In 1613, William Shakespeare purchased a house in London – this is clear from historical records. But where in the Blackfriars district this famous bard’s building was located remained unclear – until now. Three documents discovered in London archives, including a map, reveal the exact location of Shakespeare’s property for the first time. Their proximity to the theater suggests that the poet may have been in London more frequently and for longer periods in his later years than previously thought.
The works of the English poet William Shakespeare are among the most famous works of world literature. But little is known about the life of its author; nothing else has been verified so far. This also applies to the last years before Shakespeare’s death in 1616. It is known that the bard invested a large part of his income from participation in theaters and an acting troupe in real estate, most of it in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Historical sources also show that Shakespeare acquired property in the Blackfriars district of London in 1613.
However, the exact location of Shakespeare’s London home was unknown. The assumption was that this property must be close to the Blackfriars Theater since Shakespeare was a co-owner there. Today, a plaque on a house on St. Andrew’s Hill in Blackfriars reminds us: “On March 10, 1613, William Shakespeare acquired an apartment in the Blackfriars Gatehouse near this site,” it reads. However, because the exact location of Shakespeare’s possessions is not known, the information remains vague.
Historical plan reveals exact location
A discovery by historian Lucy Munro from King’s College London has now changed this. While researching the London Archives and the National Archives, she came across three documents that revealed more about Shakespeare’s London property and its history. “I was doing this research as part of a larger project and I couldn’t believe it when I realized I was looking at the plan of Shakespeare’s House at Blackfriars,” says Munro. The map, discovered in the London Archives, dates from 1668 and shows the Blackfriars district after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The crucial thing: William Shakespeare’s property is shown on this plan. He reveals that the building stretched from the east end of Ireland Street and the end of Burgon Street to the 19th century houses at 5 St Andrew’s Hill and 5 Burgon Street. Accordingly, the memorial plaque at 5 St. Andrew’s Hill coincidentally marks the exact location of Shakespeare’s London domicile. “Thanks to this discovery, we now know exactly where Shakespeare’s house once stood,” says Munro. The plan does not show the internal division of the rooms and a part of the building that was destroyed in the fire is also missing. Nevertheless, it shows that the building was large enough to be divided into two houses after Shakespeare’s death.
Was the poet in London more often than expected?
“The discovery also casts doubt on the common narrative that Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon-Avon in his final years and spent no more time in London,” says Munro. The proximity of this domicile to the Blackfriars Theater contradicts the assumption that the poet only purchased the London house as an investment. Instead, the historian believes it is very likely that Shakespeare traveled to London more often in his final years and lived in his house. “We know that Shakespeare was co-author of John Fletcher’s Two Noble Kinsmen, published in late 1613. “The size and location of the house now identified makes it not unlikely that part of this play was written there,” says Munro. “We also know that Shakespeare visited London in November 1614 – it is likely that he stayed in his own home.”
Two other documents uncovered by Munro in the National Archives reveal more about what happened to this house after the poet’s death. They report that Shakespeare’s granddaughter Elizabeth Hall Nash Barnard – the daughter of his eldest daughter Susanna – sold this property in 1665. The poet’s house, now located for the first time, was the only one in London that belonged to him. Previously he had only ever lived in the city as a rented apartment.
Source: King’s College London