Shakespeare's Birthplace: documents of title

Description

The Three Cottages beyond the western end of the Birthplace were not in existence at the time of Shakespeare's death. The first mention of them occurs in the Deed of gift dated the 2nd of April 1694 by George Hart to Shakespeare Hart of the Birthplace and the Swan and the Maidenhead Inn with appurtenances and three messuages in the same street in the occupations of Thomas Mountford, Samuel Lord and late Richard Wharam and a barn standing on the backside near to the sign of the White Lyon Inn. At some time prior to July 1730 the Westernmost ground floor room of the Birthplace with the apartment immediately over it were formed into a separate cottage, the inner doorways being blocked up and a new one made leading into the street. Thus in the mortgage dated the 4th July 1730 by Shakespeare Hart to Samuel Smith of the Swan and Maidenhead and the Birthplace and four cottages adjoining to the last mentioned messuage in the occupation of John Martin, Wm. Minstrel, Simon Doughty and William Rhodes and the barn in the backside of the tenements, this refers to the western end of the Birthplace and the said three cottages built between 1616 and 1649. The three cottages and the fourth, which was part of the Birthplace were sold by Thomas Hart to John Payton in 1771 and reconveyed to the Trustees on the 1st January 1848 and were finally demolished about the year 1856. The land at the back of the cottages remained part of the White Lion property till 1856, when it was sold to the trustees, by Mr. John Warden.