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William Shakespeare1554-1616More is known about William Shakespeare than any other of the Elizabethan dramatists, with the single exception of Ben Jonson. Even here we know far less about Ben's early lifemore about the later, for he was ten years younger and lived right on into the reign of Charles I, when more information was available about everybody.The reason for our fuller knowledge of Shakespeare's earlier life is that his father was a prominent townsman at Stratford-upon-Avon, where he rose to become alderman and bailiff (i.e. mayor) of the busy market-town. It was conveniently placed between the woodland country of Arden and the rich arable of South Warwickshire; to the south, the Cotswolds for sheep and shepherds and country sports; to the west, down river to Worcester and the cattle routes to Wales; not far from Watling Street, the direct route to London, or over Clopton's fine bridge (still there!) to Oxford and thence to London.John Shakespeare and Mary Arden came into Stratford on marriage, both from Arden country. He set up business as a glover, in the two houses in Henley Street which he owned. Mary Arden was socially superior, almost certainly a sprig of the Arden gentlefolk of north Warwickshire; for her father's house out at Wilmcote was rather grander than an ordinary farmer's, with arras hangings on the walls, and she inherited some land. When William, upon success in London, bought the best house in Stratford and took out a coat-of-arms in his father's nameso that he should be a gentleman bornhe later proposed quartering his Spear (Non sans droict!) with the arms of the Ardens. He is constantly referred to as 'gentle', which in Elizabethan English meant 'gentlemanly'and such was always his bearing, in contrast to many of the theatre-folk. His granddaughter, Elizabeth, ended up as a lady of title, Lady Barnard.The borough archives at Stratford are full of the municipal activities of the alderman, as the parish registers are liberally sprinkled with the baptisms and burials of the family. William, the eldest son, was baptised in Holy Trinity on 26 April 1564, when he would have been a few days old. In the end most of his own immediate family were gathered together in the chancel, where they all lie with him, before the altar, his monument, the familiar bust, looking down upon them there.Opposite: William Shakespeare. This engraving by Martin Droeshout is the only authentic likeness of Shakespeare