A 17th-century will that sparked a legal dispute over William Shakespeare’s house in Stratford-upon-Avon was found in a box at the UK National Archives, according to news.artnet. Dan Gosling, chief legal records specialist at the archives, discovered this artifact among other documents dating back to the 17th century and earlier. The original will had not been found for over a century. The document, dated August 25, 1642, was created by Thomas Nash, husband of Shakespeare’s granddaughter Elizabeth, and concerned the Shakespeare family home known as ‘New Place’, purchased by the poet in 1597. The three-story brick and timber house had about 20 rooms, 10 fireplaces, a large hall, and a courtyard, and was said to be the second largest house in the area. Shakespeare lived there with his family until his death in 1616.

Nash bequeathed the property to his cousin Edward, although he had no right to do so since Shakespeare left the house to his eldest daughter Susanna, Elizabeth’s mother. Susanna was alive and living at New Place with the couple when the will was written. Gosling told The Guardian: ‘It is possible Thomas Nash wrote this will hoping to outlive Susanna and Elizabeth.’ However, Nash died young in 1647 while Susanna and Elizabeth were still alive, and his will caused endless confusion. The mother and daughter had to obtain a legal document to prove their right to Shakespeare’s estate. Edward sued Elizabeth, insisting on the validity of Nash’s will. During court proceedings, Nash’s original will—recently rediscovered—was presented. Gosling said, ‘Elizabeth had to present her husband’s will to the court and explain why she did not comply with it.’ The document ended up in court archives.

Although the legal process details are unclear, New Place remained with Elizabeth, and when she died in 1670, her will granted Edward the right to acquire the property, stating ‘according to my formal promise made to him,’ implying some verbal agreement, Gosling explained. However, the house eventually returned to the Clopton family, whose patriarch Hugh Clopton built the property in 1483. The original New Place was demolished and rebuilt in 1702. The site is now owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Meanwhile, Nash’s will was last seen by a Shakespeare scholar in the 19th century at the Rolls Chapel repository but was forgotten for about 150 years due to lack of documentation or listing elsewhere. Its rediscovery in the National Archives is expected to change that.