A mystery we didn’t know existed has been solved. In 1757, a religious document was found in the rafters of Shakespeare House in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. For a long time, the document was thought to be the work of Shakespeare’s father, as it was signed J. Shakespeare (John). Recent scholarship has revealed that the text was written by William Shakespeare’s younger sister, Joan Shakespeare.
According to the study, Joan Shakespeare Hart was a little-known figure and mentioned only in seven surviving documents from her life
The study, published in Shakespeare Quarterly by researchers at the University of Bristol, argues that John was not actually the author of the analyzed document. The parchment document is a religious pamphlet that espoused radical religious beliefs. Joan Shakespeare Hart was a little-known figure and mentioned only in seven surviving documents from her life, according to the study’s author, Matthew Steggle.
The document: “I will willingly accept death in whatever manner it may befall me, conforming my will to the will of God”
It’s true that there were suspicions among experts about the text’s authorship. The hidden document extensively quotes an obscure 17th-century Italian religious treatise entitled The Testament of the Soul. In it, the author promises to die as a good Catholic. “I will willingly accept death in whatever manner it may befall me, conforming my will to the will of God; accepting the same in satisfaction for my sins and giving thanks unto his divine majesty for the life he hath bestowed upon me,” part of the document read.
The document contained many citations from an obscure 17th-century Italian religious text called ‘The Last Will and Testament of the Soul’
Therefore, if it had been the work of John Shakespeare, who remained a devout Protestant until his death in 1601, it would have marked a radical change in his beliefs and suggested a secret life at a time when professing Catholicism in Elizabethan England could be dangerous.
Steggle tracked down early editions of The Last Will and Testament of the Soul in digital archives in Italian and six other languages, and concluded that the document could only have been written after John Shakespeare’s death. This left another “J. Shakespeare” as the only possible option: Joan. The document contained many citations from an obscure 17th-century Italian religious text called The Last Will and Testament of the Soul, which gave Steggle a starting point for his research.
“Today, libraries have digitized a large part of their holdings, which allows us to consult collections from many different countries at once”
The life of William Shakespeare is a mystery to many scholars. His life between London theaters and his hometown is very confusing. There is almost no trace of his life, which is why this document is very interesting. Joan continued to reside in the Shakespeare family home, amid rumors and secrets. And it was precisely in its beams that her Italian-inspired religious writings were hidden, as it was a bricklayer who discovered the manuscript.
The authorship of the family document has been determined thanks to Steggle’s research and comparisons. “Today, libraries have digitized a large part of their holdings, which allows us to consult collections from many different countries at once and, in addition, review the complete texts, not just the titles and basic information.” And this is an important topic, because it opens the door to new, stalled research on authors from turbulent times, even more so than the current times.
