f John
Ffortescue, gent, and now, or late being in the tenure or occupacon of
one William Ireland, or of his assignee or assignees; abutting upon a
streete leading down to Pudle Wharffe on the east part, right against the
King's Majesties Wardrobe; part of wch said tenement is erected over a
great gate leading to a capitall messuage, wch sometyme was in the tenure
or occupacon of the Right Honourable Henry now Earle of Northumberland."
The deed, at the commencement is stated to be "betweene Henry Walker,
Citizen and Minstrell, of London, of thone partie, and William
Shakspeare, of Stratforde upon Avon, in the countie of Warwick,
gentleman; William Johnson, Citizen and Vintner, of London; John Jackson
and John Hemyng, of London, of thother partie"; and that the property was
absolutely sold to all four, "theire heires and assigns for ever." The
deed is regularly entered in the Rolls' Court Sir F. Madden (continues
the catalogue) states in his "Observations on the autograph of
Shakspere," in Florio's translation of _Montaigne's Essays_, which was
sold in 1838: "There are five acknowledged genuine signatures in
existence, exclusive of the one which forms the subject of this
communication. Of these, three are attached to his will in the
Prerogative Court, executed the 25th March, 1615-16; the fourth is
written on a mortgage deed, dated 11 March, 1612-13; of a small estate
purchased by Shakspere, of Henry Walker, in Blackfriars; and the fifth,
on the counterpart of the deed of bargain and sale of the said property,
dated 10 March, 1612-13; and, speaking of the last, Sir F. Madden says,
at p. 14: 'What has become of this document?' a query which the
auctioneers say is answered. Of these six signatures, three to the will
are in Doctors' Commons (two of them much injured by the hands of the
lovers of Shakspere); the one in _Montaigne's Essays_ is now in the
British Museum; what has become of the mortgage deed is quite unknown:
this, then, is the only autograph of Shakspere ever likely to be offered
for sale." After many and very animated biddings it was eventually
knocked down to Mr. Elkins for 165 pounds 15s. These two deeds are now
in safe keeping, one being in the British Museum, the other belonging to
the Corporation of the City of London. The authenticity of the signature
in _Montaigne's Essays_ is open to discussion. At the same sale was sold
"the Shakspere Cup," made from the mulberry tree said to have been
planted