Letter Fragment Suggests Shakespeare Lived with Wife in London

New research led by Professor Matthew Steggle of the University of Bristol challenges the longstanding belief that William Shakespeare had an unhappy marriage and abandoned his wife, Anne Hathaway, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The analysis of a 17th-century letter fragment, addressed to 'good Mrs Shakespeare' and preserved by chance in a bookbinding in Hereford, suggests that Anne and William lived together in central London between 1600 and 1610. The letter, involving a financial dispute over money held in trust for an orphan named John Butts, shows Anne actively managing household affairs and standing by her husband. This evidence points to a more collaborative and possibly closer relationship than previously thought. Additionally, the document may contain the first piece of writing attributable to Anne Hathaway herself, further humanizing her role in Shakespeare's life. The findings significantly reshape the narrative of the Shakespeares' marriage and domestic life in London.