Shakespeare was born in Stratford, Warwickshire, England, 26 April 1564. His parents were John Shakespeare – a successful alderman and glove-maker – and Mary Arden – the daughter of a wealthy landowning farmer. John Shakespeare was also the Mayor of Stratford in 1569. Shakespeare was the third oldest of his eight siblings. His siblings were called Joan, Margaret, Gilbert, another Joan, Anne, Richard and Edmund.
Shakespeare would have been educated at King’s New School in Stratford. Unfortunately for Shakespeare, he had to discontinue his education at 13 in order to financially help his father. When Shakespeare was 18, he married Ann Hathaway on the 27th of November 1582. Ann is believed to have grown up in Shottery, a village to the west of Stratford. Six months after their marriage, Ann gave birth to their daughter Susanna on 26 May 1583. Twins Hamnet and Judith followed two years later on 2 February 1585. Hamnet sadly died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was then buried on 11th August 1596. In these times, a third of children usually died before the age of 10. Historians have speculated that Shakespeare’s play – Hamlet– might have had some connection with Hamnet’s death.
Between 1585 and 1592, Shakespeare left few historical traces. Most people call them ‘Shakespeare’s Lost Years’. Historians guess that he could have been a travelling actor.
Shakespeare Facts 