1. 1564 / 4 / 26: Baptismal record. The entry is in Latin and reads, "Guiliamus filius Johannes Shakspere"; that is, "William son of John Shakspere" (Stratford Parish Register of Holy Trinity Church).

2. 1582 / 11 / 27: Marriage license issued to "wm Shaxpere et Anna whateley" (Worcester Diocesan Register).

3. 1582 / 11 / 28: Marriage bond for "willm Shagspere ... and Anne hathwey" (Worcester Diocesan Register).

4. 1595 / 3 / 15: Entry in the accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber: "To William Kempe, William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage, servaunts to the Lord Chamberleyne, upon the Councille's warrant dated at Whitehall XVth Marcij 1594, for two severall comedies or enterludes shewed by them before her majestie in Christmas tyme laste part viz St. Stephen's daye and Innocents daye xiijli vjss vijd, and by way of her majesties Reward vjli iiijd, in all xxli" (Public Record Office, identified as Pipe Office, Declared Accounts No. 542, Folio 207b).

5. 1596 / 10 / 20: Two rough drafts of a document granting a Coat of Arms. (College of Arms, Vincent MS, Article 23). Below is the shield and crest from the earlier document with the motto "Non Sanz Droict"; that is, "Not Without Right". Oddly, the "motto" has been written twice, each time including a comma after "Non". Thus it may be read: "No, Without Right".

6. 1596 / Michaelmas Term: Court order containing "petitions for sureties of the peace" entries. Translated from Latin: "England. Be it known that William Shakspere, Francis Langley, Dorothy Soer wife of John Soer, and Anne Lee, for fear of death [ob metum mortis  ] and so forth. Writ of Attachment issued and directed to the Sheriff of Surrey, returnable the eighteenth of St. Martin" (The rolls of the Court of the Queen's Bench, Public Records Office, London).

7. 1597 / 11 / 15: Listed on the Subsidy Roll as a tax defaulter in Bishopgate ward who failed to pay an assessed 5s (Public Record Office, Exchequer, King's Remembrancer, Subsidy Roll, E. 179/146/354). 8. 1597 / 5 / 4: Record of New Place at Stratford-on-Avon purchase for L 60 (Public Record Office, MS Warwick 39, Elizabeth 1597, Easter 237).

9. 1598: Listed as having then acted in Ben Jonson's Every Man In His Humour (@ Workes 72).

10. 1598 / 1 / 12: Bill of sale: Wyllyn Wyatt Chamberlin "Pd to Mr. Shakespere for one load of stone xd" (Stratford Chamber Account records).

11. 1598 / 1 / 24: Letter from Abraham Sturley to a friend about Shakespeare lending "some monei on some old yarde land or other Shottri or neare about us" (Misc. Document 1, 135, Birthplace Museum, Stratford).

12. 1598 / 2 / 4: Listed as a holder of 10 quarters of corn (80 bushels) during a famine. (Miscellaneous Documents 1, 106, Birthplace Museum, Stratford).

13. 1598 / 10 / 1: Listed on the Subsidy Roll as a tax defaulter in Bishopgate ward who failed to pay an assessed 13s.4d (Public Record Office, Exchequer, King's Remembrancer, Subsidy Roll, E. 179/146/369).

14. 1598 / 10 / 25: Letter from Richard Quiney asking for a L 30 loan. "This is the only letter that has ever been found addressed to William Shakespeare" (@ Beckett 8). It is addressed "To my Loving good ffrend & countreymann mr wm Shackespre" (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, MS. ER 27/4.)

15. 1598 / 10-11: Letter from Adrian Quiney to Richard Quiney: "yff yow bargen with Wm Sha or recover money therefor, brynge youre money homme" (Misc. Document 1, 135, Birthplace Museum, Stratford).

16. 1598 / 11 / 4: Letter from Abraham Sturley to Richard Quiney: "Our countriman Mr. Wm. Shak would procure us monei we I will like of" (Misc. Document 1, 135, Birthplace Museum, Stratford).

17. 1599: Listed "in copies of [tax] accounts prepared for the Exchequer, with persons who do not answer because they have no goods, chattels, lands, or tenements in the district. " (@ Schoenbaum 162). (Public Record Office, Exchequer, Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, Accounts of Subsidies, E. 359/56).

18. 1599: "A further application was made to the Heralds for leave to impale the arms of Arden in right of Shakespeare's mother on the coat of arms previously granted. (College of Arms, London; MS R21, formerly G13)" (@ Beckett 8).

19. 1599 / 2 / 21: Globe Theatre " 'tripartite lease', the three parties being Sir Nicholas Brend (who owned the grounds), the Burbage brothers, and five members of the Chamberlain's troupe [including] William Shakespeare" (@ Schoenbaum 154).

20. 1599 / 10 / 6: Listed in the Residuum London  accounts: "These delinquents, Shakespeare among them, were entered by the Exchequer in the residuum, or back-tax, accounts for London" (@ Schoenbaum 163). (Public Record Office, Exchequer, Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, Pipe Rolls, E. 372/444, m. 'Residuum London').

21. 1600: "Court record of suit brought against John Clayton by a 'Willemus Shackspere' for a L7 debt, which had been acknowledged in 1592 in Cheapside. [Not all scholars agree that this 'Shackspere' was from Stratford.]" (@ McMichael 15).

22. 1600 / 10 / 6: Listed in the Residuum Sussex  accounts where "the tax bill of 13s.4d. is still outstanding. The notation Episcopo Wintonensi  in the left-hand margin indicates that the Court of Exchequer had referred the dramatist's arrears to the Bishop of Winchester, whose liberty of the Clink in Surrey lay outside the sheriff's jurisdiction. The natural inference is that Shakespeare now lived in the Clink, although it is a curious fact that his name has not been traced in any of the annual lists of residents of the Clink parish (St. Saviour's) compiled by the officers who made the rounds to collect tokens purchased by churchgoers for Easter Communion, which was compulsory" (@ Schoenbaum 163). (Public Record Office, Exchequer, Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer, Pipe Rolls, E. 372/445, m. 'Residuum Sussex').
    Jane Beckett says the tax bill was "ultimately collected in the liberty of the Clink, a reference to the jail on Clink Street, Southwark, London" (@ 7).

23. 1601 / 3 / 25: Will of Thomas Whittington: "Item I geve and bequeth unto the poore people of Stratford 40s that is in the hand of Anne Shaxspere, wyf unto Mr. Wyllyam Shaxspere, and is due debt unto me..." (Worcestershire Record Office).

24. 1602: Peter Brooke accused Sir William Dethick (Garter King-of-Arms) of "elevating base persons, and assigning devices already in use," including the illustration below with its "appellation player...no doubt pejoratively intended" (@ Schoenbaum 171-2). (Folger Shakespeare Library, MS. V.a.350).

25. 1602: Garter and Clarenceux reply in defense to Brooke's complaint and include the device illustration below (Bodleian Library, MS. Ashmole 846).

26. 1602 / 3 / 13: Diary entry of John Manningham: "Vpon a tyme when Burbidge played Rich. 3. there was a citizen greue soe farr in liking with him, that before shee went from the play shee appointed him to come that night vnto hir by the name of Ri: the 3. Shakespeare overhearing their conclusion went before, was intertained, and at his game ere Burbidge came. Then message being brought that Rich. the 3.d was at the dore, Shakespeare caused returne to be made that William the Conquerour was before Rich. the 3. Shakespeare's name William. (Mr. Curle.)" (British Museum).

27. 1602 / 5 / 1: Record of purchase from William and John Combe of 107 acres of land for L320 (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, MS. ER 27/1).

28. 1602 / 9 / 28: Transfer of copyhold title of a quarter-acre of land with a cottage and garden (Chapel Lane Cottage) from Walter Getley (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, MS. ER 28/1).

29. 1603: Listed as having then acted in Ben Jonson's Sejanus (@ Workes 438).

30. 1603 / 5 / 17-18: Warrants for letters patent authorizing "William Shakespeare...and the rest of theire Assosiates freely to use and exercise the Arte and faculty of playinge Comedies Tragedies histories Enterludes moralls pastoralls Stageplaies and suche others like as theie have alreadie studied or hereafter shall use or studie aswell for the recreation of our lovinge Subjectes as for our Solace and pleasure when wee shall thincke good to see them duringe our pleasure..." (Public Record Office, Privy Seal Office, Warrants for the Privy Seal, P.S.O. 2/22; and Public Record Office, Chancery, Warrants for the Great Seal, C. 82/1690).

31. 1603 / 5 / 19: Letters patent issued under the Great Seal which "instructs all justices, mayors, other officers, and loving subjects 'to allowe them such former Curtesies as hath bene given to men of theire place and quallitie and alsoe what further favour you shall shewe to theeise our Servauntes for our sake', for such favour 'wee shall take kindlie at your handes' " (@ Schoenbaum 196). (Public Record Office, Chancery, Patent Rolls, C. 66/1608, m. 4).

32. 1604: Suit for 35s 10d brought against the apothecary Philip Rogers (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, MS. ER 27/5).

33. 1604: Court depositions given later (1612) indicate Shakspere was staying in the house of "Christopher Mountjoy, a French Huguenot tire-maker (i.e. manufacturer of ladies' ornamental headgear) in Cripplegate ward, an enclave within the north-east corner of" London (@ Schoenbaum 208).
    Joan Johnson's deposition states that, "as she Remembreth the defendant did send and perswade one mr Shakespeare that laye in the house to perswade the plaintiff," Stephen Belott, to marry Mountjoy's daughter.
    Daniell Nicholas explains in his deposition that "Shakespeare tould this deponent that the defendant tould him that yf the plaintiff would Marrye the said Marye his daughter he would geve him the plaintiff A some of monney with her for A porcion in Marriadge with her. And that yf he the plaintiff did not marry with her the said Marye and she with the plaintiff shee should never coste him the defendant her ffather A groat, Whereuppon And in Regard Mr Shakespeare hadd tould them that they should have A some of Monney for A porcion from the father they Weare made suer by mr Shakespeare by gevinge there Consent, and agreed to marrye" (Public Record Office, Court of Requests, Belott  v. Mountjoy ).

34. 1604 / 3 / 15: On a list of "actors who each received 4 1/2 yards of scarlet cloth at the King's cost to provide a uniform for the Toyal Procession through London. (Pub. Record Office, L. C. 4/5, London)" (@ Beckett 10).

35. 1604 / 10 / 24: A survey notes that "William Shakespere Lykewise holdeth one cottage and one garden by estimation a quarter of one acre and payeth rent yearly ijs vjd" (Public Record Office, Exchequer, Special Commission, E. 178/4661).

36. 1605 / 5 / 4: Augustine Phillips will states: "Item I geve and bequeathe to my ffellowe william Shakespeare a Thirty shillings peece in gould" (Public Record Office, Prob. 10/Box 232).

37. 1605 / 7 / 24: Indenture: "For L440 he procured [from Ralph Hubaud] a half-interest in a lease of 'Tythes of Corne grayne blade & heye' in three nearby hamlets...along with the small tithes of the whole of Stratford parish, with certain exceptions honouring former rights" (@ Schoenbaum 192). (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, MS. ER 27/2).

38. 1605 / 7 / 24: "A bond received from Ralph Hubaud reads: 'To William Shakspre, gentleman'. It was a bond for the performance of covenants [with respect to the indenture]" (@ Beckett 10). (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, Misc. Doc. II, 3).

39. 1606: Inventory of Ralph Hubaud's land and goods after his death includes: "There was Owinge by Mr. Shakspre xxli" (@ Beckett 10).

40. 1608 / 8 / 17: Suit brought against John Addenbrooke for L6, plus 24s damages. Shakspere won and an order was issued for Addenbrooke's arrest. He failed to appear in court and apparently fled because he was not jailed. Shakspere persued the case (until 1609 / 6 / 7) and tried to force Addenbrooke's surety, the blacksmith Thomas Horneby, to pay the full amount. "His persistence may strike moderns as heartless..." (@ Schoenbaum 184). Indeed, it is not unreasonable to ask how the "author" of The Merchant of Venice  could behave in such a manner. (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, Misc. Doc. V, 116; Misc Doc V, 139; Misc Doc V, 127a; Misc Doc V, 127b; Misc Doc V, 115; MS. ER 27/6; MS. ER 27/7).

41. 1610: Court of Common Pleas fine: It served to confirm Shakspere's title to 107 acres of land and 20 acres of pasture he bought from William Combe in 1602. (Public Record Office, Court of Common Pleas, Feet of Fines, C.P. 25(2)/365; C.P. 24(2)/7).

42. 1611: Court of Chancery Bill of Complaint: "The complainants, of whom Shakespeare was one, asked that the other tenants pay their portion of the mean rent of L26.13s.4d. reserved for John Barker, who held the original lease on the tithes" (@ Schoenbaum 193). (Richard Lane et al.  versus Doninus Carewe et al. , Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, Misc. Doc. II, 11.).

43. 1611 / 9 / 11: The name "mr William shackspere" appears on a list of those supporting "the Charge of prosecutynge the Bill in parliament for the better Repayre of the highe waies and amendinge divers defectes in the Statues alredy made." This Bill would have made the national government responsible for repairs previously funded by local residents. (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, Misc. Doc. I, 4.).

44. 1612 / 5 / 11: Court Deposition: Shakspere was called into court and asked to resolve a dispute regarding the amount offered as dowery by him when he acted as "go-between" to negotiate a marriage in 1604.
    "Only Shakespeare himself could resolve the question, and the two sides must have looked forward, with hope or apprehension, to his testimony. But Shakespeare's memory of the precise details of events long since past failed him. Why should he have recalled? He had no personal stake in the matter. Mountjoy had promised Belott a dowry of some sort, and there had been many conferences, but what the portion was, or when it was to be paid, Shakespeare could not say, nor could he vouch that 'the defendant promissed the plaintiff twoe hundered poundes with his daughter Marye at the tyme of his decease.' The witness likewise professed ignorance of 'what implementes and necessaries of houshold stuff' Mountjoy gave with Mary. [...]
    "The proceedings, for all their mercenary or sordid overtones, reveal the poet-dramatist of superhuman powers as a somewhat baffled mortal..." (@ Schoenbaum 213). Below is his "signature" found at the bottom of the deposition.

45. 1613 / 1 / 28: Will of John Combe in which he gave L5 to mr William Shackspere" (Public Record Office, Prob. 11/126).

46. 1613 / 3 / 10: Conveyance recording the L140 purchase of Henry Walker's Blackfriars Gate-house by "William Shakspre", William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemming. Below is his "signature" found at the bottom of the manuscript.

47. 1613 / 3 / 11: Mortgage of the Blackfriars Gate-house. This was part of "elaborate arrangements, calling for trustees and a mortgage [whose] practical effect would be to deprive Shakespeare's widow of her dower right to a third share for life in this part of the estate; for in a joint tenancy, Chancery would not recognize Anne's privilege unless her husband had survived the other trustees" (@ Schoenbaum 220). (British Library, MS. Egerton 1787). Below is his "signature" found at the bottom of the manuscript.

48. 1613 / 3 / 31: Record of 44s payment "to mr Shakspeare in gold about my Lordes [Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland] Impreso." Richard Burbadge is also paid 44s for "paynting & making yt." It is claimed that "the linking of [Burbage's] name with Shakespeare's effectively eliminates any doubt that it was the poet rather than some other Shakespeare -- John Shakespeare, the royal bit-maker, for example -- who created the Earl's impresa  " (@ Schoenbaum 220). Why Burbadge, a "talented amateur painter", could not  have known and worked with a second gentleman named Shakespeare is not clear. (Accounts of the Steward of the Earl of Rutland, Rutland MSS. iv. 494).

49. 1614 / 9 / 5: Memorandum recording "Auncient ffreeholders in the ffieldes of Oldstratford and Welcombe." This list was drawn up by Town Clerk Thomas Greene who was concerned about possible land enclosure by William Combe and Arthur Mainwaring. "Shakspeare" is listed as holding "4 yard land" (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office, Misc. Doc. I, 94).

50. 1614 / 10 / 28: Document recording a covenant with William Replingham which "undertook to compensate William Shackespeare or his heirs or assigns 'for all such losse detriment & hinderance' with respect to the annual value of his tithes, 'by reason of anie Inclosure or decaye of Tyllage there ment and intended by the said William Replingham' " (@ Schoenbaum 231).

51. 1615 / 4 / 26: "Bill of complaint entered in the Court of Chancery by Shakespeare and others to obtain possession of documents relating to the Blackfriars property" (@ McMichael 17).

52. 1615 / 5: "Court plea of Thomasina Ostler listing Shakespeare as shareholder in the Globe and Blackfriars property" (@ McMichael 17).

53. 1616 / 3 / 25: Last Will and Testament of William Shakspere. The three signatures below are from each of the three pages, the last signature being preceded by the words "By me".

54. 1616 / 4 / 23: Record of the burial of "Will Shakspeare gent" (Stratford parish register, burials, f. 46).

Upon the slab covering his grave is the epitaph:

GOOD FREND FOR IESVS SAKE FORBEARE, TO DIGG THE DVST ENCLOASED HEARE. BLESE BE YE MAN YT SPARES THES STONES, AND CVRST BE HE YT MOVES MY BONES.

Brass plaque beneath Shakespeare's statue

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no no no!

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