Learn about Shakespeare’s childhood. We know very little about Shakespeare’s early childhood or teenage years. In those days children were seen as miniature adults to be manipulated and trained to take their place in the adult world as soon as possible.

William Shakespeare was probably born on about April 23, 1564, the date that is traditionally given for his birth. He was John and Mary Shakespeare’s oldest surviving child; their first two children, both girls, did not live beyond infancy.

Shakespeare probably began his education at the age of six or seven at the Stratford grammar school, which is still standing only a short distance from his house on Henley Street.

Shakespeare's family was above average materially during his childhood. His father's business was thriving at the time of William's birth. John Shakespeare owned several properties in Stratford and had a profitable—though illegal—sideline of dealing in wool.

Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in the middle of the English countryside. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover and public servant with social ambitions, as suggested by his marriage to Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer.

John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, and together they had eight children. John and Mary lost two daughters as infants, so William became their eldest child. John Shakespeare worked as a glove-maker, but he also became an important figure in …

Oct 3, 2011 · William was the third of eight Shakespeare children, of whom three died in childhood. Though no records of his education survive, it is likely that he attended the well-regarded local grammar...

John and Mary Shakespeare had eight children: four daughters, of whom only one (Joan) survived childhood and four boys, of which William was the eldest. In 1582, when he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 26-year-old daughter of a well-to-do farmer, Richard Hathaway of Hewlands Farm in nearby Shottery.

Parents: John Shakespeare & Mary Shakespeare (nee Arden). Date of Birth: Generally accepted as 23rd April 1564. Shakespeare was baptised on 26th April, 1564. Wife: Anne Hathaway (married 1582). Children: Susanna (born 1583), Hamnet and Judith (twins, born 1585). Resided: Born and raised in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

William Shakespeare's early life provides valuable insights into the formative experiences that shaped his future as a playwright and poet. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, Shakespeare was the third of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden's eight children.