[MR] Wikipedia: John Shakespeare

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1601, John Shakespeare, father of the famous playwright, 
died in Stratford. Shakespeare was a glove maker, wool trader, and 
landlord. As a prominent businessman, he served in various civic 
offices, and so much is known about Shakespeare. His life is an 
excellent example of upward mobility during the Tudor era from peasant 
farmer to middle-class, then local gentry. But John Shakespeare also 
fell from favor for various legal infractions and bad fiscal management.

The article mentions that John Shakespeare may have been a closet 
Catholic. While pure speculation, his fall from grace for shady business 
dealings (which probably everybody did) might really have been about his 
secret religious practices, and he was ratted out by fellow aldermen who 
wanted to avoid suspicion falling upon them. We will never know.

You can read about John Shakespeare at 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shakespeare

The Henley Street house John Shakespeare owned (and son William's 
birthplace) is preserved as a museum in Stratford: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_Birthplace and 
https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/shakespeares-birthplace/# . A photo 
of his recreated workshop can be seen at 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/60861613@N00/5955809930

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge