PROB 1 Prerogative Court of Canterbury: Wills of Selected Famous Persons
Record Summary
Scope and content
William Shakespeare 25 March 1616. Proved 22 June 1616
Covering dates
1616 Mar 25 - 1616 Jun 22
Availability
Open Document, Open Description, Normal Closure before FOI Act: 30 years
Note
The wills of Shakespeare (PROB 1/4) was seen by three of the members of the Royal Commission on Public Records in 1913. It had been placed in special storage conditions, at the Principal Probate Registry at Somerset House, because o its popularity with visitors. Many of the wills in this series have been published and discussed in biographical and other studies. The will of Shakespeare in particular has been subjected to a wide variety of different interpretations. Bibliographical references to these interpretations may be found in Playhouse wills 1558-1642 ed E A J Honigmann and Susan Brock (Manchester, 1993)
