iscopal register found in Worchester. (45-46) The custom in Stratford after the eldest son married, was for the new couple to live in the house of the grooms father. In all likelihood, Shakespeare obeyed the customary procedure. (Wright 24) Shakespeare and his wife probably had a good and happy marriage. She gave birth only 6 months after they were legally wed. (Wilson 43) Shakespeares son named Hamnet was only 11 years old when he died. He also had a daughter named Judith. Judith Shakespeare had 3 sons who died at young ages. Shakespeares only bloodlines were the descendants of his (second) sister Joan. (Brown 25-26) Between 1585 and 1592, there was no account of a man named William Shakespeare. Typically referred to as the lost years. There were no records of his life. Some scholars believe he was living in London serving as an apprentice. Others believe he retreated and wrote under a fake name. (Wadsworth 345) At about age 20, some people thought young William stole a dear from a wealthy man in order to poach. A crime not tolerated during that period. (Wright 6) Eight years before the death of Shakespeare he wrote 4 new plays. Some scholars debate, which plays, was his last. Very little was known about him before the age of 28. (Wilson 38) He continued to visit Stratford on occasion. (Wadsworth 347) He bought a house in London where he gradually retired. On April 23, Shakespeare was laid to rest inside the Stratford Parish Church in 1616. Shakespeare was a young 52 when he died. (Wadsworth 347) For nearly a century after his death Shakespeare remained more a theme for criticism by the few than a subject of adulation by the many. (Brown, 2) William Kent erected a stone statue of William Shakespeare. The statue is located in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abby. (Wright 8) Shakespeare may not have felt a calling to write when he left Stratford, but he had a lot to learn in the big city of London. (44...
