The Fugitive Shakespeare and Sonnet 144

THE FUGITIVE SHAKESPEAREANDSONNET 144The discovery of a 16th century manuscript version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 144 is the most important historical and literary find ever made relating to Shakespearean studies. The date of composition of this manuscript indicates ca.1577-78 when William Shakspere (the original spelling of his family name) was aged between 13-14 which would suggest that he couldn’t have written this Sonnet because he was too young. The story behind this discovery and how the document was found is as astonishing as how the document has managed to survive for over 400 years. The connection in this story between Shakespeare and the famous playwright Ben Jonson is also explored as it was Jonson who provided the most important evidence that Shakespeare was the author of the First Folio which was published in 1623.“At last, after more than four hundred years there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a significant Shakespearean clue has been discovered which may help to solve the Shakespeare authorship question.”– Sir Derek Jacobi, award-winning Shakespearean actor.

Charles Murray Willis was born in 1950 in Hastings, Sussex, England, and educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire (1963–68). He then studied in France and Italy before taking up a career teaching French and English mainly in the Far East. He has continued his interest in history and 16th century English literature, and has been researching the life of George Puttenham since 1995.

He is directly related to the family of George Puttenham through his mother Kathleen Putnam and his uncle Robert Putnam, who was editor of the American Friends of Puttenham Newsletter. George Puttenham was a cousin of John Putnam (1580–1662), who, in 1640, emigrated from England to Salem in New England, and today the Putnam family has expanded all over America.