Picture of a Tudor Bed
Shakespeare left his 'Second Best Bed'
William Shakespeare Last Will and
Testament
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
William
Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616 - just four weeks prior
to his death on 25th March 1616 Shakespeare made his last
Will and Testament
No one knows
whether he knew was ill and realised that his death was
imminent but it does seem likely that he knew he did not
have long to live ( his son-in-law was a Doctor, so he would
have received the best treatment available)
His Last Will
and Testament mentioned his family and friends
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS DAUGHTER, JUDITH
William
Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616 - just four weeks prior
to his death on 25th March 1616 Shakespeare made his last
Will and Testament
No one knows
whether he knew was ill and realised that his death was
imminent but it does seem likely that he knew he did not
have long to live ( his son-in-law was a Doctor, so he would
have received the best treatment available)
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS DAUGHTER, JUDITH
William
Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616 - just four weeks prior
to his death on 25th March 1616 Shakespeare made his last
Will and Testament
No one knows
whether he knew was ill and realised that his death was
imminent but it does seem likely that he knew he did not
have long to live ( his son-in-law was a Doctor, so he would
have received the best treatment available)
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS SISTER, JOAN
Shakespeare left
£30 to his sister Joan Hart
And he gave
permission for her to stay on, for a nominal rent, in the
house on Henley Street
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS NEPHEWS, JOAN'S SONS
William
Shakespeare left each of Joan's three sons the sum of £5
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, ELIZABETH
William
Shakespeare left all of his silver plate, except the silver
bowl left to his daughter Judith, to his granddaughter
Elizabeth - the daughter of Susanna
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - POOR PEOPLE OF STRATFORD
William
Shakespeare left all £10 to the poor of Stratford
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS FRIENDS
William
Shakespeare left his sword and various small bequests to
friends and neighbours who lived in Stratford
His lifelong
friend Hamnet Sadler was specifically mentioned and left
money to enable him to buy a memorial ring
His London
friends and fellow actors "my fellows John Hemynges Richard
Burbage & Henry Cundell," were named leaving them 26s..8d to
"buy them Ringes."
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS WIFE ANNE
William
Shakespeare's will is famous because the only mention that
Shakespeare specifically makes of his wife was to leave her
his "second best bed" - hence the picture at the top of the
page!
This sounds
terrible but is, however, understood that she would have had
the right, through English Common Law, to one-third of his
estate as well as residence for life at New Place
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF
SHAKESPEARE - HIS DAUGHTER, SUSANNA
To his Daughter,
Susanna and Son-in-Law, Dr John Hall left:
"All the Rest of my Goods,
Chattels, Leases, Plate, Jewels & Household stuff whatsoever
after my debts and Legacies paid & my funeral expenses discarded"
Susanna was
clearly Shakespeare's favourite, his other daughter Judith
disgraced through he marraige to Quiney
