Overview
- Dr Dan Gosling found the original will in an unlabelled box of Chancery documents at the National Archives, ending roughly 150 years off the record.
- The 1642 will bequeathed New Place to Edward Nash, despite William Shakespeare’s will having left his estates to his daughter Susanna and granddaughter Elizabeth.
- After Thomas Nash died in 1647, Susanna Hall and Elizabeth executed a deed confirming their rights, prompting Edward Nash to bring a case in the Court of Chancery.
- Elizabeth appeared in court and cited her grandfather’s bequest, and the surviving records leave the final judicial outcome unclear though Edward does not appear as an owner.
- The National Archives has now documented and catalogued the original will and made it available to the public, updating the primary record for researchers.