BRU2/1 Council Book A 1555-1594, page 259
Reproduced by permission of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
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Document-specific information
Title: Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
Date: September 1586
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU2/1, p. 259
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
Title: Stratford-upon-Avon Borough: Minute books: Council Book A, 1555-1594
Date: September 1586
Repository: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Call number and opening: BRU2/1, p. 259
View online bibliographic record
Robert Bearman, "Meeting of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation at which John Shakespeare and John Wheeler are removed from the office of aldermen," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/505.
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, BRU2/1 Council Book A 1555-1594, page 259. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/505.
John Shakespeare may have appeared at a meeting of the Corporation held on December 5, 1576 (Minutes and Accounts, ii, p. 111). However, there is no record of his attendance thereafter until his eventual expulsion at the meeting held on September 6, 1586, shown here. The primary objective of this meeting was to elect officers for the following year, but the Corporation took the opportunity to replace John Wheeler and John Shakespeare as aldermen on the grounds that “Mr Wheler dothe desire to be put out of the Companye & Mr Shaxspere dothe not Come to the halles when they be warned nor hathe done of longe tyme.” In fact, Wheeler had not been as lax as John Shakespeare—he was in fairly regular attendance until September 1584—and, as the wording of Corporation’s order implies, he had chosen to resign. In John Shakespeare’s case, the Corporation had simply given up any hope that he would resume his role.
Expulsions were rare. Since the borough’s incorporation in 1553, only William Bott, in 1565, had been dismissed by a specific Corporation resolution. John Shakespeare was then elected to replace him. In 1581, Thomas Brogden, who had been absent from meetings for the previous six years, either resigned or was dismissed; his name no longer features in the lists of capital burgesses after September 6, 1581. However, there is no specific record of why this happened.
The list of aldermen and burgesses, with John Shakespeare’s and Wheeler’s names underlined for deletion, is annotated with a complex set of dots. Some scholars believe that four of the dots might represent four meetings, but they are more likely to indicate attendance at morning and afternoon sessions, with the other dots perhaps used to record voting on the issue of expulsion.
Beneath the list of attendees is a record of the annual election of officers, including a confused note about the election of bailiff for the coming year. The Corporation originally proposed William Wilson as one of three candidates, but Wilson apparently declined to stand and was therefore fined. Nicholas Barnhurst, alias Banister, took his place. At the election, Thomas Barber secured 11 votes, out of 19 members in attendance, and was therefore declared bailiff for the following year. However, given that Wilson had declined to stand, it is not clear who received the remaining eight votes.
BRU 2/1, p. 259
Stratford
​Burgus
Ad aulam ibidem tentam vjo die Septembris Anno Regni domine
Elizabethe dei gracia Anglie francie & Hibernie Regine fidei
defensoris &c vicesimo octavo
Nomina Aldermanorum Nomina Burgensium
• •
• • Willelmus Tyler ballivus • • Willelmus Smythe
•
• • Adrianus Quyney Iohannes Tayler
• •
• Georgius Whateley • • • Willelmus Brace
• •
• Radulfus Cawdrey • • • Petrus Smarte •
• •
• Lodovicus ap Williams • • • Phillipus Grene
• •
• • Humffridus Plumley • • Thomas Goodwyn
• •
• • Ricardus hyll • Ricardus Courte •
•
Iohannes Wheler • • Iohannes Smythe
•
Iohannes Shaxspere • Ricardus Quyney •
•
• Robertus Salysburye • Georgius Bardell •
•
• Thomas Barber • • Willelmus Parsons
•
• • Nicolaus Barneshurst • • Carolus Beynton
• •
• Willelmus Wylson • • Iohannes Gybbes
•
Thomas Dyxson • • Thomas Rogers
Eleccion of the • • • • • • • • • • • Thomas Barber
baylyffe • • • • • • • • Willelmus Wylson finem fecit
Robertus Sallysburye
Nicolaus Bannester
of whiche thre Mr Barber ys thought
to be most fittest to be baylyffe
Ellecion of the George Whateley ys Chosen to be Alderman Iuratus
Alderman
Chamberlens Richard Quyney & Iohn Gybbes Iurati
elleccon of newe At thys halle William Smythe & Richard Courte
aldermen are Chosen to be Aldermen in the places of Iohn Wheler
& Iohn Shaxpere for that Mr Wheler dothe desyre to
be put out of the Companye & Mr Shaxspere dothe not
Come to the halles when they be warned nor hathe
not done of Longe tyme
Constables George Badger Rodger Welshe Iohn Shaxspere Iuratus Humffrey braceIuratus
Tasters David Iones ^& Valentine Taunte Iurati
Iohn Knight
Robert Bydell
Leather sealers William Bell & Iohn Iorden Iurati
Seriantes Henrye Russell & Roberte Gybbes Iurati
Written by Robert Bearman
Last updated May 14, 2020
