For 200 years it was believed Shakespeare had an unhappy marriage - then a letter was found A previously "ignored" 17th century letter has cast doubt on the centuries-old consensus that the bard's relationship with his wife was unhappy and that he abandoned her in Stratford-upon-Avon Anne Hathaway's Cottage is at Cottage Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon (Image: Birmingham Mail ) A centuries-old assumption that William Shakespeare abandoned his wife has been challenged by a previously overlooked 17th-century letter, which suggests the couple may have lived together in London. For over 200 years, scholars have believed that Shakespeare left his wife, Anne Hathaway, in Stratford-upon-Avon to pursue a writing career in London, but new research by University of Bristol academic Matthew Steggle has revealed a different story. ‌ A fragment of a letter addressed to "good Mrs Shakespeare" appears to show the couple living together in London between 1600 and 1610, contradicting the long-held view of an unhappy marriage. The letter, discovered in a book binding in Hereford Cathedral library, is the first evidence of Anne living with her husband in London. Article continues below Read More: Birmingham's oldest pub hits back at 'offensive' and 'strange' remark Professor Steggle said: "When I first came across it I was a bit puzzled, wondering why it (the letter) wasn't better known and why there wasn't much more of a debate about it." He added: "It's just sort of been ignored by most Shakespeare scholars." ‌ The letter details a financial dispute between Shakespeare and an orphan boy, with the author requesting Mrs Shakespeare pay the boy a sum of money allegedly owed by her husband. Mrs Shakespeare seems to stand by her spouse, telling the author to seek funding elsewhere, reports Birmingham Live. "The Romantic poets, people who were interested in Shakespeare in the early 19th century, came up with this narrative that really appealed to them of a Shakespeare trapped into marrying this kind of country yokel," explained Professor Steggle. "Then he goes away and makes his fortune in London and forgets her and has lots of interesting adventures in London before coming back and retiring to Stratford. ‌ "All he gives her in his will is the 'second best bed'!". However, Prof Steggle suggests new research indicates "maybe Anne Hathaway is a more interesting figure than has been thought". Although discovered in 1978, the letter remained hidden, sewn into a book's binding, with one side of the text concealed until more recently. ‌ Prof Steggle's investigation involved delving into historical records in search of an apprentice fitting the boy's profile, eventually identifying a probable candidate. Historians, after centuries of archival sleuthing, have uncovered evidence of only four married couples named 'Shakespeare' in London during the relevant period. Utilising the details about the apprentice, Professor Steggle was able to single out one couple who could have lived in Trinity Lane, which, at the time, was a fairly affluent area to the south of St Paul's Cathedral. Article continues below Professor Steggle, discussing the spotlight on his research, remarked: "It's nice, because people are all doing this really cool work in English studies and you do all this research and by and large ... I wouldn't say nobody cares, but it normally doesn't come to media attention."