"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women
merely players. They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts" - (Act II,
Scene VII). As You Like It
William Shakespeare
Once known
as the Ancient House, the property was built by local businessman Thomas Rogers
in 1596; the year before William Shakespeare bought New Place. Rogers also
served as Alderman for the Stratford Corporation alongside John Shakespeare,
William’s father. The elaborately carved front of the building is a clear
statement of his wealth and social-standing.
In 1605,
Thomas Rogers’ daughter Katherine married Robert Harvard of Southwark. Their
son, John, was born two years later and would go on to move to Massachusetts,
America with his wife Anne. When John Harvard died of tuberculosis in 1638, he
bequeathed £750 to the fund for the founding of a new college – in excess of £3
million today – along with his library of 230 books.
In
recognition of this generosity the town was renamed Cambridge, after the
university John attended in England, and the new college would go on to bear
his name. Harvard College remains one of the two schools within Harvard
University and is the oldest institution of higher education in America.
In 1909, the
Ancient House in Stratford-upon-Avon was purchased by Edward Morris of Chicago.
After extensive restoration, it was given to Harvard University and became
known as Harvard House. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has been caring for the
property on behalf of Harvard University since 1990.
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