Henry Neville, Shakespeare, and Merry Wives of Windsor

The play Merry Wives of Windsor demonstrates an intimate knowledge of Windsor Forest and the surrounding areas. Henry Neville lived at Billingbear House near Windsor Forest most of his life and was keeper of Windsor Forest, as was his father before him.

Professor Randall Martin Suggests Shakespeare Must Have Visited Windsor

Professor Randall Martin's Shakespeare and Ecology describes the local detail in Merry Wives of Windsor:

"Merry Wives of Windsor [is] his most locally detailed play... Set in a small town next to a royal castle and surrounding fields and forest in eastern Berkshire, its fine-grained mosaic of natural and human eco-systems (woods, parks, chases, fields heath, mead, urban and rural buildings) is meshed by distinct corridors (the River Thames, a ditch, footpaths, roads, streets). These features direct much of the toing and froing of the plays' domestic intrigue" (Martin: 33)

He even concludes that Shakespeare must have visited Windsor:

"The spatial accuracy of Shakespeare's references, however, that he also visited the area."

Annals of Windsor (1853) Agrees on the Exact Detail in Merry Wives of Windsor

We believe indeed that Shakespeare has been more than usually careful in conforming his plot to the place or rather that he has brought a greater number of local details to his assistance in the Merry Wives of Windsor than in his other works, We are convinced moreover that he had in view in the composition or perfecting of the play some one particular individual oak and that in the selection of that tree he was guided by the local tradition of the period.

There is a vast 19th century literature on the specific location of Herne's Oak...  For instance this or this...

Henry Neville Grew Up in Billingbear House near Windsor Forest

Here is Neville's description of his offices in 1601:

"The offices I held are two parks, a walk in Windsor Forest, the stewardship of the manor of Sonning, and the keeping of the house at Windsor "

More information on his life and offices can be found at the History of Parliament Online. A similarly excellent article is available on his father was also a justice of the peace

Falstaff Literally Refers to Henry Neville (or his father) in Merry Wives of Windsor

In this passage from Merry Wives of Windsor, 5.5, "the fellow of this walk" refers to the keeper of Windsor Forest, Neville or his father depending on when the play was set:

FALSTAFF. Divide me like a bribe buck, each a haunch: I will keep my sides to myself, my shoulders for the fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. Am I a woodman, ha? Speak I like Herne the hunter? Why, now is Cupid a child of conscience; he makes restitution. As I am a true spirit, welcome!

Compare Neville's letter from 1606:

I am very sorry that it lies not in my power to send you a half a buck; my keepers tell me that there is none in my walk; sure I am that have not seene a pasty of venison of this yeere. I did adventure to send you the side of a stag which I thought might serve your turne as well if it came sweet to you, which the heate of the weather made me fearfull of.

And note the reference above to venison pasties, compare Merry Wives of Windsor, 1.1 :

Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.