William Shakespeare's sister Joan Shakespeare Hart wrote a religious document long attributed to their father John Shakespeare, according to new academic research reported by the Indian Defence Review.
The document, known as the Spiritual Testament, was long believed to have been composed by John Shakespeare during the final year of his life. However, evidence presented in the study indicates that his daughter was the true author.
Historical information regarding the Spiritual Testament before the 18th century remains sparse. In 1757, a local resident named Joseph Mosley claimed to have discovered the document in the attic of New Place, the Shakespeare family estate located in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Following Mosley's discovery, ownership of the manuscript passed to another local resident, John Jordan. Jordan intended to publish a copy of the text, but he was unable to realise the plan.
The original manuscript eventually disappeared, forcing researchers to rely on surviving transcriptions and descriptions. The connection to the playwright's family was established partly because the manuscript bore the signature J Shakespeare, leading researchers for many years to assume that John Shakespeare was the author.
Evidence pointing to Joan Shakespeare Hart
The author of the study attempted to determine approximately when the Spiritual Testament was written. Following analysis, the researcher concluded that attributing the document to John Shakespeare was doubtful.
John Shakespeare died in 1601, but the book Il libro dei' voti, or The Book of Vows, which is referenced within the Spiritual Testament, became available only some time after his death. The study stresses that the poet's father could not have written the text, making Joan Shakespeare Hart the most likely author.
Surviving historical documents contain very little information about the life of Joan Shakespeare Hart. Records confirm she was born in 1569, five years after William, and documented evidence shows she lived until 1646, though the exact date of her death remains unknown.
Stratford-upon-Avon, where the family estate New Place stood, was the Warwickshire town where William Shakespeare was raised. His father John served as a local magistrate and glover before his death in 1601.
Discovery of Shakespeare's London home
In a separate finding highlighted in the report, British researchers previously established the location of William Shakespeare's London property, which he purchased in 1613, three years before his death. The house was located in the Blackfriars district near the River Thames.
Professor Lucy Munro of King's College London made the discovery by analysing 17th-century archival documents. While historians previously knew only the approximate area of the house, Professor Munro confirmed the exact plot and its precise dimensions.
King's College London is a public research university located in central London, near the historic Blackfriars district along the River Thames where Shakespeare bought his townhouse.
