Home > William Henry Ireland

William Henry Ireland was born in London 1777. His father Samuel Ireland was a successful publisher of travelogues, collector of antiquities and very enthusiastic collector of Shakespearian plays and "relics".

Son William also became collector of books. Some of Ireland's biographers also suggest that he had heard about Ossian poems and Thomas Chatterton. When he was apprenticed to a mortgage lawyer, Ireland begun to experiment with blank, genuinely old papers and forged signatures on them. Eventually he forged several documents and presented them to his father, who was fooled.

In December 1794 told his father that he has discovered a cache of old documents belonging to an acquaintance who wanted to remain unnamed and that one of them was a deed with a signature of Shakespeare in it. He gave the document - which he had of course made himself - to his overjoyed father who had been looking just that kind of signature for years. There was at the time, and still is, a great paucity of writing in the hand of Shakespeare. Of his 37 plays, there is not one copy in his own writing, not a scrap of correspondance from Shakespeare to a friend, fellow writer, patron, producer or publisher. Forgery would fill this void.

Ireland went on with more findings - a promissory note, a written declaration of protestant faith, letters to Anne Hathaway (with a lock of hair attached) and to the Queen Elizabeth - all supposedly in Shakespeare's hand. He claimed that all came from the chest of the anonymous friend. He "found" books with Shakespeare's notes in the margins and "original" manuscripts for Hamlet and King Lear. The supposed experts authenticated all.

At the age of 18, Ireland became bolder and produced a whole new play - Vortigern and Rowena. Irish playwright Richard Brinsley SheridanRichard Brinsley Sheridan ( October 30, 1751 July 7, 1816) was an Irish playwright and politician. Sheridan was baptized in Dublin on November 4, 1751, his father Thomas being an actor-manager who managed the Theatre Royal, Dublin for a time, and his moth acquired rights for the first production of the play at Drury Lane Theatre for 300 pounds, and a promise of half of all profits to the Irelands.

In January 1796, Samuel Ireland published his own book about the papers - Miscellaneous Papers and Legal Instruments under the Hand and Seal of William Shakespeare. More people got interested about the matter and the plot begun to unravel.

Sheridan read the play and noticed it was relatively simplistic compared to Shakespeare's "other" works. John Philip KembleJohn Philip Kemble ( February 1, 1757 February 26, 1823), was an English actor. The second child of Roger Kemble, he was born at Prescot, Lancashire. His mother being a Roman Catholic, he was educated at Sedgeley Park Catholic seminary, near Wolverhampton, actor and manager of Drury Lane Theatre, had serious doubts about its authenticity. And in March 21March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). There are 285 days remaining. Events 1556 In Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake. 1788 A fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans and 1796Events Edward Jenner develops vaccination, using cowpox to protect against smallpox February 1 The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York March 9 Widow Josephine de Beauharnais marries General Napoleon Bonaparte. March 30 Carl Gauss obtained Shakespearean scholar Edmond MaloneEdmond Malone ( October 4, 1741 April 25, 1812), was an Irish Shakespearean scholar and editor of the works of William Shakespeare. His first name is sometimes spelled Edmund''. He was born in Dublin, the son of a barrister and Judge who was a member of t published his own exhaustive study, An Inquiry into the Authenticity of Certain Miscellaneous Papers and Legal Instruments, about the supposed papers. Vortigern and Rowena opened in April 2April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. Events 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first known European to do so. 1755 Commodore William James captures pirate fortr 1796Events Edward Jenner develops vaccination, using cowpox to protect against smallpox February 1 The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York March 9 Widow Josephine de Beauharnais marries General Napoleon Bonaparte. March 30 Carl Gauss obtained but Kemble used the chance to hint at his opinion by adding a phrase "And when this solemn mockery is o'er" and the play was greeted with audience's catcalls. Play had only one performance.

When critics closed in and accused Samuel Ireland of forgery, William Henry published a confession - An Authentic Account of the Shaksperian Manuscripts - but many critics could not believe a young man could have forged them all by himself. Samuel Ireland's reputation did not recover before his death in 1800.

In 1805 William Henry published The Confessions of William Henry Ireland but thorough confession did not help his reputation and he moved to France. When he returned in 1832, he published Vortigern and Rowena as his own play with very little success.

William Henry Ireland died in obscurity in 1835Events January 1 Ole Pedersen Hoiland breaks into the Bank of Norway and steals 64. 000 dalers January 7 HMS Beagle anchors off the Chonos Archipelago. January 30 Unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Andrew Jackson in the United States Cap.