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John Shakespeare ( c. 1531 – 7 September 1601) was an English businessman and politician who was the father of William Shakespeare. Active in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was a glover and whittawer ( leather worker) by trade.
- c. 1531, Snitterfield, Warwickshire, England
- Mary Arden
John Shakespeare was a successful glovemaker, wool dealer, and civic leader in Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Mary Arden and had eight children, including the famous playwright William Shakespeare.
Learn about the life and career of John Shakespeare, the father of William Shakespeare, from his humble beginnings as a farmer to his rise as a prominent citizen of Stratford. Discover his role in the town council, his marriage, his children, his religion and his legacy.
Author of Shakespeare, Actors, and Audiences and others; editor of The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre ... John Russell Brown, Terence John Bew Spencer. Professor of English Language and Literature, 1958–78; Director, Shakespeare Institute, 1961–78, University of Birmingham, England.
Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in the middle of the English countryside. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover and public servant with social ambitions, as suggested by his marriage to Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer.
John Shakespeare was ambitious; at the age of 20, not content with a life of farming he moved to the urban centre of Stratford. Four years later he married Mary Arden (1537-1608). It is thought Shakespeare’s parents may have known each other from childhood, as John’s father was a tenant farmer on land owned by Mary’s father.
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Learn about the biography, family, and career of William Shakespeare, the most famous playwright of the English Renaissance. Find out how he was related to John Shakespeare, his father, and other members of his family.
