Hereford Cathedral’s Library & Archives have featured in national press today owing to new research about a letter within its collection addressed to a ‘Mrs Shakespeare’.

The article ‘Shakespeare did not leave his wife Anne in Stratford, letter fragment suggests’ by Dalya Alberge was published by The Guardian today (23 April 2025) and argues that this research presents a new perspective on the relationship between William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.

Read the article here: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/apr/23/shakespeare-did-not-leave-his-wife-anne-in-stratford-letter-fragment-suggests

The intriguing letter is manuscript waste which has been used in the binding of a copy of Johann Piscator’s Analysis logica omnium epistolarum Pauli (London: George Bishop, 1608), bound with his Analysis logica septem epistolarum apostolicarum, quae catholicae appellari solent (London: G. Bishop, 1597) (Hereford Cathedral Library LHS H3). The book was printed by Richard Field, a known associate of William Shakespeare. The book is currently held in the library of Hereford Cathedral on deposit as part of a larger collection from the Lady Hawkins School in Kington.

The existence of the letter was reported by F.C. Morgan, then honorary librarian of the Cathedral, in October 1978 in Note and Queries. In 2016, the letter was shared again by the then librarian Dr Rosemary Firman who put out an appeal, inviting people to help solve the puzzle with their own research. The letter was also displayed in the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library to mark the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

New research shared in the Guardian today by Dr Matthew Steggle of Bristol University, indicates that there is in fact a link to the Shakespeare family within the letter. He uses contemporary archival research techniques to uncover a fascinating story which would put a fresh perspective on Anne Hathaway’s role in Shakespeare’s business affairs.

Jennifer Dumbelton, Librarian at Hereford Cathedral, said: “The mystery of these letters has been circulating for decades, so it’s thrilling to see Dr Steggle’s fresh approach to the problem! It’s testament to how small details can make a big difference to our understanding of history when closely analysed through different lenses like those offered by humanities studies. The Lady Hawkins School collection is a gem, and we’re lucky to hold it at the cathedral.”

The letter is not currently available to view within Hereford Cathedral, but discussions are underway on how best to exhibit or share the document in the coming months.