The precise location of William Shakespeare’s sole property in London has been identified on a Blackfriars street, following the discovery of an unknown floorplan.
Shakespeare scholar Professor Lucy Munro from King’s College London has determined the location and dimensions of the property that the playwright acquired in 1613. This finding challenges the long-held belief that Shakespeare retired from his theatrical career shortly after purchasing the house and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. Scholars now suggest that this new evidence may indicate that Shakespeare spent more time in London during his later years than previously assumed.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that the blue plaque commemorating Shakespeare on St Andrew’s Hill is not merely located nearby but is situated directly on the site where his London residence once stood.
Details of the Discovery
Shakespeare’s Blackfriars property was believed to be part of „the Great Gate“ that marked the entrance to the Blackfriars precinct, a significant Dominican friary established in the 13th century. Munro uncovered three key documents—two from the London Archives and one from the National Archives—that shed light on the property.
Munro remarked,
„I was conducting research as part of a broader project and was astonished when I realized I was looking at the floorplan of Shakespeare’s Blackfriars house. It had been assumed that there wasn’t much more evidence to gather about it, so research on it has laid dormant for a while. These findings really help us tell the complete story of Shakespeare’s Blackfriars house, and thanks to this new discovery, we now know exactly where it stood.“
Significance of the Documents
One of the documents is a plan of part of the Blackfriars precinct, created in 1668, two years after the Great Fire of London. This plan confirmed the exact location and size of Shakespeare’s residence. Notably, the section of the property that extended over the gate was absent from the post-fire plan due to the lack of a foundation.
Munro added,
„This house was close to [Shakespeare’s] workplace at the Blackfriars theatre. We know that Shakespeare co-authored ‚Two Noble Kinsmen‘ with John Fletcher later in 1613, and this new evidence that the Blackfriars house was quite substantial makes it not inconceivable that some of it may have been written in this very property.“
Further Historical Context
The other two documents pertain to the sale of the Blackfriars property by Shakespeare’s granddaughter in 1665. The property encompassed what are now the eastern end of Ireland Yard, the base of Burgon Street, and portions of the late 19th-century structures at 5 Burgon Street and 5 St Andrew’s Hill.
This discovery not only enriches the narrative of Shakespeare’s life in London but also enhances our understanding of his connection to the city during a pivotal time in his career.
Bildquelle: Foto von Igor Sporynin auf Unsplash
