Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-26

history before II came into possession
OF the great poet. It's shape proclaims
II as a relic Of the Tudor perlod-what
IL generally known as the Glastonbury
pattern, II Is built entirely of oak,
neither nails, screws nor glue having
been used IN its manufacture for II
Is pegged together with wood, The
back and the seat are paneled but be-
yOnd simple reeded mouldings the chair
does not boast any carving. A silver
plate OF more recent date nailed to the
top rail Of the chair bears the inscrip-
ton In old English lettering:
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE"
Born % April, 1854 Died % April, 1915
This chair is now kept IN room sa-
cred to antiquities and as can be seen
by the photograph II occupies a prom
inent position beside an Elizabethan
fire crate cast by John Hogge (the first
founder Of iron cannon IN England at
Buxted, Sussex, in the year 1911. This
fire back bears the royal arms and
notices Of queen Elizabeth. The fire
dogs also have her cipher Il. H. upon
them. The photograph also shows an
old proof copy Of the first folio por-
trait Of Shakespeare beside contempt
rary portraits Of the wife Of Henry
VII and Queen Mary l. an EiSabethan
cross-bow such as might have been
used by Shakespeare when shooting at
Sir William Lucy's deer; Elizabethan
stool. rushligh holder on bracket; bel
lows and tobacco tongs which In the
oden days were used TO pick up live
Goals for the purpose OF lighting pipes.
There Is no doubt that the modern
craze for the collection OF antique fur-
niture had something to do with the
discovery aud treasuring OF Shakes
peares chair, although before the birth
of the nineteenth century this craze
was In its earliest infancy, II was
about the year 1898 when Samuel Ire
land. n we'll known collector and dealer
I'm rare INNS. OF Norfolk street, strand,
London, went to Stratford to collect
material for his work entitled, "Plctur-
esoue Views Of the WarwIckshlre
Avon published 1895. and TO make ex-
haus,ive and critical search for any
literary or personal relics OF Shakes
peare. for Shakespeare house had
been pulled down, some years before,
and his possessions scattered TO the
four winds.
Alter quitting London, Shakespeare
did not return TO the humble dWelllns
wherein he was born, but In 1881 bought
the house In Stratford next TO the
Grammar school, where he had been
educated. had It thoroughly repaired
and giving II the name Of New Place
lived there until the time OF his death
This house had been built by SIR
Hugh Clopton a century before shake.
spoare purchased IT,
On the death OF Shakespeare In l6l6
the house and It's contents continued In
the possession Of his wife, who died In
1928 and then It became the property OF
their favorIte daughter Susannah Hall
the wife Of John Hall, a physician OF
some cmnenCe In the county, After the
death of Mrs. Hall I'm l6i9 their daugh.
ter Elizabeth came into possession, This
lady was married first to Thomas Nash
and afterwards to Sir John Bernard OF
Arlington. On the death OF Lady Ber-
nard Shakespeare house was sold,
under her win, 10 her cousin Edward
Nash from whom II dcyolyed In 1879,
TO Reginald Foster Esq. afterwards
Sir Reginald Foster. and from this
gentleman IL was repu.ch0sed by the
Clopton family. who IN the year l1il
entertained Mr.. David Garick MT
Macklin and Mr. Dolne under Shake
speare's mulberry tree planted by the
bard and then standing In the garden,
This was ruthlogsly cut down by Mr.,
Gastrcll, who next possessed the prem
iscs and he committed this sacrlllgous
net merely to avoid the trouble NJ an
sWering the earnest opportunities OF
frequent travellers
II was by the same lrrcverant hand
that the house was pulled down In 1859
FOR no other nor better reason than n
dImcuty with the magistrates who had
oeeessod this house In which he rosid-
Cd only n part ~ the year, proportions
atclv with al others In the borough.
hs his only means of defeating this
0p'c iust assessment Mr., Gastrcll
ragod the building 20 the ground. A
Nr Taylor. who lived next door saved
the "Abbotts Chair" ms II was called,
from tho sacrlloglous wreck The hts.
tory Of this chair when Shakespeare
fret possessed II, was that a former
owner of New Place, II was thought a
william Clopton. had brought II 70 this
house In stratford'on-Avon from Glad
s,onhury.
Arrived on the spot. Mr. Ireland went
10 Shakesncare's birthplace md found
there descendant NJ Joan IIartc. tho
sister ~ Shakespeare, From this MIR
Uartc, he cleaned n great deal OF In.
formation about the scattered contents
~ New Place. ON this he went first 20
Clopton House, where farmer lived