Page:Shakespeare of Stratford (1926) Yale.djvu/37

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Shakespeare of Stratford

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Underhill, generosum, deforciantem, de uno mesuagio, duobus horreis, et duobus gardinis cum pertinenciis in Stratford super Avon, unde placitum convencionis summonitum fuit inter eos in eadem curia, Scilicet quod predictus Wills. Underhill recognovit predicta tenementa cum pertinenciis esse jus ipsius Willi. Shakespeare ut illa que idem Wills. habet de dono predicti Willi. Underhill, et illa remisit et quietumclamavit de se et heredibus suis predicto Willo. Shakespeare et heredibus suis imperpetuum; et preterea idem Wills. Underhill concessit pro se et heredibus suis quod ipsi warantizabunt predicto Willo. Shakespeare et heredibus suis predicta tenementa cum pertinenciis imperpetuum; et pro hac recognicione, remissione, quieta clamancia, warancia, fine, et concordia idem Wills Shakespeare dedit predicto Willo. Underhill sexaginta libras sterlingorum. In cuius rei testimonium . . .

iiij° die Maii anno regni supradicto.^[1]

Note. New Place, the second largest house in Stratford, was built over a century before Shakespeare acquired it by a member of the important Clopton family. It stood at the corner of Chapel Street and Chapel Lane, north of the Guild Chapel. In 1563 the house passed from the possession of William Clopton

↑ ‘Between William Shakespeare, complainant, and William Underhill, deforciant [wrongful occupier, supposed by the legal fiction on which the ‘fine’ method of transfer was based to be keeping the complainant out of his rightful property], concerning one dwelling house, two barns, and two gardens with their appurtenances in Stratford-on-Avon, in regard to which a plea of agreement was broached in the same court: Namely, that the said William Underhill acknowledged the said tenements with their appurtenances to be the right of W. Shakespeare as being those which the same William [Shakespeare] has by gift of the said W. U., and remitted and waived claim to them from himself and his heirs to the said W. S. and his heirs forever; and moreover the same W. U. has agreed for himself and his heirs that they will assure the said tenements with their appurtenances to the said W. S. and his heirs forever; and for this acknowledgment, remission, quit-claim, waranty, fine, and agreement the same W.S. has given the foresaid W. U. sixty pounds sterling. . . .’

[1] ‘Between William Shakespeare, complainant, and William Underhill, deforciant [wrongful occupier, supposed by the legal fiction on which the ‘fine’ method of transfer was based to be keeping the complainant out of his rightful property], concerning one dwelling house, two barns, and two gardens with their appurtenances in Stratford-on-Avon, in regard to which a plea of agreement was broached in the same court: Namely, that the said William Underhill acknowledged the said tenements with their appurtenances to be the right of W. Shakespeare as being those which the same William [Shakespeare] has by gift of the said W. U., and remitted and waived claim to them from himself and his heirs to the said W. S. and his heirs forever; and moreover the same W. U. has agreed for himself and his heirs that they will assure the said tenements with their appurtenances to the said W. S. and his heirs forever; and for this acknowledgment, remission, quit-claim, waranty, fine, and agreement the same W.S. has given the foresaid W. U. sixty pounds sterling. . . .’

[1]