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Shakespeare's Will.  Whatever the cause of Shakespeare's death, we find him calling for his attorney to revise his will on March 25 (new years day, old style) of 1616.  The marriage of his daughter Judith to the unsavory Thomas Quiney made need of amendments.  The will is, as G. E. Bentley says, "a characteristic will of a man of property in the reign of James I." (Shakespeare: A Biographical Handbook, 1961).  Its provisions are numerous and complicated, but in sum:

  1. He left £100 to his daughter Judith for a marriage portion and another £50 if she renounce any claim in the Chapel Lane cottage near New Place previously purchased by Shakespeare.  He left another £150 to Judith if she lived another three years, but forbade her husband any claim to it unless he settled on her lands worth the £150.   If Judith failed to live another three years, the £150 was to have gone to Shakespeare's granddaughter Elizabeth Hall.
  2. He left £30 to his sister Joan Hart, and permited her to stay on for a nominal rent in the Western of the two houses on Henley Street, which Shakespeare himself inherited from his father in 1601.  He left each of Joan's three sons £5.
  3. He left all his plate, except a silver bowl left to Judith, to his granddaughter Elizabeth.
  4. He left £10 to the poor of Stratford, a large amount considering similar bequeaths of the time.
  5. He left his sword and various small bequests to local friends, including money to buy memorial rings.  His lifelong friend Hamnet Sadler is mentioned in this connection.
  6. He singles out "my ffellowes John Hemynges Richard Burbage & Henry Cundell," leaving them 26s8d to "buy them Ringes."  Heminges and Condell were, seven years later, to become the editors of the First Folio.
  7. He does not mention his wife Anne (though it is commonly pointed out that it would have been her right through English common law to one-third of his estate as well as residence for life at New Place), except to leave her his "second best bed."
  8. "All the Rest of my goodes Chattels Leases plate Jewels & household stuffe whatsoever after my dettes and Legasies paied & my funerall expences dischared" he left to his son-in-law John Hall and his daughter Susanna.

It is often wondered that no books or play scripts are mentioned in the will, but of course Shakespeare would have owned no play scripts, since they were the property of the King's Men.  Any books would not have been itemized in the will but would have been part of his "goodes." 

Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and was buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church April 25.  On the slab over his grave appear the words:

GOOD FREND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE,
TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLESTE BE Ye MAN Yt SPARES THES STONES,
AND CURST BE HE Yt MOVES MY BONES.

His wishes have been honored, at least by men, though the grave is near the Avon and work of the river underground may have had no respect for the curse.  A painted funerary bust was also erected in the church early in the seventeenth century that has lasted to today.