Of his 37 plays, there is not one copy in his own writing, not a scrap of correspondence from Shakespeare to a friend, fellow writer, patron, producer or publisher.

In many later recollections Ireland described his fascination with the works and the glorious death of the forger Thomas Chatterton, and probably knew the Ossian poems of James Macpherson.

He was strongly influenced by the 1780 novel Love and Madness by Herbert Croft, which was often read aloud in the Ireland house, and which contained large sections on Chatterton and Macpherson.

In December 1794 William told his father that he had 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.

Ireland went on to make more findings—a promissory note, a written declaration of Protestant faith, letters to Anne Hathaway (with a lock of hair attached), and to Queen Elizabeth—all supposedly in Shakespeare's hand.

After extensive negotiations, Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan acquired rights for the first production of the play at London's Drury Lane Theatre for £300, and a promise of half of all profits to the Irelands.

Late in the play, though, Kemble used the chance to hint at his opinion by repeating Vortigern's line "and when this solemn mockery is o'er."

One paper published a caricature in which William Henry is awed by the findings when the rest of the family forges more of them (as opposed to what was really going on).

He was, however, perpetually impoverished; he spent time in debtors' prison, and was constantly forced to borrow money from friends and strangers.