The Aftermath

This chapter traces the Stratford fallout from the condemnation of John Somerville, which undermined the social status of the Shakespeares’ close friends and neighbours, Adrian and Richard Quiney. After seizing Somerville’s estate the Exchequer concluded that the Quineys, having ostensibly borrowed money from Somerville, must now pay it immediately to the queen, despite their argument that the money actually belonged to the dowry of John’s underage sister, Margaret Somerville. Margaret’s subsequent unavailing attempts to recover her money, and the Quineys to avoid paying the queen, revealed to Stratford society the limitations of the traditional collaborative relationship between central government and local worthies responsible for maintaining the queen’s authority in their regions. The Exchequer applied the strict letter of the law: John Somerville’s signature and seal on the loan agreement counted for more than the equitable claims of the Quineys. More than the rental incomes diverted to the queen for the next decade to repay their debt, the Quineys suffered loss of face, since the Exchequer under Burghley made it evident that their previous public service did not entitle them to special consideration from their sovereign and her officers, because of their innocent association with Catholic ‘traitors’. The Exchequer continued to hound Margaret Somerville for a small debt until well into the reign of James, during which period Shakespeare acknowledged the name in 3 Henry VI, not as a discreet signal of his Catholic sympathies, of which this chapter shows no proof survives, but a comment on the abuse of power.