The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-26
SHAKESPEARE HAD
HIGH SOCIAL STATUS,
DOCUMENTS REVEAL
Fascinating Papers, Hitherto Unrecorded, Are
Acquired by Trustees of Poets Birthplace
and Reveal His and His Family'S Intimacy
with the ELITE of Ancient Stratford.
TIME trustees of shakespeare's

" HE trustees Of shakespeare's
birthplace. on the recommen-
dalton of the chairman. Sir
Sidney Lee. and of the secretary,
r. c. wellstood. have Just 40
quired five original and unrecord-
ed documents Of local interest.
which illustrate points in the lives
Of Shakespeare's relatives and
friends or their near descendants.
Three of the documents con-
Germ the ancient family Of Clop-
ton. Of Clopton House. adjoining
Stratford-on-Avon, whose members
were among the most prominent
Of stratford gentry in Shake
speare's day and for some CEN
turtles before and after.
The earliest Of the Copton
documents which the trustees
have purchased. says the London
Times, 10 a curious deed Of cove
nant. dated February 8, 1888. re-
specting the marriage Of Ann.
daughter OF William Clopton Of
Clopton. to a distant kinsman,
william Clopton Of Sledwtck. Co.
Durham. whereby the father OF
THE prospective bride undertakes
to pay a Thousand pounds. chars-
ed on the timber Of his estate.
should he fail to carry out the
contract. Happily. the marriage
took place.
The second Clopton document
Is q gossiping letter dated from
Clopton. November IS. 1877. in the
autograph of Barbara. wife Of Sir
John Clopton. and daughter OF Sir
Edward Walker. Garter King Of
Arms.
LADY CLOPTON'S LETTER.
All the persons concerned with
this letter were associated with
the fortunes Of Shakespeare's resi-
dence at Stratford. New Place.
soon after It passed out Of the
possession of Shakespeare's fam
ily. Sir Edward Walker had pur-
chased II from the trustees Of
Shakespeare's deceased grand
daughter and last direct descend
ant. He died there some months
before the date Of his daughters
letter. and he left New Place to
her for life, with remainder to her
eldest son, Edward Clopton, who.
In course OF time, after his moth
er's death, made II over to her
husband, Sir John. "a younger
son of the Clopton family, a Lord
Mayor OF London, had originally
built New Place at the end Of the
fifteenth century,
The letter which the trustees
have now acquired is addressed by
Lady Clopton to her husband, who
was at the time In London. She
tCiib OH JOilIs oiiioiib obhCi bith6op
of q communication lately received
from Sir william Dugdale. the
warwickshire antiquary and an Of
ficer of the College Of Arms, which
caused her some perturbation.
Dugdale was inquistive not only
about books" but also about GER
tain fees which her late father.
Garter King. had failed before his
death to make over to his col
leagues of the College OF Arms, to
whom they were long overdue.
The third Clopton letter Is
from Sir Thomas Lucy, Of
Charlecote. grandson of the jus
tice Of the peace Of the same
name, with whom Shakespeare Is
said to have come into conflict.
The younger Sir Thomas Is writ
ing from Stratford on June 20.
1853. to the Sir John Clopton Of
the previous document, request
ing him. in view of the discov-
cry Of the Rye house plot. to