Historian locates William Shakespeare's London house

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – A researcher has identified the address where famed playwright William Shakespeare lived for a time in the British capital.

Theatre historian Geoffrey Marsh cross-referenced various pieces of evidence to locate the exact address Shakespeare lived in London between 1597 and 1598, according to a report by the BBC.

Marsh, who spent a decade doing the research, says the bard lived at what is now known as 35 Great St Helen's -- a site next to St Helen's Church, in Bishopsgate.

According to the research, Shakespeare lived at that address while he was writing Romeo and Juliet, his tale of star-crossed lovers, but now an office block stands there.

Marsh, director of theatre and performing arts for the Victoria and Albert Museum, told the BBC that the place where the bard lived in London “gives us a more profound understanding of the inspirations for his work and life.”

"Within a few years of migrating to London from Stratford, he was living in one of the wealthiest parishes in the city, alongside powerful public figures, wealthy international merchants, society doctors, and expert musicians,” he said.

Marsh added: "The merchants had connections across Europe and the doctors were linked to the latest progressive thinking in universities in Italy and Germany.

"Living in what was one of the power locales of London would have also enhanced Shakespeare's status as he developed his career, sought a family coat of arms, and planned to buy an impressive and expensive house in Stratford."

Shakespeare, widely hailed as the finest writer in the English language, wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets between 1590 and 1613.

He is believed to had lived in London from around 1585 to around 1612.