Shakespeare's London Home Precisely Located After Centuries of Mystery
For over two centuries, the exact location of William Shakespeare's London lodgings near Blackfriars remained unknown, despite historical records indicating he purchased property there in 1613. Now, groundbreaking research has definitively pinpointed the site, revealing fascinating new insights about the playwright's final years.
Archival Discovery Solves Longstanding Puzzle
Professor Lucy Munro from King's College London made the remarkable discovery while examining three documents—two from the London Archives and one from the National Archives. Her research uncovered a detailed floor plan that conclusively identifies the property's location at what is now the eastern end of Ireland Yard, encompassing parts of Burgon Street and St Andrew's Hill.
"I was doing research as part of a wider project and couldn't believe it when I realised what I was looking at—the floorplan of Shakespeare's Blackfriars house," Professor Munro explained. "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."
Correcting Historical Assumptions
The discovery confirms that an existing commemorative plaque at 5 St Andrew's Hill, installed by the City of London, is positioned precisely where Shakespeare's property once stood. The plaque had previously stated the property was "near this site," but researchers now know it marks the exact location.
Professor Munro's research reveals the property was substantial enough to be divided into two separate houses by 1645, suggesting Shakespeare may have spent more time in London during his later years than previously believed. "This discovery throws into question the narrative that Shakespeare simply retired to Stratford and spent no more time in the city," she noted.
New Perspectives on Shakespeare's Final Years
The research challenges the assumption that Shakespeare purchased the Blackfriars property merely as an investment. "It has sometimes been thought that he bought his Blackfriars property merely as an investment, but we don't know that this is true, or that he never used it for himself," Professor Munro stated. "After all, he could have bought an investment property anywhere in London, but this house was close to his workplace at the Blackfriars theatre."
The property's proximity to the Blackfriars theatre and its substantial size suggest Shakespeare may have written some of his final works there, including possible portions of Two Noble Kinsmen, which he co-authored with John Fletcher in 1613. Historical records confirm Shakespeare visited London in November 1614, making it likely he stayed in his own property during such visits.
Property's Fate and Historical Context
The building no longer exists, having been destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, just one year after Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall Nash Barnard, sold the property in 1665. Professor Munro's research uncovered documents detailing this sale, revealing for the first time how and when the property left the Shakespeare family's possession and the amount for which it was sold.
Dr Will Tosh, director of education at Shakespeare's Globe, praised the discovery: "Professor Munro's fantastic discovery proves there's no replacement for human graft in the archive, and our reward for her hard work is a dazzling new sense of Shakespeare the London writer. She's helped us to understand how much the city meant to our greatest ever dramatist, as a professional and personal home."
Implications for Shakespeare Scholarship
The discovery provides unprecedented clarity about Shakespeare's London life during his final years. The carefully drawn floor plan reveals not only the property's exact location but also its layout and surrounding buildings, including the neighboring tavern at the 'Sign of the Cock' where Shakespeare might have socialized.
This breakthrough demonstrates how archival research continues to reshape our understanding of historical figures, even those as extensively studied as William Shakespeare. The findings open new avenues for exploring how Shakespeare's London environment influenced his later works and personal life during his final creative period.
