Picture of John
Shakespeare's house in
Henley Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon
John Shakespeare - The Father of William Shakespeare
THE EARLY YEARS
John Shakespeare
was the father of William
He lived between
1531 - 1601
John's father,
Richard Shakespeare, was a tenant farmer of Robert Arden of Wilmecote
John was
illiterate - he used glovers compasses as his signature!
He moved to
Stratford-upon-Avon in 1551 to set up business trading in
animals, wool, malt and corn
His father
Richard produced the goods and John sold them!
He bought a
house in Henley Street, Stratford , which was conveniently
near the market
John Shakespeare
used the skins of animals to set up trade as as a Glover and
Whittawer (making saddles, harnesses and fine leather
gloves)
He sold goods to
the wealthy and made the right connections in Stratford - an
ambitious man!
John was also
involved in the dubious business of money lending!
He made enough
money to purchase another house in Greenhill Street,
Stratford in 1552
THE SUCCESSFUL YEARS
He married Mary
Arden in 1557 - great marriage as she was the daughter of
the wealthy Robert Arden
John and Mary
married at the ages of 26 and 17 respectively (a year after
her father had died)
In 1557 John
Shakespeare was obtained Public Office when he was elected
as ale-taster of the Borough of Stratford (an important role
as people drank ale which was safer to drink than water!)
John and Mary
had eight children between 1558 - 1580
John became
important and was elected Chamberlain of Stratford in 1561,
Alderman in 1565 and Mayor in 1568
THE DOWNFALL OF JOHN
SHAKESPEARE
In 1570 John
Shakespeare was accused of Usury for lending money at the
rate of 20% and 25% Interest
In 1570 his
application to bear a Coat-of-Arms and for the title of
Gentleman fails
Why? No one
knows for sure but it is possibly to do with the
Shakespeare's Catholic religion
In 1570 the
Queen, Elizabeth I, was excommunicated by the Catholic
Church and feared that her crown would be taken by Catholic
plots involving Mary Queen of Scots
Catholics were
viewed with suspicion. Some of the Catholic relatives of the
family were sent to the Tower of London!
In 1578 John
became behind with his taxes
In 1579 He was forced to mortgage Mary's estate, Asbies
In 1583 Edward
Arden, the head of the Catholic Arden Family was executed
for his beliefs and for plotting against the life of the
Queen. Edward Arden's son-in-law, John Somerville, was also
arrested, tortured on the rack and died in the Tower of
London for being supporters of the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots
In 1586 John
Shakespeare was removed from the Board of Aldermen
By 1590 John
Shakespeare's only possession was the house on Henley Street
In 1592 he was
fined for not attending church
THE RISE OF JOHN SHAKESPEARE
By 1592 John's
son, William Shakespeare, was mixing with nobles and
courtiers
In 1594 William
Shakespeare would play before Queen Elizabeth. The name of
Shakespeare was again accepted
John's fortunes
rose with those of his son and on October 20, 1596 he was
granted permission to display a Coat-of-Arms
In 1599 John
Shakespeare was reinstated on the Town Council at
Stratford-upon-Avon
In 1601
Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare dies
1608
Shakespeare's mother Mary Shakespeare nee Arden dies
