The relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway may have been happier than previously thought, according to new research.

For more than 200 years it has been believed that Shakespeare left his wife in Stratford-upon-Avon when he travelled to London and that a decision to leave her almost nothing in his will meant he probably felt bitterness towards her.

However, examination of a fragment of a letter, which is addressed to "good Mrs Shakespeare", appears to show they did live together in central London between 1600-1610.

The research was carried out by Prof Matthew Steggle from the University of Bristol's Department of English.

In the letter, which was preserved by accident in the binding of a book in Hereford, it is alleged that Shakespeare is withholding money from an orphan boy named John Butts, with the letter asking Mrs Shakespeare for money instead.

Prof Steggle said: "First discovered in 1978, the letter's been known for a while, but no-one could identify the names or places involved or see any reason to think that the Mr Shakespeare in the letter was necessarily William rather than anyone else of the same name in the general period.

"So, it's a story about the Shakespeares' marriage, really, as well as about Shakespeare's London contacts.

"And if the writing on the back of the letter is a reply, then it's also a story about the first ever bit of writing which can be attributed to Anne Hathaway."

| Hereford Cathedral and Hereford Mappa Mundi Trust (Pic): The early 17th Century letter was found within the binding of a book

The letter refers to the boy being a fatherless apprentice and through his research Prof Steggle says there was only one person in London called John Butts who fits that criterion.

The letter also refers to a Trinity Lane and of the four married couples called Shakspaire (spelling of the time) known to be in London in that period, only William and Anne are likely to have lived in that area.

"It at least doubles the number of letters known to be addressed to or sent from Shakespeare and his family," Prof Steggle said.

"Currently, there's only one known. It also shows a side of Shakespeare's London life that's not been known before, giving him a new address in Trinity Lane and a whole new sphere of activity for him."

Prof Steggle said it "opens the door" to the idea Shakespeare's wife did indeed spend "significant" time with her husband in London.

"It's not a complete slam dunk," he told the BBC.

"It's a possibility that seems difficult to avoid, rather than a certainty."

'They did love each other'

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, author Maggie O'Farrell, whose book Hamnet is a fictionalised account of the marriage between Shakespeare and his wife as they deal with the loss of their son, called the discovery "thrilling" and "wonderful".

"There have been very respected scholars who've said that she was ugly, that Shakespeare hated her, that she trapped him into marriage, that she was illiterate, that she was stupid," Ms O'Farrell said.

"There is absolutely not one shred of evidence for any of that and it's always baffled me as to why she attracts all this vilification and all this misogyny.

"And it's so wonderful to find this tiny fragment of a letter which was discovered in the binding of a book that was published in 1608, that proves of course that they did love each other and probably lived together for some time in London."