SHAKESPEARE RECORDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 10 (Supplement)

SHAKESPEARE RECORDS.

To mark the tercentenary of the death of Dr. John Hall, son-in-law of Shakespeare, there has been, at Stratford-on-Avon, an exhibition of original records, books and other objects illustrating his life. According to Mr. Frederick C. Wellstood, librarian at Shakespeare's birthplace, they present all the dominant stages of the doctor's career as a townsman of Stratford. They provide evidence of his elirewd and businesslike concern in the estate bequeathed to his wife by Shakespeare; his kindly nature, his earnest Puritanism, his service as a member of the town council, and his efforts and failure to reconcile his work as a physician with the demands upon his life by an inconsiderate corporation. Mr. Wellstood states that in 1G33 Dr. Hall was expelled from the council for "wilful breach of orders, sundry other misdemeanours, and continual disturbances." In 1020 he was fined £10 for receiving a knighthood on the coronation of King Charles I. As a churchwarden he fulfilled his duties energetically, presenting parishioners for "loitering forth of church at sermontime," "sleeping in the belfry with a,hat 011 upon the Sabbath," "keeping naughty company," "being abroad seen by tinconstable at sermon time," "for late coming to church," and "having 110 em- j ploynient but laziness. " I