Shakespeare of Stratford/The Biographical Facts/Fact 44
XLIV. SHAKESPEARE PURCHASES AN INTEREST IN THE TITHES OF STRATFORD AND ADJACENT VILLAGES (1605).
Essential sections of deed from Ralph Huband to William Shakespeare, July 24, 1605. (Shakespeare Birthplace Museum.)
This indenture made the four-and-twentieth day of July in the years of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, James . . . that is to say, of England, France, and Ireland the third, and of Scotland the eight-and-thirtieth, between Raphe Hubande of Ippesley in the county of Warwick, Esq., on the one part, and William Shakespear of Stratford-upon-Avon in the said county of Warwick, Gent., on the other part. . . .
This indenture now witnesseth that the said Raphe Hubande, for and in consideration of the sum of four hundred and forty pounds of lawful English money to him by the said William Shakespear before the ensealing and delivery of these presents well and truly contented and paid, whereof and of every part and parcel whereof he, the said Raphe Hubande, doth by these presents acknowledge the receipt, and thereof and of every part and parcel thereof doth clearly acquit, exonerate, and discharge the said William Shakespear, his executors and administrators, for ever by these presents—hath demised, granted, assigned, and set over, and by these presents doth demise, grant, assign, and set over unto the said William Shakespear, his executors and assigns, the moiety or one-half of all and singular the said tithes of corn, grain, blade, and hay, yearly and from time to time coming, increasing, renewing, arising, growing, issuing, or happening, or to be had, received, perceived, or taken out of, upon, or in the towns, villages, hamlets, grounds, and fields of Stratford, Old Stratford, Welcombe, and Bushopton aforesaid in the said county of Warwick, and also the moiety or one-half of all and singular the said tithes of wool, lamb, and other small and privy tithes, herbage, oblations, obventions, alterages, muniments, and offerings whatsoever. . . .
To have and to hold all and every the said moieties or one-half of all and singular the said tithes before in and by these presents lastly mentioned to be granted and assigned . . . unto the said William Shakespear, his executors and assigns, from the day of the date hereof, for and during the residue of the said term of fourscore and twelve years in the said first recited indenture mentioned, and for such and so long term and time, and in as large, ample, and beneficial manner as the said Raphe Hubande should or ought enjoy the same, yielding and paying therefor yearly during the residue of the said term of fourscore and twelve years which be yet to come and unexpired, the rents hereafter mentioned, in manner and form following: that is to say, unto the bailiff and burgesses of Stratford aforesaid, and their successors, the yearly rent of seventeen pounds at the feasts of St. Michael the Archangel and the Annunciation of blessed Mary the Virgin by equal portions, and unto the said John Barker, his executors, administrators, or assigns, the annual or yearly rent of five pounds. . . . And the said William Shakespear doth by these presents, for him, his heirs, executors, and administrators, covenant and grant to and with the said Raphe Hubande, his executors, administrators, and assigns that he, the said William. Shakespear, his executors, administrators, or assigns, shall and will, during the residue of the said term of fourscore and twelve years which be yet to come and unexpired, yearly content and pay the several rents abovementioned, viz.; seventeen pounds to the bailiff and burgesses of Stratford aforesaid, and five pounds to the said John Barker, his executors or assigns, at the days and places aforesaid in which it ought to be paid according to the purport and true meaning of these presents, and thereof shall and will discharge the said Raphe Hubande, his executors, administrators, and assigns. In witness whereof the parties abovesaid to these presents have set their seals the day and year first above written.
Note. The entire document, which runs to over four thousand words, is printed by Halliwell-Phillipps, Outlines, 7th ed., ii. 19–25. The original lease of the tithe estate for 92 years had been made in 1544 by a since extinct ecclesiastical corporation, the College or Collegiate Church of Stratford. When Shakespeare bought his interest in it, the lease still had thirty-one years to run, after which the property reverted to the corporation of Stratford.
The nature of the ‘moiety or one-half’ interest that Shakespeare bought from Huband seems usually to be misunderstood. It was not half the entire tithe property as originally leased by the ‘College’—an immensely large and miscellaneous set of holdings—but half of certain specified kinds of tithes in certain of the villages concerned. The other ‘moiety’ of this property belonged to the Combe family, but would pass in 1613 to Shakespeare’s cousin and legal adviser, Thomas Greene. These facts appear in the later document of 1609. See no. LI, p. 60.