Shakespeare's Marriage May Have Been Happier Than Believed

Shakespeare's marriage may have been happier than researchers believed. A discovered letter shows that he appears to have lived with his wife in London for ten years, writes BBC.

» Published: April 23 2025

Shakespeare's Marriage May Have Been Happier Than Believed
Photo: Sang Tang/AP/TT

Share this article

For over 200 years, literary researchers have believed that William Shakespeare left his wife Anne Hathaway in Stratford-upon-Avon when he moved to London. The fact that he almost entirely excluded his wife from his will has been interpreted as him probably feeling bitter towards her.

But now a letter has been found, addressed to "dear Mrs. Shakespeare", which appears to show that they actually lived together in central London between 1600 and 1610.

In the letter, found in a book cover from that time, it is claimed that Shakespeare withheld money from an orphan boy named John Butts.

In the letter, Butts instead asks Mrs. Shakespeare for money. On the back of the letter, there is a response, which is believed to have been written by Mrs. Shakespeare.

"The letter was first discovered in 1978 and has been known for a while. However, no one has been able to identify the parties involved or seen any reason to believe that Mr. Shakespeare in the letter was the William Shakespeare", says Professor Matthew Steggle from the University of Bristol.

The letter refers to Trinity Lane, and of the four married couples with the surname Shakespeare who lived in London during the period, it was only William who lived in that area.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Supertramp Singer Rick Davies Dies at 81
1 MIN READ

Supertramp Singer Rick Davies Dies at 81

New Season of "Hela Sverige Bakar" Features Fresh Faces and Jury
1 MIN READ

New Season of "Hela Sverige Bakar" Features Fresh Faces and Jury

Netflix Debuts Amanda Romare's Series "Half of Malmö" Worldwide
3 MIN READ

Netflix Debuts Amanda Romare's Series "Half of Malmö" Worldwide

Lady Gaga Wins Best Artist at MTV Awards
2 MIN READ

Lady Gaga Wins Best Artist at MTV Awards

Julie Andrews and The Penguin Win Big at Creative Arts Emmy Awards
1 MIN READ

Julie Andrews and The Penguin Win Big at Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Tom Hanks Award Ceremony at West Point Canceled Amid Controversies
1 MIN READ

Tom Hanks Award Ceremony at West Point Canceled Amid Controversies

Golden Lion Awarded to Star-Studded Drama Comedy at Venice Film Festival
2 MIN READ

Golden Lion Awarded to Star-Studded Drama Comedy at Venice Film Festival

New Season of Best in Test: Meet the Autumn Participants
1 MIN READ

New Season of Best in Test: Meet the Autumn Participants

AI to Recreate Lost Parts of Orson Welles' Film The Magnificent Ambersons
1 MIN READ

AI to Recreate Lost Parts of Orson Welles' Film The Magnificent Ambersons

Mark Volman of The Turtles Dies at 78
1 MIN READ

Mark Volman of The Turtles Dies at 78

Anthropic Settles AI Copyright Lawsuit with Authors for $1.5 Billion
1 MIN READ

Anthropic Settles AI Copyright Lawsuit with Authors for $1.5 Billion

Darth Vader's Lightsaber Auctioned for Over 34 Million Kronor
1 MIN READ

Darth Vader's Lightsaber Auctioned for Over 34 Million Kronor

Bruce Springsteen Releases Electric Version of Nebraska in New Box Set
1 MIN READ

Bruce Springsteen Releases Electric Version of Nebraska in New Box Set

Authors' Association Lifts Warning Against Hybrid Publisher Lava
1 MIN READ

Authors' Association Lifts Warning Against Hybrid Publisher Lava

David Bowie's Final Project: 18th Century Musical Unveiled in Exhibition
1 MIN READ

David Bowie's Final Project: 18th Century Musical Unveiled in Exhibition

The Stag Beetle Returns to Radio as a Classic Serial
1 MIN READ

The Stag Beetle Returns to Radio as a Classic Serial

Justin Bieber Releases New Album Swag II
1 MIN READ

Justin Bieber Releases New Album Swag II

Tunna blå linjen Christmas Special and New Episodes Announced
1 MIN READ

Tunna blå linjen Christmas Special and New Episodes Announced

Farnaz Arbabi Revamps Shakespeare's Comedy with Modern Twist
3 MIN READ

Farnaz Arbabi Revamps Shakespeare's Comedy with Modern Twist

Hugh Bonneville Calls for Gaza Action at Downton Abbey Premiere
1 MIN READ

Hugh Bonneville Calls for Gaza Action at Downton Abbey Premiere