CHAPTER XI - Shakespeare's family

COUSINS AND CONNECTIONS

It is certain that Shakespeare had many cousins on the Arden side. A

notice of the Stringers, the Lamberts, the Edkins, and the Webbes has

been already given. The Hart family, as has also been noticed, provided

a large number of relatives not of the name.

On the Shakespeare side the poet _may_ have had cousins, though we are

not able to prove their descent from records at present in hand. More

than one family claim to have descended from cousins, and presumably

from Shakespeare's grandfather Richard. But we must not forget there

were other Richards at his time. The Richard of Wroxall, Mr. Yeatman

insists, must be the same as the Richard of Snitterfield, though it

seems hardly possible, seeing we find the one officially associated with

the Priory of Wroxall 26 Henry VIII., 1535,[220] and the other presented

for non-suit of court at Snitterfield 20 and 22 Henry VIII.; for

infringing the rights of pasture there, October 1, 1535; and receiving a

legacy from a friend that suggested continued residence: "Unto Richard

Shakespere of Snytfield my foure oxen which are now in his keeping"

(will of Thomas Atwode, _alias_ Tailor, of Stratford-on-Avon, 1543).

Three successive Richards lived in Rowington. One, "Richard Shakysspere,

of Rowington, Weyver," died in 1560, and mentioned his sons William and

Richard in his will drawn up the year before, on June 15, and proved on

June 30 (goods prised by John Shakspere and Richard Sanders). Another

Richard of the same place made a will in 1591 and died in 1592, whose

children were John, Roger, Thomas, William, and Dorothy Jenkes; his

wife's name was Joan. There was also a grandson, Thomas, son of

John.[221] Another Richard died in 1614,[222] whose eldest son was

William. But each of these Richards, from his family and connections,

can be proved to be a different man from the Richard of Snitterfield. We

are reasonably sure that our John was the son of the latter, if he

administered his goods after his death in 1560-61[223]; and if so, we

are sure that Henry also was his son, as Henry was the brother of John.

This is mentioned in the Declaration of 1587,[224] when Nicholas Lane

proceeded against John as surety for his impecunious brother Henry.

Henry was also summoned with John to appear as witness in the Mayowe and

Webbe case, 23 Elizabeth. He had a wife called Margaret, whose death

immediately follows his own in the Register of Snitterfield;[225] but we

are not sure that he had any children. "Henry Sakspere was buryed the

29th day of Dec., 1596." "Margaret Sakspere, widow, being tymes the wyff

of Henry Sakspere, was bured ix Feb., 1596." It is quite probable that

when Robert Webbe married and settled in Snitterfield, or Edward

Cornwall came into power there, that Henry moved thence.[226] Just about

the time we find in the Registers of Hampton-on-Avon or Bishop Hampton,

"Lettyce, daughter of Henry Shakespeare of Ingon,[227] bapt. June 4th,

1583." "Jeames, son of Henry Shakespeare, bapt. Oct. 15th, 1585." Yet he

appears as one of "the pledges" at the baptism of Henry Townsend, of

Snitterfield, September 4, 1586. "Jeames Shakespeare, of Ingon, buried

Oct. 25th, 1589,"[228] is also mentioned by Malone. This is the correct

reading of the "Joannes" mentioned by Halliwell-Phillipps as being

buried in the same place so near the same date as September 25, 1589.

A William Shakespeare appears once in Snitterfield as prising the goods

of John Pardu in 1569; but we do not know his age and residence, and

there is no clue to any relationship with him.

A William prised the goods of Robert Shakespeare of Wroxall, 1565, and

the goods of John Shaxper of Rowington, 1574.

An Anthony occurs among the billmen of Snitterfield in the muster book

of 1569. John Shakespeare of Rowington, who held land at Wroxall 22

Henry VIII., had a son Antonio, rather an unusual name. Tradition says

the poet had an uncle or grand-uncle, Antonio. But we must beware of

using tradition as a staff to lean upon. No Anthony appears in any

family papers. An Antony Shaxspeare married Joane Whitrefe at Budbrook

(in which parish is Hampton Corley), November 14, 1573; and in the

wife, baptized 24th March, 1575." "Elizabeth, daughter to Antony

Shaksper of Hamton, baptized Feb. 10th, 1583," in the Stratford

Registers; and "Henry, son of Antonio Shakespeare, buried June 18th,

1583," in Clifford Chambers. This wandering makes his life rather

confusing to us.

Thomas Shakespeare _might_ have been an uncle. Thomas was presented as a

regrator or forestaller of barley and wheat at Snitterfield Court, held

April, 1575. A Thomas, probably the same, appears in Stratford Records

between 23 and 28 Elizabeth. He was sued for the price of malted barley

in 23 Elizabeth. He had a son named John, baptized at Snitterfield March

10, 1581-2. Of this child we know nothing further, but I make a

suggestion in a later chapter that may interest readers.

There was a Johanna Shakespeare,[229] whose burial record in

Snitterfield, in 1595, makes no allusion to any male relative. She might

have been an aunt, a great-aunt, or even a grandmother of the poet, and

the widow of Richard. Similar entries of wives and widows have been

found in the neighbourhood. Joan was an important name in John

Shakespeare's eyes, and he gave the name to two of his daughters.

Richard had probably a daughter who became Mrs. Green. A "Thomas Green,

_alias_ Shakespeare," was buried in Stratford-on-Avon, March 6, 1590. He

was probably the father of Thomas Green, solicitor, in whose "Diary and

Correspondence" we find allusions to his cousin Shakespeare: "My cosen

Shakspeare has commyng yesterday to towne; I went to see him how he

did."[230] Jovis, Nov. 17.

It was he who conducted the Addenbrooke prosecution (1608), at which

time, we know not for what reason, he appears to have been living in

Shakespeare's home, New Place, in Stratford-on-Avon.

There might have been an indefinite number of cousins by marriage among

the Hathaways. I only mention this now in relation to one strange

example of the desire of association somehow with Shakespeare. In the

catalogue of the Shakespeare Library of Warwick Castle is the title of a

book written by a Hathaway clergyman of Tewkesbury, said to be "a

descendant of Anne Hathaway," ignoring the fact that _Anne Hathaway_ was

_Mrs. Shakespeare_. Yet he might after all have been a cousin twice

removed.

FOOTNOTES:

[220] See "Valor Ecclesiasticus," Warwickshire, at Dissolution, Henry

VIII.

[221] Worcester wills.

[222] _Ibid._

[223] Admin. Bond at Worcester.

[224] "Henricus Shaksper, frater dicti Johannis," February 1, 29

Elizabeth, 1587.

[225] Snitterfield Registers.

[226] Henry had a fight with Edward Cornwall, and drew blood, October

12, 1574. See Halliwell-Phillipps, "Outlines," vol. ii., p. 209.

[227] Ingon is in the parish of Hampton-on-Avon.

[228] Malone's "Life," vol. ii., p. 23, ed. 1821.

[229] "Johana Shaxspere mortua est et sepulta January quinto, anno

1595." No record has been found of the death of Richard's wife, if this

be not she.

[230] Green's "Diary," Nov. 17, 1614, Stratford-on-Avon Records. See

also Ingleby's "Shakespeare and the Enclosure of Welcombe." Thomas Green

was a Councillor of Middle Temple and a solicitor. (See Quyney's Town

Accounts, January and February, 1600-1.) He was appointed Steward of the

Court of Record, Stratford-on-Avon, on September 7, 1603. There was no

Town Clerk then, and the Steward did the duties until the Charter

granted to the town by James I., July 8, 1610, created the office of

Town Clerk. He held part of the remainder of the tithes, the half of

which were held by Shakespeare.