The Earl of Southampton's Cat

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I first conceived of adding at cat to my Shakespeare's Witch series when my beloved cat, Alfie, suddenly died. Writing him into the story gave me great comfort and, before I knew it, added an important dimension to the work. However, since then, I have often been questioned about the cat. 


I've been advised to remove the cat from the story, assured the cat was not relevant to the plot, and informed that cats were not kept as pets. But I had a feeling over the years that the cat needs to stay. 


I love to do my research while I'm eating breakfast and this week I uncovered an amazing piece of information in "Shakespeare and the Earl of Southampton" by G.P.V. Akrigg. The Earl was imprisoned in the Tower of London for treason for several years. Mr. Akrigg reports that ,"In his long periods of loneliness, Southampton had for his companion a cat, one which later tradition reported had been a favorite of his in more fortunate days and, finding its way to the Tower, had reached him by coming down the chimney into his quarters." 


This picture, often used in illustrations of the Earl, shows him in his cell in the Tower. Over his left shoulder, you can see a wall hanging of the Tower of London. To his right is ... is "favorite" cat.