Bellott v Mountjoy

Bellott v Mountjoy was a lawsuit heard at the Court of Requests in Westminster on 11 May 1612 that involved William Shakespeare in a minor role.

The papers show that in 1604, Shakespeare was a lodger in the Mountjoys' house, at the corner of Silver and Monkwell Streets in Cripplegate, London.

In his deposition, Shakespeare admitted that he had played the role as go-between in the courtship of Stephen Bellott and Mary Mountjoy that other witnesses described.

[1] Without that key testimony, the Court of Requests remanded the case to the overseers of the London Huguenot church, which awarded Bellott 20 nobles (or £6 13s.

At the beginning of 1604, the year of her daughter's marriage, Mrs Mountjoy is known to have been working at court, where she provided a headpiece and trimmings for the queen, Anne of Denmark.

Northern end of Noble Street in the City of London. The plaque at bottom right reads " William Shakespeare had lodgings near here in 1604, at the house of Christopher and Mary Mountjoy"