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Judith was the younger daughter of English poet and playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway.
She and her twin brother Hamnet were baptised on 2 February 1584/5 at Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Their baptism is entered in the parish register as: "Hamnet & Judeth sonne & daughter to Williã Shakspere."[1][2]
She and Hamnet were probably named after the Shakespeare family's friends Hamnet and Judith Sadler, Hamnet Sadler was a baker in Stratford and his name is also recorded in local records as Hamlet.[3] Her twin brother died in August 1596, aged 11.[4][5][6]
She married Thomas Quiney, vintner, of Stratford, on 10 February 1615/16. The parish register records: "Tho. Queeny tow Judith Shakspere."[7][8]
The marriage did not begin well. Within weeks, her husband was prosecuted for getting another woman, Margaret Wheeler, pregnant, Margaret and their infant child had died in childbirth. Thomas was convicted and sentenced to public penance, although his penalty was later reduced to a fine of 5 shillings.[9][10] Then it was discovered that Judith and Thomas had married during Lent without the necessary licence from the bishop. When they were prosecuted in the consistory court, Thomas failed to attend court and was excommunicated.[9][11]
Her father died in April 1616 leaving her legacies of £300 subject to conditions.[12][13] The full text of her father's will is here.
They had three sons baptised at Holy Trinity, Stratford:
- Shakespeare, baptised 23 November 1616[14]
- Richard, baptised 9 February 1617/8[15]
- Thomas, baptised 23 January 1619/20[16]
Their three sons died young without having children of their own.[17]
Judith was buried at Holy Trinity, Stratford, on 9 February 1661/2. The burial register described her as: "Judith uxor Thomas Quiney Gent."[18][19]
Sources
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Baptisms, 1558-1652 , London: privately printed, 1897, page 39. Internet Archive (accessed 28 Mar 2020)
- ↑ 'Parish register entry recording Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare’s baptisms', 2 Feb 1585, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Library (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ Peter Holland, ‘Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn Jan 2013 (accessed 18 Mar 2020).
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Burials, 1558-1622-3 , London: privately printed, 1905, page 55. Internet Archive (accessed 30 Mar 2020)
- ↑ 'Parish register entry recording Hamnet Shakespeare’s burial', 11 Aug 1596, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Library (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ Shakespeare and the Bawdy Court of Stratford.by E R C Brinkworth
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Marriages, 1558-1812 , London: privately printed, 1898, page 27. Internet Archive (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ 'Parish register entry recording Judith Shakespeare and Thomas Quiney's marriage', 10 Feb 1616, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Library (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 S. Schoenbaum, William Shakespeare A Compact Documentary Life, Oxford University Press, 1977, pages 292-7 Internet Archive (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ 'A record of a hearing in the Stratford-upon-Avon Peculiar Court following a charge brought against Thomas Quiney of incontinence with Margaret Wheeler', 26 Mar 1616, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Library (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ 'Thomas Quiney and Judith Shakespeare summoned to appear at the Bishop’s court on their citation for having married in Lent without securing a license', Spring 1616, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Libarary (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ The National Archives. Reference: PROB 1/4. Description: Will of William Shakespeare 25 March 1616. Proved 22 June 1616. Date: 22 June 1616. A transcript is here.
- ↑ The National Archives. Reference: PROB 11/127/771. Description: Will of William Shakespeare, Gentleman of Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire. Date: 22 June 1616.
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Baptisms, 1558-1652, London: privately printed, 1897, page 91. Internet Archive (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Baptisms, 1558-1652, London: privately printed, 1897, page 93. Internet Archive (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ Richard Savage, The registers of Stratford-on-Avon, in the County of Warwick, Baptisms, 1558-1652, London: privately printed, 1897, page 97. Internet Archive (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ Nicholas Rowe (ed), The Works of Mr. William Shakespear; in six volumes, London: John Tonson, 1709, volume 1, page xxxvtt. Google Books (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ 'Parish register entry recording Judith Shakespeare Quiney's burial', 9 Feb 1662, Shakespeare Documented, Folger Shakespeare Library (accessed 8 Apr 2020)
- ↑ "Shakespeare's 'American Descendants'", Milton Rubincam, Nat'l Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol 47, No. 3, Sep. 1959
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