Richard Shakespeare

Richard Shakespeare
Born	1490
Died	before 10 February 1561
Nationality	English
Occupation	Farmer
Known for	Grandfather of William Shakespeare
Spouse	Abigail Webb
Children	John Shakespeare

Richard Shakespeare (1490 – before 10 February 1561) was a husbandman of Snitterfield, Warwickshire, four miles (6.5 km) north-northeast of Stratford-upon-Avon, the father of John Shakespeare and the grandfather of William Shakespeare.

Life

Shakespeare was born in the Wroxall area, about 7 miles (11 km) to the north in Warwickshire. At some time before 1529, he removed to Snitterfield, where he was a tenant farmer until his death on land owned by Robert Arden, the father of Mary Arden, who married John, the poet's father.

Richard Shakespeare is mentioned in the court and manorial records as a prosperous farmer with livestock. Thomas Atwood alias Taylor, a prosperous vintner and clothier who was a member of the Stratford Guild, bequeathed him a team of four oxen he was keeping. He was fined two pence for not attending the manor court in 1529, and he was charged with overburdening the commons with his cattle and fined for letting them run loose in the meadows and neglecting to ring or yoke his swine.

At the time of his death, Richard leased 80 acres of farm land on which his house stood, situated from the corner of High Street (now Bell Lane) down to the ford over the stream that flowed through the village into the Avon. His estate was valued at £38 17s (equivalent to £16,237 in 2023).

See also

• The Shakespeare baronets, said to be descendants of Richard Shakespeare.