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Document-specific information
Date: October 15, 1579
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: ER30/1
View online bibliographic record
Robert Bearman, "Conveyance by John and Mary Shakespeare to Robert Webbe, for £4, of their share in two messuages in Snitterfield," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/475.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, ER30/1. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/475.
John Shakespeare's wife was born Mary Arden, the daughter of Robert Arden. In 1550, Robert Arden settled two properties he owned in Snitterfield on trustees, to be divided among six of his daughters after their mother’s death. Margaret, one of the daughters, married Alexander Webbe, and after his death in 1573, their son Robert Webbe began to buy up the interests in the shares inherited by the five other daughters, for sums sometimes as high as £100. By 1582, Robert Webbe had completed the complicated process of consolidating all six shares.
Robert Arden’s two other daughters, Mary who married John Shakespeare, and her sister Elizabeth, who married John Scarlett, had not been named in the settlement. However, both inherited residuary interests in Robert Arden’s settled estates, probably on the deaths of two unmarried Arden sisters, Joyce and Alice. In October 1579, as shown here, John and Mary Shakespeare sold Webbe Mary’s half share “in two messuages” (dwelling houses and associated land) in Snitterfield, described even more specifically in the foot of fine confirming the sale (below), as a sixth part of two parts. The sale raised the modest sum of £4, no doubt welcome at a time of financial difficulty. When the Scarletts sold their share in what seems to be the same property, they received 20 marks (£13 6s. 8d.)
In this document John is described as a yeoman, a term used to describe a well-to-do farmer of the land and one of three occupations by which over the years he was described. Another feature of interest is the marks made by John and Mary on both this deed and the accompanying bond, which was ratified on the same day. John’s mark is a cross, no longer clearly visible but shown as such on early photographs. Mary’s mark, more elaborate, is carefully drawn. In 1597 John again used a simple cross for his mark.
Both the conveyance and the bond were sealed, and substantial fragments of both survive. Careful drawings made by James Saunders in the early nineteenth century of the seals when complete, show the letters “I:S” on John’s seal and a horse on Mary’s (ER 1/98, p. 121).
[ER 30/1]
This Indenture made the fyftenthe daye of Octobar, in the yeare of the Raigne of our soueraigne ladye Elyzabethe, bye the grace of god of England, ffraunce & Ireland Quene, defender of the faithe &c. the twentythe &
one Betwene Iohn Shackspere of Stratford uppon Avon, in the Countye of Warwicke yoman & Marye his wyeffe on the one partye and Robart Webbe of Snitterfylde in the same countye yoman on the other partye Wittnessethe
that the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wieffe for & in consideracion of the Somme of foure poundes of goode & lawfull Englishe money by the aforesaid Roberte Webbe vnto the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe before
the delyverie of these presentes well & trulye contented & paied of the which said Somme the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe doe acknowledge themselves fully satisfyed contented & paied & thereof & of everye
parte thereof the said Robert Webbe his heires executors administrators & assignes doe fullye freely & cleerelye acquyte exonerate & dyscharge for euer by these presentes have gyven graunted bargayned & solde & by these
presentes doe gyve graunte bargayne & sell unto the said Robart Webbe his heires & assignes for ever all that theire moitye parte & partes be yt more or lesse of & in twoo messuages or tenementes with thappurtenaunces sett
lyenge & beynge in Snitterfield aforesaid in the said county of Warwicke & of all & singular houses edifices barnes Stables gardens, orchardes medowes lesurs pastures feedinges commons furres brush
woodes vnderwoodes Waters landes tenementes hereditamentes profyttes commodyties whatsoeuer or wheresoeuer in any wise to the said twoo messuages or tenementes or any of them, belonginge or apperteininge or occupyed
with the same, in whose tenure or occupation soeuer they or any of them or any parte or parcell of them nowe be And furthermore the reuertion and reuertions remaynder & remaynders of the same & rentes dutyes profyttes [&]
commodyties whatsoeuer to the said reuertion or reuertions remaynder or remaynders in any wyse belonginge incident or apperteyninge or excepted or reserued uppon any manner of graunte or demyse there
of heretofore had or made or of any of the graunted premisses together with all & singular deedes cherters evydences wrytynges & mynimentes whatsoeuer towchinge & concerninge onely the foresaid two
messuages or tenementes or all or any of thaforesaid premisses which theye the foresaid Iohn Shackspere or Marye his wyeffe or eyther of them or anye other person or persons eyther by theyre or any of
theyre delyverie or by theire or eyther of theire knowledge nowe have or ought to have To have & to holde theire said moitye parte & partes of the said twoo messuages or tenementes and of
all and singular the graunted premisses with theire & everye of theire appurtenaunces vnto thaforesaide Roberte Webbe his heires & assignes, for ever, to his & theire onelye proper vse & behoofe all which theire said moitye parte
& partes of the said twoo messuages or tenementes with thappurtenaunces and of all & singular the graunted premisses with theire & everye of theire appurtenaunces thafforesayd Iohn Shackspere & Marye his
wyeffe for them & theire heires & the heires of eyther of them by these presentes to thafforesaid Robert Webbe his heires & assignes doe warrante & promysse to defende against the said Iohn & Marye his wiffe
& theire heires & the heires of eyther of them for ever by these presentes And the saide Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe for the consideracion aforesaid for them theire heires & the heires of eyther of them
theire executors administrators & assignes & euerye of them doe covenaunt promysse & graunte to and with the said Roberte Webbe his heires, executors administrators & assignes & euerye of them by these presentes that
theire said moitye parte & partes, of thafforesaide twoo messuages or tenementes & of all & singular the graunted premisses with theire appurtenaunces att all tyme & tymes henceforth after the delyverie of these presentes
maye & shall lawfully & rightfully come be and remayne vnto thaforesaid Robert Webbe his heires & assignes accordinge to the true tenour & effecte of the graunte thereof before made in these presentes free cleere
and voyde or otherwise well & sufficientlie saued harmelesse by the foresaid Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe theire heires & the heires of eyther of them & theire assignes of & from all & singular bargaines
sales feoffmentes grauntes intayles ioyntures dowars leases willes vses rent charge rent sectes arrereges of rentes recognizaunce statute marchant & of the staple obligacions Iudgementes executions condemp
nacions yssues fynes amercementes intrusions forfaitures alienacions without lycens & of & from all other charges troubles & incumbraunces whatsoeuer heretofore had made or done by the foresaid Iohn Shackspere
& Marye his wieffe or eyther of them or of theire heires or the heires of eyther of them or by any other person or persons by thorough or vnder theire or any of theire right tytle or interest acte consent or
procurement & the rentes customes & services due to the chieffe lord or lordes of the fee or fees onely excepted & foreprised And that theye the foresaid Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe & all & euerye
other person and persons (except before excepted) nowe havinge claiminge or pretendinge to have or that hereafter shall haue claime or pretend to have any manner of lawfull & iust right tytle & intereste
of in to or out of theire said moitye parte & partes of the foresaid twoo messuages or tenementes & of all or any of the graunted premisses with theire appurtenaunces in by or thoroughe the right tytle or intereste of
the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe & theire heires & the heires of eyther of them at all tyme & tymes hereafter from & after the delyverie of these presentes from tyme to tyme uppon lawfull
warninge & request made by the said Robert Webbe his heires & assignes vnto thaforesaid Iohn Shackspere & Mary his wyeffe & theire heires & the heires of eyther of them at the proper costes & charges in the lawe
of the said Robert Webbe his heires or assignes shall & wyll doe cause & suffer to be done all & euerye reasonable & lawfull acte & actes thinge & thinges devyse & devyses for the more better & perfect assuraunce
and sure makenge in the lawe of thaforesaid moitye parte and partes of the said twoo messuages or tenementes & of all & singular the graunted premisses with theire appurtenaunces to the said Robert Webbe his
heires & assignes to his and theire onely vse & behoofe be yt by fyne feoffment recouery with single or double voucher deedes inrolled inrollement of these presentes or by any or by all of them or by any other
wayes or meanes whatsoeuer with warranty against them the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe & theire heires & the heires of eyther of them as shalbe advised or devised by the said Robert Webbe
his heires & assignes or by his or theire councell learned in the lawe And furthermore that the said Iohn Shackspere & Marye his wyeffe & theire heires & the heires of eyther of them & theire
assignes shall & wyll delyuer uncanceled & undefaced vnto the said Roberte Webbe his heires or assignes before the feast of Easter next ensuenge the date of these presentes all & singular the cherters
deedes evidences wrytinges & mynimentes before in these presentes bargained & sold which theye may come by without suite in the lawe and that of all other cherters evydences wrytinges & mynimentes which theye [the]
said Iohn Shackspere and Marye his wyeffe hath or that theye theire heires executors or assignes at any tyme hereafter maye lawfully come by without suite in lawe towchinge & concerninge
thaforesaid twoo messuages or tenementes or the before bargained premisses or any of them they the said Iohn Shackspere & Mary his wyeffe or one of them upon lawfull request of the said Roberte
Webbe his heires and assignes at his & theire proper costes & charges vnto them the said Iohn & Marye, theyre heires & assignes had & made shall deliuer or cause to be delyvered to the said Robart Webbe his heires & assignes
the true & perfecte coppie & coppies at all tyme & tymes hereafter In wittnesse whereof the parties abouesaid to these present Indentures Interchangeblie have putte theire handes & Seales
the daye & yeare fyrst aboue wrytten.
[across tags] the marke + of Iohn Shacksper
the marke + of Marye Shacksper.
[Tags with seals: John’s is now unclear but bears the initials ‘I.S.’. Mary’s bears the image of a horse]
[endorsed]
Sealed & deliuered in the presens of
Nycholas Knooles vicar of Auston of
Wyllyam Maydes & Anthony
Osbaston with other mor.
Written by Robert Bearman
Last updated February 28, 2021