To be able hold a document in my hand that William Shakespeare held in his hands is hard to put in words. Though, surreal is a word that comes to mind and has come to my mind quite a bit on this trip.

The National Archives, located in Kew, hold some of the most important and oldest documents in England’s history. Upon our arrival, we were taken into a large room with several boxes. These boxes held documents from Shakespeare’s time -- this means that they are over 400 years old.

I was impressed by the care and attention that goes into the preservation of these documents. David Thomas, an expert in documents from Shakespeare’s time period, explained each one. He also explained how the documents are cared for and stored in the repository until someone requests to view them.

We had to put on special white gloves -- hands with dirt, oil, lotion, and other substances may damage the documents or wear down the ink on the paper.

We looked at Guy Fawkes’ signed confession of the Gunpowder Plot. This is one of the more famous documents in the collection. While looking at papers that included William Shakespeare’s name, including his famous will, I understood why they are so careful with these important documents. So much of England’s history is recorded on these fragile pieces of paper.

Enhance your Shakespearean knowledge: Learn about some of the documents held in the Stratford Record Office. My favorites were a warrant signed by Queen Elizabeth I and the Corn and Malt Survey.

Fancy a trip to the Tower?

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