The Lodger Shakespeare

by Charles Nicholl

  Geo: Hartoppe

  c. Belott’s Replication, 5 May 1612 [ibid./3]

  The Replicacion of Stephen Belot Complt to the Answer of Christopher Mountioye deft.

  The said Complt not Confessinge or acknowledginge anie matter or thinge materiall or effectuall in the said deftes Answer conteyned to be true in suche sorte manner or forme as in and by the said bill they are sett forthe and declared sayth that the said Answer is in all or the moste parte thereof vntrue incerteyne and insufficient to be replyed vnto for manie imperfeccions in the same appearinge. All the advantages of excepcion to thincertaintyes and insufficiencies whereof nowe and at all tymes hereafter to this Complt, saued, This Complt, for Replicacion sayeth in all thinges as in his said Bill of Complainte he hathe sayed, and doth and will auer maynteyne iustyfie and proue his said Bill of Complt, and euerie matter article and allegacion therein Conteyned to bee true Certayne and sufficient to be answered vnto set forthe and declared wth out that that this Compltes ffrends at the tyme of his Commynge to bee Apprentice wth the said deft did promise to finde this Complt. Convenient apparrell while he shoulde Contynewe in the said deftes service. Or that the said deft at the tyme of this Compltes trauaile into spayne did furnishe this Complt. wth six poundes or wth any other somme of Money but that this Complt, was only therein furnished by himselfe wthout that that allsoe this Complt. moved the said deft or his wyffe for theire Consentes to the Mariage of the said Mary but that this Complt, was only drawen therevnto by the said deft, And wth out that that after the Marriage of this Complt. wth the said Mary there was any suche Conclusion or agreement made betwixt the said deft and this Complt, euer receuied any goodes or howsehold stuffe of the said deft or any things Concerninge theire trade, or desiered the said deft to pay the somme of three poundes or any other somme to the Brewer, or was soe indebted vnto the said Brewer as by the said Answere all soe is alleadged, wth that that the said deft did promise vnto this Complt, the somme of threscore pounds in mariadge wth the said Mary his daughter and did likewise promise to leave vnto this Complt, and his wyffe the some of two hundred poundes or thereaboutes after his deceasse, And that the said deft is truely indebted vnto this Complt. in the somme of fforty shillinges wthout that that this Complt. was desiered by the said deft to come to anie accompte or gaue the said deft any ill languages as in & by the said Answere is allsoe Alleadged, And wth out that that any other matter thinge or thinges Clause sentence, Article or allegacion in the said Answere Conteyned materiall or effectuall in the lawe to be replyed vnto, and not heerein sufficiently replyed vnto Confessed and avoyded denyed or trauersed is true, All and euery wch matters hee this Complt. is ready to averr iustify mayntayne and proue as this honorable Courte shall award, And humbly prayeth as hee before by his said Bill of Complaynte hathe allready prayed./

  Raf Wormlaighton

  d. Mountjoy’s Rejoinder, undated [ibid./4]

  The reioyndr of Christopher Mountioy defendnt to the Replicacion of Stephen Belot Complainant

  The sayd Defendaunte not acknowledgeing any thing in the sayd Replecation materially alledged to be trew in such sort as in and by the sayd Replication is aledged for reioyndr thervnto sayth in all thinges as in his Aunsweare he hath sayd and doth and will averr mayntayne and prove his sayd Aunsweare and every matter Artickle and thinge therein Contayned to be true Certaine and sufficient to be Replyed vnto in manner and forme as therein is sett forth affirmed and Declared with that that this Defendaunt will mayntaine and prove that the sayd Complainnantes frendes did promis to fynde the sayd Complaynaunte apparrell as in and by this Defendauntes ausweare is affirmed and that this Defendaunt did furnish the sayd Complainaunte with mony at the time of his travelles into Spayne and that this Defendaunte and his then wife was then moved and and earnestly solisited by the sayd Complaynaunte to Consente to his Marynge of theire Daughter and the Complainanaunte not drawene therevnto by this Defendaunte, and that this Defendaunte did give vnto the sayd Complainaunte houshould stuffe and othr goodes and Did make such Conclusiones and agreementes wth the sayd Complainante as in and by the sayd aunsweare is truly affirmed and this Defendaunte was also desiered by the Complaynaunte to pay vnto the Bruer three poundes for the Debt of the sayd Complaynaunt and payd it as in his sayd Defendauntes Aunswer is lykewyse most truly affirmed wthout that that this Defendaunte did evr promise three score poundes or any other somes of mony vnto the sayd Complainaunte eithr in marriage with his sayd Daughter or after his Death or is indebted vnto the Complaynaunte in the somme of fforty poundes or any other some what soever as in and by the sayd Bill and Replication is falsly surmysed all which matters this Defendaunte is ready to averr mayntayne and prove as this Honorable Courte shall award and humbly prayeth as in his sayd Answeare he hath prayed.

  George Hartoppe

  2. DEPOSITIONS

  a. First session, 11 May 1612 [TNA Pro REQ 4/1/4/1]

  Interrogatories to bee mynistred to Wittnesses to bee produced on the parte and behalf of Stephen Belott Complt. against Christopher Mountioye Deft.

  1. Imprimis whether doe you knowe the parties plt. and deft. and howe longe haue you knowne them and either of them.

  2. Item whether did you knowe the Complt when he was servant wth the said deft howe and in what sort did he behaue himselfe in the service of the said deft and whether did not the said deft. Confesse that hee had got great profitt and Comodytie by the service of the said Complt.

  3. Item whether did not the said deft seeme to beare great good will and affeccione towardes the said Complt during the time of his said service and what report did he then giue of the said Complt touching his said service and whether did not the said deft make a mocion vnto the said Complt of marriage wth the said Mary in the Bill mencioned being the said deftes sole Child and daughter and willingly offer to performe the same yf the said Complt. should seeme to be content and well lyke thereof. and whether did not hee lykewise send anie person or noe to perswade the said Complt. to the same, declare the truthe of yor knowledge herin.

  4. Item what some or somes of moneye did the said deft promise to giue the said Complt. for a porcion in marriage wth the said Marye his daughter whether the some of threscore powndes or what other somme as you knowe or haue hard and when was the same to be paied whether at the daie of Marriage of the said Complt and the said Marye or what other tyme and what further porcion did the said deft promise to giue vnto the said Complt wth the said Marye at the tyme of his decease whether the some twoe hundred poundes or what other somes and whether vppon the said perswaciones and promisses of the said deft. did not the said Complt shortly after marrye wth her the said Marye declare the truthe herein as you knowe verylie believe or haue Credybly hard.

  5. Item what parcells of goodes or houshold stuffe did the defendt promise to geue vnto the complainant in Marriadge wth his said wiefe And what parcells of goodes did he geue him in Marriage wth his said wyffe did he not geue them these parcels (vizt.) One ould ffetherbed, one oulde ffether boulster, A flocke boulster, a thine greene Rugg, two ordanarie blanckettes woven, two paire sheetes, A dozine of napkines of Course Dyaper, twoe short table Clothes, six short Towelles & one longe one, An ould drawinge table, two ould Joyned stooles, one Wainscott Cubberd, one Twistinge wheele of woode, twoe paire of litle Scyssers, one ould Truncke and a like ould Truncke./ One Bobbine box: And what doe youe thincke in yor Conscyence all these said parcelles might be woorthe at the tyme when they weare deliuered by the defendauntes appoyntmt, vnto the plaintiffes declare the truthe hearein at lardge./

  DEPOSITION OF JOAN JOHNSON

  Johane Johnsone the wyffe of Thomas Johnsone of the parishe of Elinge in the Countye of Middlesex Baskettmaker of the Age of ffortye yeres or th’aboutes sworne and examyned the daye and yere abouesaid deposeth and say[th]

  1/ To the ffirst Interrogatory this deponent sayth she knoweth the plaintiff and [hath] knowne him about Eight yeres./ and the deft about Eight yeres./

  2/ To the seconde Interr this depont sayth shee did knowe the plaintiff
when he served the deft, And sayth he behaved him selfe well and in good sorte when he served the defendt for shee was servant to the deft at the tyme./ but shee never herd the deft confesse and saye that he had greate proffitt and Comoddytie by the plaintiffes service./ And more shee cannot depose.

  3/ To the thirde Interrogatory this deponent sayth that the defendt seemed to beare greate good will and affection towardes the plaintiff when he served him, geuinge him reporte to be A verry good servaunte for pl[ ] his service./ But that the deft moved the plaintiff to Marrye wth his daughter Marye she knoweth not./. But sayth that there was a shewe of goodwill betweene the plaintiff and deftes daughter Marye wch the deftes wyffe did geue Countenaunce vnto and thinke well of./ And as shee Remembereth the deft did send and perswade one Mr Shakespeare that laye in the house to perswade the plaintiff to the same Marriadge./ And more shee cannott depose

  4/ To the iiijth Interrogatory this deponent sayth shee never herd her [Mr] the defendant proffer the plaintiff any some of money in Marriadge [wth] his daughter Marye. but yt was Reported in the house that the plaintiff was to haue wth her in marriadge the some of ffyftye poundes. but what tyme of paymt was throf appoynted or agreed vppon shee knoweth not, nor of any promise of any other or furthr porcion to be payed the plaintiff eyther at the tyme of marriadge between them, or at the tyme of the deftes deceas[e] but [that] they after married togeather./And more shee cannott [depose]

  5/ To the vth Interr this deponent sayth shee knoweth not what parcelles of goodes and houshould stuffe the defendt promissed to geue vnto the plaintiff in marriadge wth his wyffe./ But sayth the deft gaue in marriadge wth her to the defendat [sic] the seuerall parcells [of] goodes in the Interrogatory mencioned./ but the valewe of them she certaynlie knoweth not, but thinketh they were woorth some Eight poundes./ or thereabout es./ And more shee cannot depose./

  X [her mark]

  DEPOSITION OF DANIEL NICHOLAS

  Danyell Nycholas of the parishe of Sct: Olphadge wthin Criplegate London gent of the Age of ffyftye twoe yeres or thraboutes sworne and examyned the daye and yere aboue said deposeth and sayth

  1. /To the ffirste Interr this deponent sayth he hath knowne the plaintiff about twenty yeres and deft about twelue yeresb

  2. /To the seconde Interrogatory this deponent sayth he knewe the plaintiff servaunte vnto the defendant who behaved him selfe verry well in the defendantes service for any thinge he euer herd to the contrary. And hath herd that the deft profitted well by the pltes service wth him. And more he Cannott depose./

  3. To the thirde Interrogatory this deponent sayth he herd one Wm: Shakespeare saye that the deft did beare A good opinnion of the plaintiff and affected him well when he served him, And did move the plaintiff by him the said Shakespeare to haue [a] marriadge betweene his daughter Marye Mountioye [and] the plaintiff. And for that purpose sent him the said Sh[akespeare] to the plaintiff to perswade the plaintiff to the same, as Shakespere tould him this deponent wch was effected and Solempnized vppon promise of a porcion wth her./ And more he cannott depose./

  4. To the iiijth Interrogatory this deponnt sayth that the plaintiff did Requeste him this deponnt to goe wth [him deleted] his wyffe to Shakespe[are] to vndrstande the truthe howe muche and what the defendant did promise [to] bestowe on his daughter in marriadge wth him the plaintiff, who did soe./ And askinge Shakespeare throf, he Answered that he promissed yf the plaintiff would marrye wth Marye his the deftes onlye daughter, he the defendt would by his promise as he Remembered geue the plaintiff wth her in marriadge about the some of ffyftye poundes in money and Certayne Houshould stuffe./ And more he cannott depose touchinge the said Interr ogatory to his Rememberaunce for he remembereth not any daye sett downe for paymt of the porcion or deliuerye of the houshould Stuffe. but only that he would geue her soe much at the tyme of her marriadge./