Birth and Early Life
Judith Shakespeare was the daughter of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. She was the younger sister of Susanna and the twin sister of Hamnet. Hamnet however, died at the age of eleven. Her baptism on 2 February 1585 was recorded by the vicar, Richard Barton of Coventry, in the parish register for Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. The twins were named after a husband and wife, Hamnet and Judith Sadler, who were friends of the parents. Hamnet Sadler was a baker in Stratford.
Unlike her father and her husband, Judith Shakespeare was probably illiterate. In 1611 she witnessed the deed of sale of a house for £131 to William Mountford, a wheelwright of Stratford, from Elizabeth Quiney, her future mother-in-law, and Elizabeth's eldest son Adrian. Judith signed twice with a mark instead of her name.
Read more about this topic: Judith Quiney
Famous quotes containing the words birth, early and/or life:
“I wouldnt put it past God to arrange a virgin birth if He wanted, but I very much doubt if He would.”
—David Jenkins (b. 1925)
“Progress would not have been the rarity it is if the early food had not been the late poison.”
—Walter Bagehot (18261877)
“... such is the horrible idea that I entertain respecting a life of servitude, that if I conceived of there being no possibility of my rising above the condition of servant, I would gladly hail death as a welcome messenger.”
—Maria Stewart (18031879)