Richard Shakespeare
Encyclopedia
Richard Shakespeare was a husbandman
of Snitterfield
, Warwickshire
, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of Stratford-upon-Avon
, and the father of John Shakespeare
and thus the grandfather of William Shakespeare
.
He was probably born around the Rowington
/Wroxall
area, about 7 miles (11.3 km) to the north in Warwickshire. Sometime 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.
Husbandman
A Husbandman in England in the medieval and early modern period was a free tenant farmer. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman....
of Snitterfield
Snitterfield
Snitterfield is a village and civil parish in the Stratford on Avon district of Warwickshire, England, less than a mile to the north of the A46 road, 4 ½ miles from Stratford upon Avon, 6 ½ miles from Warwick and from Coventry.-History:...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, and the father of John Shakespeare
John Shakespeare
John Shakespeare was the father of William Shakespeare. He was the son of Richard Shakespeare of Snitterfield, a farmer. He moved to Stratford-upon-Avon and married Mary Arden, with whom he had eight children, five of whom survived into adulthood...
and thus the grandfather of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
He was probably born around the Rowington
Rowington
Rowington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire. It is five miles north-west of the town of Warwick and five miles south-west of the town of Kenilworth...
/Wroxall
Wroxall, Warwickshire
Wroxall is a small village in the civil parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is from Kenilworth, and from Coventry on the A4141 road. According to the 2001 census the village had a population of 94. It has its own cemetery to the north of the...
area, about 7 miles (11.3 km) to the north in Warwickshire. Sometime before 1529, he removed to Snitterfield, where he was a tenant farmer
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
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
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
, bequeathed him a team of four oxen he was keeping. He was fined two pence for not attending the manor court
Manor court
The manor court was the lowest court of law in England . It dealt with matters over which the Lord of the Manor had jurisdiction. Its powers extended only to those living in the manor or who held land at the manor-Basic functions:Each Manor has its own laws listed in a document called the Custamal...
in 1529, and he was charged with overburdening the commons
The commons
The commons is terminology referring to resources that are owned in common or shared between or among communities populations. These resources are said to be "held in common" and can include everything from natural resources and common land to software. The commons contains public property and...
with his cattle and fined for letting them run loose in the meadows and neglecting to ring or yoke
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
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.