Shakespeare's family

by C. C. Stopes

John Shakespeare, of Knowle, Warwickshire, left to his eldest son, Henry, £5, and to each of his children £5—John, Elizabeth, Henry, Thomas; to his granddaughter, daughter of John, £5; his property he left to his youngest son, John, 33 Charles II., September 30, 1681.[245] A William Shakespeare,[246] of Knowle, is mentioned in 12 George II., as "tenant to the precipe."

The will of Robert Shakespeare, of Wroxall, March 19, 1565, shows that he had a son Nicolas, that another Nicolas owed him money, and that his goods were prised by a William Shakespeare. John Shaksper, of Wroxall, labourer, leaves his goods between his son Edward and his wife; mentions his sister Alice, his brother Woodam's children, his cousin, Laurence Shaxper, of Balsal, or Beausal, his brothers, William and Nicolas, and his daughter, Alice Windmiles, December 15, 1574.

William Shakespeare, of Wroxall, husbandman, in his will, dated November 17, 1609, left legacies to brothers and sisters not named.

John Shakespere of Budbrooke, left his best suit to Nicolas Shakespeare; to his father-in-law, Thomas Burbidge, his best boots; to Mary Shakespeare, two shillings; to Isabel Poole, late servant to Nicolas Shakespeare, ten shillings. Anne Burbage, now the wife of William Shotteswell, sole executrix, December 28, 1642.[247] He was buried December 30, 1642.[248]

Nicolas Shakespeare,[249] of Budbrooke,[250] being aged and weak, leaves £4 to the poor; £10 to his mother-in-law, Penelope Parkes; £40 to his brother-in-law, Richard Parkes; £10 to his cousin, Richard Naso; £10 to William Sattlewell, of Packwood. Residue to his dear wife Marie, sole executrix, October 23, 1655.

John Shakespeare,[251] yeoman, of Lapworth, made his will October 30, 1637; proved by his wife Dorothy 1638. He had no children, and his nephew, John Twycross, came in for most of his possessions. He left his brother Christopher sixpence a week. Christopher's son John, and his two grandsons, John and Thomas, had each twenty shillings. There was another brother not named, whose three sons, Edward, William and Thomas, and three daughters were to have £3 6s. 8d. each. Edward's two sons had also legacies. The testator also mentions his sister, Catharine Shotteswell, Catharine, Elizabeth, Winifred, Humphrey, Thomas, and John Shakespeare. Overseers, John Fetherston, of Packwood, Esq., and John Shaxpere, of Ringwood. Dorothy Shakespeare left no will. Letters of administration were granted to her nephew, Antony Robbins, July 13, 1655.[252] In the table of benefactions in Lapworth Church (near Knowle) it is recorded that John Shakespeare and John Twycross gave each two shillings a year to the poor of Lapworth and Packwood. "Humphrey Shakespeare gave twenty shillings to the poor of this parish, and the like to the poor of Rowington, 1794."

Thomas Shakespeare, of Lapworth, fuller, February 21, 1655, desires to be buried in Rowington. He leaves to his kinsman, Richard Shakespeare, of Kenilworth, his implements and £5; to his kinsman, Thomas Shakespeare, of Lapworth, £5; to his kinsman and godson, Thomas Shakespeare, of Rowington, £5; to his kinsman, Richard Shakespeare, £6 13s. 4d.; to his kinswoman, Mary Shakespeare, £5; to his kinsman, John Shakespeare, £5; to his brother William's son's daughter Elizabeth, sixpence, if demanded; to the poor of Rowington, forty shillings. The executrix was his kinswoman, Elizabeth Shakespeare, and the overseers, Thomas Sly, of Lapworth, and his kinsman, Thomas Shakespeare, of Whittlygate in Rowington; proved May 18, 1658.[253]

It may be seen that Rowington was the central source of most of these Shakespeares. Besides those already mentioned, we may note that there was a case of John Shakesper versus William Skinner, farmer, of the Church of Rowington; an answer of William Skinner to the Bill of Complaint; a document relating to Thomas Shakespeare, of Rowington, 1571, marked "Skinner"; and another concerning John Shakespeare. John Shaxper of Rowington's will was drawn up in 1574.[254] He left his property called Madywattons, at Shrawley, to his son George, with remainder to his daughter Annis, and £20 to his son Thomas. He left legacies to his brothers Nicolas and Thomas and his Aunt Ley, the midwife. His wife's name was Eleanor. His goods were prised at £8 6s. 8d. by Thomas and William Shaxper, among others. The will of Richard Shakespere, of Rowington, November 13, 1613, which caused so much heartburning, showed that his son William had a son John, and that his son Richard had four sons (Thomas, William, Richard and John). Thomas and John's children are not mentioned. Another will[255] in the same year of Thomas Shakespeare, of Mowsly and Rowington, October 13, 1613, mentions sons—John, Thomas and Richard; and daughters—Eleanor, Joan and Annis. John had two sons—William and John. John Shakespeare de le Hill, Rowington, made his will January 20, 1652; his wife was Mary; his children, William, John, and Margaret Vernon.

The Shakespeares from the Register of Rowington, printed by Mr. Rylands, are given in the notes.

In 1593 Thomas Shakespeare and Florence, his wife, with her sister, Alice Grace, sued Thomas Grace[256] and John Harding for certain lands not specified, settled by their father on them. Thomas Shackspeare, of Rowington, was assessed for the subsidy of 1597.[257] Thomas Shaxper, senior, of the same place, in 7 Jac. I., 1610. A survey of Crown lands in Warwickshire, 4 Jac. I., 1607, in the Land Revenue Office shows Thomas, George, Richard and John as holding property there. A Thomas Shakespeare was presented in 1632.[258]