July 24, 1605
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Call number and opening: BRU15/2/3
View online bibliographic record
BRU15/2/3 verso
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Date: July 24, 1605
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Call number and opening: BRU15/2/3
View online bibliographic record
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Terms of use
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has graciously contributed images under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommerical ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Visitors may download, link to and cite the images for personal research only. Any further use, including, but not limited to, unauthorized downloading or distribution of the images, commercial or third party use, is strictly prohibited. Visitors must contact the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to request additional use, at: images.scla@shakespeare.org.uk
Document-specific information
Date: July 24, 1605
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Call number and opening: BRU15/2/3
View online bibliographic record
Robert Bearman, "Bond from Ralph Hubaud in the sum of £80 that he will perform the covenants contained in the assignment made between him and William Shakespeare regarding the Stratford tithes," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/497.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU15/2/3. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/497.
It was customary for a vendor to enter into a bond on the same day that a conveyance (or similar document) was signed, in order to ensure his or her performance of any covenants that the main deed contained. On July 24, 1605, as shown here, Ralph Hubaud acknowledged that he was bound in £80 to observe covenants contained in the assignment of the lease of a half-part of the Stratford tithes to William Shakespeare, sealed on the same day.
By referring back to the assignment, we see that these covenants were standard for the time, namely that the property was free of any encumbrances entered into by either Hubaud or former holders of the lease, and that within three years Hubaud would enter into any further agreements to ratify the sale, provided it be at Shakespeare’s expense. It was further agreed that Hubaud would not be obliged to leave his home at Ipsley to do so, suggesting that he was in poor health; indeed, he died within six months. The three witnesses were those who had attested the principal deed.
In 1625, when John Hall, Shakespeare’s son-in-law, surrendered the lease to the Corporation’s representatives (BRU 8/17/18), specific mention was made of handing this bond back too, which explains why it is now part of the Corporation archives.
[first paragraph]
Know all men by these presents that I Ralph Hubaud of Ipsley in the county of Warwick, esquire, am held and firmly bound to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon in the said county of Warwick, gentleman, in the sum of eighty pounds of good and legal English money to be paid to the same William or his certain attorney, executors or assigns, to the certain payment of which I firmly bind myself, my heirs, executors asnd adminstrators by these presents sealed with my seal. Given the twenty-fourth day of July in the years of the reign of our lord James, by the grace of God, king of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith etc., namely of England, France and Ireland the third and of Scotland the thirty-eighth.
Nouerint vniuersi per presentes me Radulfum Hubaud de Ippesley in comitatu Warr’ Armigerum teneri et firmiter obligari Willelmo Shakespear de
Stratforde super Avon in dicto comitatu Warr’ generoso in Octingentis libris bone et leg[a]lis monete Anglie solvendis eidem Willelmo
aut suo certo Attornato executoribus vel assignatis suis Ad quam quidem solucionem bene & fideliter faciendam Obligo me heredes
executores & administratores meos firmiter per presentes sigillo meo sigillatas Datum vicesimo quarto die Iulii Annis Regni domini nostri Iacobi dei
gracia Anglie Scocie ffrancie & Hibernie Regis fidei defensoris &c scilicet Anglie ffrancie & Hibernie Tercio & Scocie tricesimo octavo
The condicion of this obligacion is suche that if thaboue bounden Raphe Hubande his heires executors administrators & assignes & euerye of
them shall & doe from tyme to tyme & att All tymes well & truelye observe performe fulfill & keepe All & euerye Covenaunte graunte
Article clause sentence & thinge mencioned expressed & declared in A certein writinge Indented bearinge date with thees
presentes made betweene the sayed Raphe Hubaude on thone parte & the Abouenamed William Shakespear on thother parte And
which on the parte & behalf of the saied Raphe his heires executors administrators & Assignes or anie of them are to bee observed performed
fulfilled or kept According to the purporte & true meaninge of the saied writinge That then this present obligacion to bee
voyde & of none effect or els to stand & abide in full force power & vertue.
[signed on tag, with fragmentary seal] Raffe Huband
Sealed & deliuered in the presens of
William Hubaud
Anthony Nasshe Francis Collyns.
Written by Robert Bearman
Last updated May 12, 2020
