(English) a nickname for a spear-carrying individual, as a Beadle, Sergeant, and (more especially) a Soldier [from Middle English schaken, Old English sc(e)acan, to shake + Middle English Old English spere] Robertus Schaksper.—Yorks Poll-Tax, A.D. 1379.

Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakspeare. —Bapt. Reg. Stratf.-on-Avon, 26th April, 1564.

Cp. Shakelance and Shakeshaft, the name ‘William Sharpspere’ found in the Close Rolls, a.d. 1278, and the old term ‘shakebuckler’ for a bully; also the Roman Quirinus [from Latin quiris, a spear]

Nomen clarum et venerabile! Much has been said and written about the true orthography of it. But since we find it spelt in documents of equal authority Chacksper, Shakespeyre, Schakespeire, Schakspere, Shakespere, Shakspere, Shakespeare, and Shaxper, it is hardly worth while to extend or re-open the discussion. Other names of comparative insignificance have been much more varied in their component letters. Concerning its etymology there can be no doubt.

Variously Shakespeare, Shakespear, Shakespere, Shakespeyre, Shakyspere, Schakespeire, Schakspere, Shaxper, and Chacksper. "Concerning its etymology," says Lower, "there can be no doubt. ' The custome, first παλλειυ, to vibrate the speare before they used it, to try the strength of it, was so constantly kept, that εγχεσπαλοις, a Shake-speare, came at length to be an ordinary word, both in Homer and other poets, to signifie a soldier' (Francis Rous, Archæologia Attica, 1637). The Bard's contemporaries evidently understood the name in that sense.... Our family nomenclature presents us with several analogies, as Breakspeare, Winspear, Shake shaft, Shakelaunce, Hackstaff, Briselance, and Bruselance, Wagstaffe, Bickerstaffe, Hurlbat, Draweswerde (Drawsword), Cutlemace (' cut the club or mace'), Hackblock," &c. I have elsewhere (compare Notes and Queries, vols. ix. and x. ) stated that Shakespere might be a corruption of Sigisbert, which would translate "renowned for victory" (sige, victory); in answer to which Mr. Ferguson seemed to think that the name might be from Sicisper, Sigispero, or Sigiper, which he would translate "victorious bear" (perhaps rather "victorious man"). My suggestion would seem probable from the fact that the name Shakeshaft might be from sigishaft, sighaft, used by the Franks for "victorious;" or from sigis-haved, "head of victory," "victorious leader." I am however disposed to think that the latter name is merely a corruption of Shakestaff; and, as I have shown elsewhere, most names compounded of staff are derived from Anglo-Saxon sted, a place. On further consideration, I am inclined to doubt my former derivation of the name Shakespeare, although it would easily corrupt from Sigisbert, by contraction of the first vocable, and by dropping of the final t. I agree with another correspondent of Notes and Queries in tracing the name to Jaques Pierre. In French, Italian, and German, surnames are frequently made up of two names. compare the French names Jeangirard, Jeangrand, Jeanguemin, Jeanjacquet, Jeanjean, Jeanmaire; Pierrehumbert; the Italian Gianpietri, Zampieri; and the German Meyerbeer, whose brother was Michael Beer. The nearest names to Jacques Pierre that I have been able to find are, James Peters, Jacques Henri Bernardin de Saint Pierre, and Petrus Jacobus.

The immediate ancestry of William Shakspeare, the poet, has been carefully investigated by Mr. Halliwell, in the Life of Shakspeare prefixed to his works. The family had been one of the middle class. John S., the poet’s father, combined agricultural and commercial employments at Stratford, where he settled c. 1550.

Richard S., father of John, with Henry, his brother, were occupants of land at Snitterfield, two miles north of Stratford. Prior to this, the family had been resident eight or ten miles further north, in the adjoining parishes of Rowington, Packwood, and Wroxall. Amongst others of the family, Isabella Shakspeare occurs in 1501, as Prioress of Wroxall; Richard, of the same parish, probably c. 1464; John, of Rowington, 1464; and Richard, of Woldiche, or Oldish, in Temple Balsall, who had died before 1460 (Halliwell). From these facts we may infer, that the family were seated in that vicinity temp. Henry VI., and probably for some time previously. Of any earlier mention of the name of Shakespeare in Warwick or elsewhere in England, I have found no trace. There is a lacuna in the publications of the Record Commission after the time of Edward II., and I have failed to find early subsidy rolls referring to that vicinity in Warwick. While, however, we lose sight of this family in England in the 15th century, a light is incidentally thrown on the subject by the records of Normandy three centuries before, where we should have little anticipated the existence of the name. The name of ‘Sacespee,’ or ‘Sakeespee,’ which occurs several times in the Norman records 1180-1200, appears to have been a French form of the same name as ‘Shakspeare.’ It appears from the Great Rolls of the Exchequer, Normandy, that in 1195 Roger Sake espee paid a fine of 10s. in the bailifry of the Caux, near Lillebonne. In 1198 William Sake espee occurs in the same bailifry. In 1195 William Sake espee owed two marks as security for Reginald le Blaier in the bailifry of Hiesmes. In 1203 Roger Sac espee paid a fine in the bailifry of Coutances, and Godfrey Sac espee another fine at the same time and place (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). The name of Sac espee or Sake spee, thus found in Normandy, is one which, although its termination is French, can scarcely be supposed to be of Norman origin. It is impossible to make sense out of this name, or to comprehend it as it stands. We may infer, therefore, that it is a corruption of another name, and an English name. That name appears to have been ‘Saxby,’ derived from the manor of that name in Leicestershire, which, according to Nicholls, was written in ancient deeds ‘Saxeby, Shakkesby, Sasby’ (Hist. Leic. ii. 308). The name of ‘ Shakspeare’ is an English corruption of the same name, and is nowhere to be found prior to the 15th century.

We have now to consider Saxeby in Leicester. In 1086 it was held in part by Hugh Musard, and another part appears to have passed soon after into possession of the Norman family of De Perers, who, in the person of Henry de Perers, were seated at Dalby and elsewhere in Leicester in 1086 (Domesd.) In 1171 Henry de Pirariis, or Perers, had a dispute regarding lands at Saxby with William de Pirariis (Nicholls, Leic. ii. 308); which implies that the family had been long seated there. This William de Perers of Saxby appears to be the same who is mentioned in Normandy as ‘William Sakespee’ in 1195, 1198; and in 1202 Nicholas de Saxeby paid money to the Crown in Warwick and Leicester in behalf of the same William de Saxeby, his brother (Rotulus Cancellarii). In 1207 Gaufrid de Saxeby gave security for seven marks, which he owed to the King in Leicester (Hardy, Rot. de Fin. 393). This Gaufrid de Saxeby appears to be the same as ‘Godfrey Sacespee’ mentioned in Normandy 1203. The name also appeal’s in Yorkshire 1280, when ‘Henry Sakespeye,’ who seems to have been a clergyman, quitclaimed land to Fountains Abbey (Burton, Mon. Ebor. 185). From what has been said, it appears that the family of Saxby, Shakkesby, Saxeby, Sakespee, Sakespeye, or Shakspeare, was a branch of that of De Perers; and this appears to be confirmed by the armorial. The arms of one branch of Perire or Perers were, argent, a bend sable (charged with three pears for difference); those of Shakspeare were, argent, a bend sable (charged with a spear for difference); and those of Saxby or Shakkesby, a bend engrailed sable (on a field barry for difference). The family of Perers came from Periers, near Evreux, Normandy, where it remained in the loth century (La Roque, Mais. Harcourt, ii. 1360, 1361). Hugo de Periers possessed estates in Warwick 1156 (Rot. Pip.); Geoffry de P. held a fief in Stafford 1165; and Adam de P. in Cambridge (Lib. Niger). Hugh de Pererers 13th cent. held a fief at Sixtenby, Warwick, and Leicester from Roger Mowbray (Testa de Neville). Sir Richard de Perers was M.P. for Leicestershire 1311; for Herts 1316- 24; and Viscount of Essex and Herts in 1325.