William Ostler
William Ostler (died 16 December 1614) was an actor in English Renaissance theatre,[1] a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare.
Ostler started out as a
In 1611 Ostler married Thomasine Heminges, the daughter of fellow King's Man John Heminges; their son Beaumont Ostler was born in 1612 (baptized on 18 May). In 1614, however, Ostler died without leaving a will. By common law, his property should have passed to his wife; but John Heminges seized control of his deceased son-in-law's Globe and Blackfriars shares. Thomasine sued her father to recover her property; the outcome of the suit cannot be determined with certainty from the surviving records, but John Heminges appears to have been able to retain control of the shares.[2][3]
References
- E. K. Chambers, The Elizabethan Stage, 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923; Vol. 2, p. 331.
- ^ F. E. Halliday, A Shakespeare Companion 1564–1964, Baltimore, Penguin, 1964; p. 346.
- ^ Chambers, Vol. 2, p. 322.