Shakespeare in love?
Shakespeare's marriage: the facts
- After Shakespeare's baptism, there are no public records of him until his marriage in 1582.
- On 27 November 1582, a marriage licence
was granted to "Wm Shaxpere et [and] Anne Whateley*."
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- On 28 November 1582, a 40 pound bond
was posted by two Warwickshire farmers for the
legality* of a marriage between
"William Shagspere" and "Anne Hathwey."
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- The next public record indicates that six months later,
on 26 May 1583, Shakespeare's first
daughter Susanna was christened.
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Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office.
Two women (it seems) and a child born--and surviving-- after six months?
Footnotes
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What about Whateley?
Nothing is known of Anne Whateley, if she was ever more than a clerical error. Whateleys did live in the area of Stratford.
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The banns
To ensure that there was no impediment to the marriage, it was announced three times at the local church--and these announcements were the "banns." However, if a marriage was urgent, and the banns were to be read less than three times, it was normal for the Bishop to secure a bond of this kind.