Plaque to Richard Quiney's Letter, London

This plaque commemorates the only surviving letter to, as well as from, William Shakespeare, the original copy of which is held, as a valued relic, by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust on Stratford. The letter dates back to 1598 and was addressed by Richard Quiney, a mercer and council official from Stratford-upon-Avon to his “loving good friend and countryman, Mr. William Shakespeare” asking for a loan of £30 (about £3,750 in today’s money).

Richard Quiney later had his son Thomas marry Shakespeare’s younger daughter, and he came to London on business where he stayed for four months seeking to obtain a relief for Stratford, where things were pretty bad at that time, from the latest Subsidy voted by Parliament.

It seems likely that Shakespeare never got the letter, since when Quiney died in 1602, it was included among his papers in the archives of Stratford corporation. It is also documented elsewhere that Shakespeare did try to help with the matter; perhaps the two men met in person instead. In any case, eventually there was a happy end to that story as Queen Elizabeth did agree to relieve Stratford and the Exchequer reimbursed Quiney for his London expenses.