The Purchase of Shakespeare's Birthplace

On September 16, 1847 the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought the bard's birthplace. An excerpt from the article:

"A House Divided
By the 1840s the Shakespeare property on Henley Street had been split into three separate entities: the Swan and Maidenhead Inn, a butcher’s shop and an adjoining tenement. The whole premise was owned by Anne Court. Her husband (Thomas Court) had placed restrictions in his will on how the property could be sold. He stipulated that on Anne’s death the house had to enter into public auction rather than being privately sold.

The calibre and quantity of visitors to the property (even in its disused state) were enough to warrant it being a desirable lot at a public auction. Early visitor books contain the signatures of eminent writers including Washington Irving, John Keats and Charles Dickens. The visitor books provide proof that the house held appeal, even before it was purchased and adapted into a specific tourist attraction.

A House for Sale
In the 1830s The Royal Shakespearian Club had already become involved in the restoration of the bust and grave at Holy Trinity Church. The Club had begun to debate the idea of buying the Henley Street house before the sale became public knowledge, so they set up The Shakespeare Birthplace Committee with the intention of buying the property. The Birthplace Committee was divided between Stratford and London. Charles Dickens was a prominent member of the London branch of the committee. They needed to raise sufficient funds for a deposit and the purchase proper, plus enough money to make a start on the conservation project."