Shakespeare did not leave his wife Anne in Stratford, letter fragment suggests

A recent analysis of a 17th-century letter by expert Matthew Steggle suggests that Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway shared a residence in London, contrary to long-held beliefs about their relationship. The letter hints at their joint financial involvement regarding an orphan named John Butts, suggesting Anne had access to money independently, which challenges the narrative that she remained in Stratford-upon-Avon. This revelation adds complexity to the understanding of their marriage, previously perceived as strained due to Shakespeare's lengthy absences.

The letter writer thinks that Mrs Shakspaire has independent access to money. They hope that Mrs Shakspaire might paye your husbands debte. They do not ask Mrs Shakspaire to intercede with her husband, but actually to do the paying herself, like Adriana in The Comedy of Errors, who undertakes to pay a debt on her husband's behalf, even though she was previously unaware of it: Knowing how the debt grows, I will pay it.

For about the last 200 years, the prevailing view has been that Anne Shakespeare stayed in Stratford all her life and perhaps never even went to London.

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