ale of Mary's share of Joyce's portion; and it is
possible that Alice died in that year, and increased the share of her
sisters, so that the two portions were treated together in the deed of
1580. Seeing that the two portions of the property had long been held
together by the Webbes, it is quite natural to read "the sixth part of
two" rather than "the third of one," as each sister originally read her
share. Now, if Mary had lost both of her sisters, it is quite natural to
read her share as "the sixth part of two _parts_ or portions of two
tenements." This has not yet been thus simply explained. But it is not
strictly correct; for while the share of the first sister would bring
Mary "the sixth part of one part of two tenements," the death of the
second sister should have secured her the _fifth part_ of one part of
two tenements, plus the fraction already inherited by the second from
the first, or, more simply, the fifth part of two parts of two
tenements. It was near enough, however, for all practical purposes, and
Robert Webbe seems duly to have handed over the money to John
Shakespeare. Robert Webbe's eagerness to buy, and the Shakespeares' need
of the money, seems to have determined the price. Forty pounds was a
large sum for such a fraction of the whole. Robert Webbe's readiness may
be accounted for, because he was on the eve of marriage. There was a new
settlement[109] of estates at Snitterfield on the occasion of his
marriage to Mary, daughter of John Perkes, September 1, 23 Elizabeth,
and an agreement between Edward Cornwall[110] (stepfather to Robert
Webbe) and William Perkes, respecting an estate in Snitterfield, and a
proviso against any claim from the Ardens.

But it was not from the Ardens that any difficulty arose. Before the
death of Mrs. Agnes Arden, she was called to support her claim and that
of all her stepdaughters, based on a supposition of entail, against the
descendants of the Mayowe who had sold his property to Thomas and Robert
Arden in 1501. Being described as old and infirm, a Commission was
directed to Bartholomew Hales, Lord of the Manor of Snitterfield, and
Nicholas Knolles, Vicar of Alveston, to take her deposition concerning
it, in July, 1580.[111] She died in December of that year; and in 1582
John Shakespeare,[112] and his brother Henry, and Adam Palmer, with
others, were called on to give evidence in the case between Thomas
Mayowe and Robert Webbe, before Sir Fulk Grevyle, Sir Thomas Lucy