William Shakespeare's Will

Shakespeare’s Will, 25th March 1616

On display is a replica of Shakespeare’s original will, which is held by The National Archives. William Shakespeare was buried on the 25th April 1616 at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, 22nd June 1616.

Witnesses: Francis Collins (lawyer), Julius Shawe, John Robinson, Hamnet Sadler and Robert Whattcott. All were local men from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Overseers: Thomas Russell and Francis Collins.

Executors: Susanna Hall, Shakespeare’s daughter, and her husband, John Hall. Executors were responsible for carrying out the instructions left in the will.

William Shakespeare’s last will provides us with valuable information about his land, property, personal possessions, family and friends.

Shakespeare left the bulk of his estate to his two daughters – Susanna and Judith. Susanna, as his eldest child, received the most. She inherited property and land in Stratford-upon-Avon and its environs and property in London. Susanna and her husband, John, also inherited all of Shakespeare’s personal belongings not bequeathed elsewhere. Shakespeare’s will is clear that the estate is to be passed on to any male heirs of Susanna’s, or of her daughter, Elizabeth. Judith received money and a ‘broad silver gilt bowl’.

Shakespeare also remembered his only surviving sibling, Joan, and her sons, as well as his granddaughter, Elizabeth.

Shakespeare famously mentions his wife, Anne, only once in his will. An inserted line reads ‘I give unto my wife my second-best bed with the furniture’. Many have read this as an insult, but more recent scholarship offers a different perspective. Anne would have been entitled to a third of.

Shakespeare’s freehold lands were held by common law. Therefore, Shakespeare did not need to mention her directly for her to inherit a comfortable living after his death. On the other hand, she was not entitled to any of his personal belongings without him specifying which ones. Beds were expensive and often highly prized items of furniture in this period. The ‘second-best’ bed may well have been the couple’s marital bed and therefore of sentimental as well as financial value.

The will confirms Shakespeare’s connections to local Stratford men such as Hamnet Sadler and Thomas Combe. It also demonstrates his close connections to theatre friends and colleagues in London, such as Richard Burbage, John Heminges, and Henry Condell.

The last time that the will was on display in Stratford-upon-Avon was in 2016 during the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. It was featured in a standalone exhibition at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, next to the house where William Shakespeare was believed to have been born on Henley Street.

There are close to 500 references across approximately 400 print and manuscript documents, which together help to inform us about William Shakespeare and his life in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. These primary source materials tell us about his family, Shakespeare himself, and his investments and business associates. Throughout these documents, there are only 6 examples of Shakespeare's signature - 3 of which are seen on this will. The clearest is how he signs the will on the third page, which is often quoted and replicated on Shakespeare memorabilia: "By me, William Shakespeare."

Additionally, out of these 400 documents, there are 90 unique and hand-written primary source documents which are recognised by UNESCO as part of its Memory of the World register. These are collectively known as "The Shakespeare Documents" and all date from within Shakespeare's lifetime to shortly after. These documents in particular detail the key biographical information about William Shakespeare: birth, death, property, family, property owned, investments and business affairs.

In addition to the will shown in this case, you can also see a copy of The Parish Register during your visit to Holy Trinity Church. This records the baptism and burial of Shakespeare and his family members. Most notably, were it not for the Parish Register's record of Hamnet Shakespeare's baptism and burial, we would not know he existed, as these are the only records of him to survive.