The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-03-10
new SHAKESPEARE
DOCUMENT FOUND
Poet Acted as Matrimonial
Agent, According to His
Own Deposition.

Az IldI pei IOT mdTCu, ETOItSSOT
Charles william Wallace, presents the
first account of his discovery OF new
documents which constitute the most
important addition to our knowledge Of
Sha~kSspeare's life that has been made
in the past $50 years. The story Of
S~hakespeare's life in London is reveal
ed, and his part in a curious rove story
is told in his wv deposition. The
story in brief is this:
Shakespeare lived in the family Of
a man named Mountjoy-a wigmaker.
In 1912 Mountjoy's son-in-law. a young
man named Stephen Bellott. brought
him into court as defendant. and
Shakespeare was called as a witness.
In the hearing Of the case against
Mountjoy the history of the preceding
10 or IL years is recounted.
1T appears that in 1898 Mountjoy
vas persuaded to taxi Stephen Bellott
as an apprentice. Bellott's parents
were to provide the boy with his cloth
ing, and Mountjoy was to provide his
linen n keep. House and shop were
in one building, and Stephen lived with
the family. The young man proved an
apt pupil and did his work with such
the appreciation, then the affection of
his master. Apparently the master for
got about the promise Of friends to
find the boy clothes, for he not only did
It himself, but was well content with
his apprentice and liked him much,
gaining, It seems, greatly increased
profits in his business through the
young mans skill and diligence.
Young Stephen loved his work. But
there was also an added inspiration
that gave skill to the hand and Zest to
abor. Sid by side with him labored
also another, Mary, the modest maiden
of the household, only child of the mas
ter. The two grew in skill; and when
at the end Of the sixth year Stephen
had finished his apprenticeship and
done his finishing piece of MASTER.
work that proved him worthy Of gradu-
alton to self-mastership, the daughter
too had been mad perfect in the same
trade. The father declared he had
made her perfect in that art. But we,
watching stephen and Mary from day
to day at their work for six years, see
and understand better than he.
And Mary liked Stephen well. yet
held her secret guarded save from her
mother n father only. But Stephen
now having finished his apprenticeship
longed for the world, and wished to
travel into Spain. He needed addition
al funds, and Mountjoy was good
enough to provide him with 96 for the
journey, which, however, Stephen later
declares urgently he did not do.
Near the close Of 1904, Stephen,
after a short time in Spain, returned
to the house and shop that had been
home to him for six years. 1t was a
question what h young man should
do, now that he was his own master.
Stephen seems not to have seer the
with perfect c~learness, or did not
have the COURAGE to put his vision into
words. But Mary's mother understood.
If her wisdom did not embrace the
race of man, 1t did at least comprehend
the case before her. Her philosophy
was very simple n very practical.
Shapespeare was then living in the
Mountjoy home, and went among them
from day to day. His nature and cap
appealed to her, and she ven-
tured to ask him to act as intermediary
in a matter where native modesty and
delicacy on the one hand and awesome
faint hartedness common to man on
the other forbade speech.
"One day Madam Mountjoy laid the
case before Shakespeare, and asked his
offices in making two hearts hap
Ply. 1t was also a matter of good prac-
tical business. These two young peo-
pie were skilled in the same trade, and
If all should go well they might pros
per together. Madame Mountjoy TOLD
Shakespeare that IL he could bring the
young nan to make proposal Of mar
riage, a dover fitting to their station
would be settled upon them at mar
(nearly 81. 000) in moneyshrdndskilledC
riage. This was the fair sum Of fifty
pounds In money Of that time, or ap-
proximately E400 (nearly $4,000 in
money of today.
"Shakespeare's traditional reputation
for gentleness Of spirit and good will
and winning disposition is here exem-
plified in the first actual instance that
had reached us.
Shakespeare himself knew the fam
lily well, and was on terms Of intimacy
with them. He knew young Stephen
ais as an honorable, honest, capable
young fellow In his trade. Why should
not these w wed?
so the greatest poet of all the world.
moved by the simple impulse of human
ity hat is the key to all he ever wrote,
did the w~ished-for service among these
supplemented, single-pa ssioned folk.
If he would make the offer of marriage
there was good hope that Mary would
accept and the old folks be willing, ev-
en- to the extent Of giving with the
daughter a dover Of ESQ on the day Of
marriage. This was quite agreeable to
Stephen. SO he and the members Of the
family had several conferences, doubt
iSSS Win piSdoiiiB utlClpdtlOIS OH Hi
hands, concerning the marriage. Shake
speare was present at some of these
conferences, according to his own testi-
mony. All details were satisfactorily
arranged, and the marriage was sol
emnized, as the parish register Of st.
Olave, Silver street, shows, November
10, 1904.
Here S~hakespeare's part in the af-
fair should properly have ended. But
events so shaped themselves by unfor-
tunate conditions that seven and a half
years later he was required gy peremp-
tory summons to come into court and
tell his share in the marriage and in
fixing the dover.
Hearing of the cause was set for
term, 1912. May 18th the court
issued A compulsory to William Shake
speare gent and others ad t~estifcadum
Stephanum Bellott querentem ct
Christoferum Mountjoy deft,' and label
led it r~eturnable Immediately. Four
days later Shakespeare and two other
were examined in court in
hehalf of Bellott."
S~hakespeare's own deposition in this
case is given in full in Professor Wal
article. 1t is a document Of some
over w signature, and tells
the story practically in his own words.
A Model Husband.
From the Independent.
The bridegroom Of a ear went down
70 his office one day grinning all over
his face. All morning LONG he hummed