The Heritage of Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Summary

“The truly heart-stirring relic of a most glorious period, and of England’s immortal bard . . . the most honoured monument of the greatest genius that ever lived.”

Such was the description of “Shakspeare’s house, Stratford-upon-Avon, which appeared on a poster advertising its sale by public auction in London on 16 September 1847. The centenary of the sale and of the purchase of the property for preservation as a national memorial to the dramatist accordingly presents an appropriate occasion both for reviewing some aspects of the history of the fabric of the building and its associations and for relating the circumstances of the sale. It also affords an opportunity to record something of the work of the trustees who have been responsible’ for the preservation and administration of the property during the past hundred years.

The literature on the subject, though extensive, is of varying value, and no comprehensive study has yet appeared. The older descriptive guides, though generally reliable, are inadequate, and are too sentimental in their treatment. A few items have been conceived in a spirit of partiality and are, therefore, misleading. Much of the material relating to the sale in 1847 is scattered and needs to be pieced together, while most of the information regarding the latest chapter of the building's history is contained in minute-books belonging to the Birthplace Trustees.