Scholar Lucy Munro discovers 17th-century map pinpointing Shakespeare's lost London house location

A literary scholar has precisely located William Shakespeare's long-lost London residence through a 17th-century property map. Lucy Munro of King's College London found the document while researching the Blackfriars theater, where Shakespeare's acting company performed. The map reveals the exact site of the Blackfriars gatehouse purchased by Shakespeare in 1613, three years before his death. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that Shakespeare simply retired to Stratford-upon-Avon after the Globe Theatre fire. The playwright bought the substantial L-shaped building near both the Blackfriars and Globe theaters. Munro suggests the purchase indicates continued professional engagement in London rather than complete withdrawal. Shakespeare's granddaughter sold the property in 1665, and it burned during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The find recontextualizes Shakespeare's relationship with London during his final years.