What did William Shakespeare do in Stratford?
John Shakespeare performed several civic duties as a leading figure in Stratford’s community and society. Starting as an ale taster and a bailiff on the town council, he rose to the position of Mayor on the Town Council in 1565.
Why did Shakespeare go missing?
In 1616, a clergyman from Gloucester recounted a story in which the young Shakespeare was caught poaching near Stratford-upon-Avon on the land of Sir Thomas Lucy. Although there is no concrete evidence, it is suggested that Shakespeare fled to London to escape Lucy’s punishment.
Why isn’t there a lot of biographical information about Shakespeare?
This dearth of biographical information is due primarily to his station in life; he was not a noble, but the son of John Shakespeare, a leather trader and the town bailiff. The events of William Shakespeare’s early life can only be gleaned from official records, such as baptism and marriage records.
How old was William Shakespeare when he retired?
After a glittering career as an actor, playwright and theatre proprietor in London, Shakespeare retired in 1611 at the age of 47 to his home town of Stratford, where his wife and family had remained during all the years in which he had lived and worked in London.
Why was Shakespeare in Westminster in May 1612?
He was also in Westminster on 11th May 1612 as he had to appear as a witness in the case of Bellot v. Mountjoy. At one time Shakespeare had been a lodger in Christopher Mountjoy’s house in Cripplegate, and now Mountjoy was being sued by his son-in-law, Stephen Bellott for defaulting on a promised marriage settlement.
Who was Shakespeare’s friend at the time of his death?
During the week before his death Shakespeare’ s friends, Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton visited him and were entertained by him to an evening of eating and drinking, after which, it is reported, he became ill and was carried off by a fever a few days later.
When was the first lost year in Shakespeare’s life?
There are some lost years in Shakespeare’s life, one of which is the period from around 1585 until 1592, the year that the first reference to him as a playwright appears in print. In this episode, I talk to our guests about all the myths and stories that are told around why Shakespeare set out for London.