There are no validated portraits of him, although there is a picture of him in a window in the Guild Chapel. His reputation is colourful – an illegal dealer in wool, a ‘Del boy’ type, a liar, a thief, a convict of usury, violent and temperamental! These opinions of him come from several, not necessarily reliable, sources. For example, the film All is True starring Kenneth Branagh (liar), Stratford Town walk guide (thief), and the book and film of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (violent).

John Shakespeare was born around 1531, the son of a tenant farmer, and he had two brothers. In 1552 he had the Freedom to Trade and there is a record that he was fined for dumping rubbish, as a result of his trade. He leased half of what is now William Shakespeare’s birth place, and set up business as a glover when he was only 21. He was also a ‘whittawer’, one who treats and uses animal hides, and a taster of ale, testing for quality.

He was climbing the social ladder, becoming a constable (which included carrying arms), then a chamberlain, which involved looking after finances, quite a leap up. There is no evidence of significant literacy, but people learned things by heart then, and he also had the use of a secretary. He became an alderman, aged 30, when there were 14 aldermen and 14 burgesses on the town council and he had to pay a fee to be in that position. He gained the chance when one William Bott, owner of what became New Place, was sacked for rudeness, leaving a vacancy. Later he became High Bailiff, Chief Magistrate of the Court of Record. In 1569 he was the first bailiff to engage a theatre company – this may have been an early influence on the young Will. As Chief Alderman he was also able to send his son to school for no fees.

The Perfect Storm: in around 1577 John had some ‘interesting’ associates. Henry Field had a tannery by the river and his son was at school alongside John’s son William. Another associate was Sir William Catesby (father of Robert Catesby who was involved in the Gunpowder Plot), who was a prominent member of the gentry and a recusant Roman Catholic. It is thought that John Shakespeare also retained his faith.

John had three main problems at this time. First, defaulted securities regarding rents and other financial commitments – John had 16 writs taken out against him at one point. Second, Usury. On 3 February 1570 James Langrake alleged that John loaned £80 to John Musshem at 20% interest. This offence could have led to him being £192 out of pocket. In the end, the case was thrown out and John paid a £2 fine. Lastly, brogging, a word with its origins in Bruges and related to the wool trade – he was accused of illegal wool trading, although the wool market then was something of a dodgy business. John stopped dealing in wool (at least for a while) and the situation cooled down. He reverted to his old trade of glove making. However, he was almost ruined and his credit standing was reduced, so he became poorer, and William had to leave school aged 14 and join the family business. There are 71 references to leather working and glove making in Shakespeare’s plays.

John was excused paying taxes by the council and he stopped attending church, withdrawing from public life. However, he exploited his distress and transferred his real estate to his Catholic relatives, e.g., those in Wilmcote. According to Michael Wood’s book In Search of Shakespeare, he kept his remaining wealth hidden in wool and gold.

John invested in William’s New Place project and bounced back with the glove business. It was a family business with Anne managing it; she also produced malt for ale making. William began to spend more time in London at this point, partly to get contacts for his father as well as for the theatre. He was very busy at this point as he also had work as a tutor with a local Catholic family. John was working as a glover, wool dealing, and also on the council. He became a successful and respected man again. As this was a very litigious time, there are many records of his activities.

However, there is still little detail about his background. His mother’s name is unknown. We know little of his early life, but perhaps he had natural talent as there is no record of his education. It is believed that he died at New Place in 1601 but he had no recorded will, however, at his death, William had a lot of land and money. John had made efforts to find evidence to obtain a coat of arms, and eventually William probably paid a fee and made a case for it.

There were a number of questions and the audience appreciated the information about the less famous, but very important John Shakespeare, father of the Bard.

Report by Helen Elliott, Publicity Officer