Shakespeare and Jiis London Associates 45 



II 



THE WITTER-HEMINGES CASE. 



The eight following records from the Court of Requests con- 

 tribute to a knowledge of Shakespeare's financial relations to 

 the Globe theatre as a shareholder. They supplement and are 

 supplemented by the Osteler— Hemynges case. 



The Witter-Heminges case arises out of the marriage of one 

 John Witter (1606) with Anne Phillipps, widow of the actor and 

 Globe share-holder, Augustine Phillipps, who died in 1605. 

 Through Anne's executorship of her first husband's will, it is 

 claimed, she came into possession of the Globe share formerly 

 owned by Augustine Phillipps. Witter, through marriage with 

 her, less than two years later, secured a legal interest in all her 

 possessions, but claims now a separate right to the share in 

 question through assignment of it to him by Anne in July, 1606. 

 For fourteen years after this marriage, until the final decree of 

 the Court of Requests dismissing this case absolutely and forever 

 in 1620, Witter made trouble for the Globe company, only a 

 part of which is related in the present set of documents. The 

 story of his squandering his wife's estate, abandoning her and 

 her children when her property was gone, the friendship of 

 Heminges toward her, her death in poverty, and Hemynges's 

 burial of her at his own charge is a little domestic tragedy not 

 planned for public presentation on the boards of the Globe 

 theatre, throwing out into sharp relief the character of Heminges 

 as a representative member of the company. 



The plan of organization and maintenance of the Globe com- 

 pany is here for the first time related, as is also the plan, after 

 the fire of 161 3, of rebuilding the Globe, attended by doubts, 

 delay, and heavy expense. Some of the changes in share-owner- 

 ships are mentioned, as the purchase of William Kempe's share 

 in 150O by Shakespeare, Heminges, and Phillipps in equal thirds, 

 the transfer of it at once to an outside party who in turn im- 

 mediately regranted it to Shakespeare, Heminges, Phillipps, and 



305 



