w. After his resumption of relations
with Stratford in 1596, we find his parents engaged (November, 1597) in
a lawsuit, the outcome of which does not appear to recover the mortgaged
estate of Asbies, which had formed part of his mother's inheritance. The
years 1600, 1604, 1608, and 1609 all contain records of suits by the
poet to recover small sums of money; and, on the other hand, we find tax
collectors in London seeking payment of taxes incurred on his goods
while he lived in the parish of St. Helen's, Bishopgate, in 1593 or
1594. These claims Shakespeare satisfied some years later when he was
living across the river in Southwark. The documents of a law case of
1612, recently discovered by Professor C. W. Wallace in the Public
Record office, include Shakespeare's deposition as a witness and add
some interesting information. It appears that, possibly from 1598 to
1604, he lodged in the house of Christopher Mountjoy, a wigmaker, at the
corner of Muggle and Silver streets near Cripplegate. In 1604 he had
aided in arranging the marriage of Mary Mountjoy to her father's
apprentice, Stephen Bellott. The lawsuit was brought by Bellott against
his father-in-law to secure the dowry and promise of inheritance.
Shakespeare's negotiations in regard to the marriage play an important
part in the various depositions, as the question whether a dowry of L50
had been promised was crucial to the case. Shakespeare himself was
examined on September 11, but the poet failed to remember that a
definite sum had been agreed upon for the dowry.

Further evidence relating to Shakespeare as a man of substance is to be
found in letters in the Stratford archives, written by prominent
townsmen. One, from Abraham Sturley to a relative in London on the
business of the town of Stratford, dated January 24, 1597-8, contains a
reference to "Mr. Shaksper" as "willing to disburse some money upon some
odd yard-land or other at Shottery or near about us," and suggests
urging upon Shakespeare the purchase of the tithes. It seems fairly
certain from other letters of Sturley's that this one was addressed to
Richard Quiney, father of Shakespeare's future son-in-law, Thomas
Quiney. On October 25 of the same year, this Richard Quiney wrote from
the Bell in Carter Lane, London, "to my loving friend and countryman,
Mr. Wm. Shackespere," asking for his help with L30. From a letter from
Abraham Sturley to Richard Quiney on the following fourth of November it
appears th