NEN Gallery

On 27th November 1582 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway.

Anne was the daughter of Richard Hathaway a farmer from the village of Shottery, about one mile from Stratford. Richard Hathaway died in September 1581 and left Anne �6 - 13s - 4d in his will for 'atte the day of her maryage'.

When William married Anne he was 17, she was 26 and already three months pregnant. A special licence was issued so that they could be married in church.

William and Anne's first child, Susanna was born six months after their wedding and baptised on 26th May 1583. Two years later they had twins called Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died in 1596.

Anne continued to live in Stratford, in the cottage shown in the photograph, with the children throughout the marriage, even when William was in London.