William Thoms was an antiquary and writer, particularly interested in what he termed ‘folklore’ – he is credited with being the originator of this label for what had previously been called ‘popular antiquities’ or ‘popular literature’. In 1849 he founded the periodical ‘Notes and Queries’ and was its first editor. This volume brings together three separate articles written by him on Shakespeare: the first described the influence of English actors and playwrights on German drama from the 16th century onwards; the second considers folklore in Shakespeare, especially Puck (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Queen Mab (from Romeo and Juliet); and the third asks the question ‘Was Shakespeare ever a soldier’. With this last despite the absence of any hard evidence Thoms was ‘morally certain’ that Shakespeare did have military experience.