Humphrey Shakespeare

of Lapworth

The IGI has records of at least two children of Humphrey (an unusual name, which occurs in several Shakespeare families in different locations):

Henry, bapt 7 Sept 1637, at Lapworth

Humphrey, bapt 2 Feb 1639, at Lapworth

French ('Shakespeareana Genealogica' page536) mentions also a daughter, Elizabeth, who, together with her father and her brother Henry, is mentioned, without an indication of relationship, in the will of John Shakespeare, Yeoman, of Lapworth.

Henry was born the year before the death of John Shakespeare, Yeoman, so his sister, Elizabeth, must have been born before him.

An examination of currently known information from the Lapworth Shakespeare wills reveals that another Elizabeth, a spinster wrote her will in 1649, but did not die until 1665.

Summaries of the wills of Elizabeth and Humphrey, provided by Roy W Shakespeare, are as follows:

ELIZABETH SHAKESPEARE, spinster, of Lapworth.

Beneficiaries include Mary Shakespeare, mother, John Shakespeare, father, Thomas Shakespeare, Richard, John, brother, Thomas Sly of Lapworth, brother-in-law, Elizabeth Sly, his daughter, Aliss wife of Humphry Shakespeare, ‘my sister Mary Sly of Barford(?)’, the poor of Rowington.

Will dated 4^th February 1649(?).  Endorsement in Latin. 

HUMPHREY SHAKESPEARE  of Lapworth.

Beneficiaries include sons Humphery and Henry(? Honrio), wife not named, brothers Thomas and John shakespeare, both of Knowle.

Signatures include Elizabeth Shakspeare (?wife)

Will dated 1671. Proved 11^th February 1672. Inventory dated 23^rd September 1672.

These wills are preserved at Worcester, together with that of Humphrey - the son mentioned in the above will, and born 1639 - and John, relationship unknown (the wills have not yet been examined):

Index to Probates  1660 – 1699

Shakespear, Elizabeth                                               Lapworth                 27 July 1665            W

Shakespeare, Humphrey                           Lapworth                 11 February 1672-3 W

Shakespeare, John                                    Lapworth                 11 March 1662-3     W

Index to Probates  1700 – 1749

Shakespear, Humphrey                             Lapworth                 27 April 1730          A

From these wills we can deduce that:

1. Elizabeth Shakespeare was the daughter of John & Mary, and had siblings Mary, the wife of Thomas Sly (they had a daughter Elizabeth), and John. Thomas Sly is mentioned in the will of Thomas Shakespeare, Fuller, of Lapworth.

2. Elizabeth mentions Alice, wife of Humphrey Shakespeare - probably the Humphrey who died 1672/3: so this gives us his wife's name

3. Humphrey Shakespeare (died 1672/3) had sons Henry and Humphrey, and brothers Thomas and John - both 'of Knowle'

Clearly there is an as yet undetermined relationship between Humphrey, Elizabeth (spinster) and John Shakespeare, Yeoman, of Lapworth

Let's look at Humphrey's family first:

Information from 'Shakespeareana Genealogica' , the will summaries and the IGI allows the following reconstruction:

John Shakespeare, son of Humphrey Shakespeare, of Lapworth, Yeoman, was apprenticed to John Broster, 25 March, 1691, of the Basketmakers' Company (London).

Elizabeth Shakespeare, Spinster:

The will summary gives the following:

The IGI records two possible marriages for John Shakespeare & Mary (he possibly married twice):

• married16 Feb 1617, Lapworth, John Shakespeare & Maria Lucett

• married11 Nov 1628, Lapworth, John Shakespeare & Mary Whitinge

Further information from the IGI:

• bapt 12 Jan 1629, Lapworth, Thomas, son of John Shakespeare

• bapt 29 March 1636, Lapworth, John, son of John Shakespeare

• bapt 21 July 1647, Lapworth, Thomas, son of Thomas Sly (this is possibly a son of Thomas Sly & Mary Shakespeare)