tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10644518.post2862938504320386246..comments2024-03-29T03:46:43.322-04:00Comments on Virtual Grub Street: Desperately Seeking Bridget (de Vere)Gilbert Wesley Purdyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02612678869556343487noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10644518.post-73607671199654286072023-02-26T16:09:42.752-05:002023-02-26T16:09:42.752-05:00Historical fiction rather than history; guess afte...Historical fiction rather than history; guess after guess based on prior guesses. Entertaining to see what you all imagine.<br /><br />You state: "she was engaged, in 1598, to William Herbert." There's no evidence that they were ever engaged. There were discussions between William Cecil, Bridget's grandfather, and Henry Herbert, then-earl of Pembroke and William's father, concerning the betrothal of the thirteen-year-old Bridget and the seventeen-year-old future earl. You characterize the negotiations as having been a "contract," but in fact there was never an agreement reached between the families. The discussion (which Oxford engaged in) bogged down over the prenuptial agreement. The issue was the dowry provided by Bridget's family: her grandfather offered a significant payment in the form of a bequest upon his death, but young William insisted that the money be paid at the time of the wedding. <br /><br />There's no evidence that Bridget's father was providing any support for his daughter's betrothal, though he gave his approval to the arrangement if Cecil was able to make an agreement. Nor is there evidence that William and Bridget were in love or particularly close. William had been approached before with a marriage contract that he refused and did not seem to see any urgency in marrying. He fathered a child with Mary Fitton, but refused to marry her and was sent to prison. The child died (possibly due to syphilis, which William may have suffered from.) He didn't marry until 1604, only a couple months before his brother Philip married Susan Vere. <br /><br />You go on to make another unsubstantiated assertion: "The two brothers would oversee the publication of the First Folio of the plays of Shake-speare." They were the dedicatees. There's no evidence that they had any other role. It's simply not true that the cost of the First Folio was beyond what the publishers listed in the Folio could afford. They were in a highly regulated industry with no competition. If the players said they wanted to release a folio, and to do so would release 18 unpublished works, as well as giving the permission required by the Lord Chamberlain from the playing company, they'd jump at the chance. <br /><br />The printers cranked out printed material by the bale. They daily printed posters for the playing companies notifying the public of the play on offer that day or in the near future. They were put on posts all around the city; that's how they started being called "posters." Few of these documents survived, an interesting indication of the survival of ephemeral paper from the 16th and 17th century. We know that these posts were common: they were frequently mentioned in plays and other writings of the period; gentlewomen would send their servants out to get the daily listing of plays. <br /><br />That'll be enough for one post, but thanks for the opportunity to react to your entertaining speculation. P. Buchanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14517183300800976637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10644518.post-23274327934650999052021-11-18T14:26:10.164-05:002021-11-18T14:26:10.164-05:00Thank you for your research on Francis Norris (hus...Thank you for your research on Francis Norris (husband of Bridget de Vere). I have hunted, high and low for a coroners report, noticed you found one that mentions suicide. Can you point me in that direction please.<br /> Also I see that Parliament was dissolved on 6th Jan 1622, just before Francis death date? Which Lord Scrope would have been in Westminster, with Francis at that time.. <br />Thank you again.Norreyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16902785244098082288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10644518.post-62455343493997642112019-08-21T22:31:59.014-04:002019-08-21T22:31:59.014-04:00This piece is startlingly useful when combined wit...This piece is startlingly useful when combined with what we know about Edward De Vere as Shakespeare. Thank you for your meticulous research, forsooth.<br />Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11569344034307613102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10644518.post-59782325474322456292015-01-05T07:20:10.318-05:002015-01-05T07:20:10.318-05:00This article is extremely good and useful - thank ...This article is extremely good and useful - thank you. I have added a little more to the matter of Basse's sonnet to 'Shakespeare' and to the question of where 'Shakespeare' is actually buried at the following:<br /><br />http://www.deveresociety.co.uk/articles/AW-2014Oct-Monument.pdf<br /><br />Well done on your fascinating research, <br />Alexander WaughAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15441803467179913659noreply@blogger.com