Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com on 17 Apr 2016.<\/p>\n
My cousin Will\u2019s death occurred 400 years ago this week.\u00a0 Like many of my relatives, Will\u2019s life has been controversial.\u00a0 There are doubters that say Will was not capable of producing the work that he did in his lifetime.\u00a0 He\u2019s been called an imposter, a sham and a fraud.\u00a0 There\u2019s even a website, Doubts About Will<\/a>, where one may sign a declaration that contests Will\u2019s achievement.<\/p>\n You may have guessed I\u2019m talking about my cousin, William Shakespeare. \u00a0He’s my 13th cousin 17 times removed. \u00a0His ability to write the works that are credited to him has been disputed for years.\u00a0 I believe that Will was responsible for the work that bears his name today.\u00a0 Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n Although there are some renowned individuals who are doubters I am not swayed by their views.\u00a0 Just because someone is an outstanding writers, thinkers, actors, directors or statesmen does not mean they are correct.\u00a0 Think of our Founding Fathers who viewed equality as not including women and people of color.<\/p>\n One of my favorite authors, Mark Twain, is a doubter but I believe his reasoning is false.\u00a0 Twain bases his doubt on the fact that not much is known about Shakespeare\u2019s life.\u00a0 That is not true.\u00a0 Although there may not be many records left from his life time that is not surprising given the time that has elapsed since his death.\u00a0 Throw in war, fires, mold, and so on and it’s miraculous anything is left.\u00a0 Twain also questioned how Will could be knowledgeable about the law but wasn’t a a barrister.\u00a0 In Huckleberry Finn, Twain\u2019s character, Jim, is a person of color.\u00a0 Saying Will couldn\u2019t have knowledge of the law is equated to Twain not being able to write about Jim since Twain was Caucasian.\u00a0 Twain had no personal knowledge of living life in the skin of a black man so should we then believe that some other individual besides Twain wrote Jim\u2019s story? \u00a0I think not.\u00a0 Twain also wrongly believed that if Will was really born in the small town of \u00a0Snitterfield the town would have capitalized on Will\u2019s fame as Hannibal, Missouri did while Twain was alive.\u00a0 Since that didn\u2019t occur, Twain believes that the Will from Snitterfield couldn\u2019t possibly have authored the works.\u00a0 A lot changed in the 200+ years between Will\u2019s life and Twain\u2019s, not to mention the cultural differences between Great Britain and the U.S. Twain’s reasoning is not logical.<\/p>\n Doubters do not believe that someone of such humble social status could possibly be a gifted writer.\u00a0 The son of a glover from a small village is not thought to be able to produce the works that he did.\u00a0 As an educator, I disagree.\u00a0 Brooks-Gunn and Duncan (1997) concluded that “It is not yet possible to make conclusive statements regarding the size of the effects of poverty on children’s long-term cognitive development.”[1]<\/a> \u00a0Leonardo da Vinci was considered a genius and yet, he was an underprivileged child.\u00a0 His parents were unmarried and due to his social status, he was not permitted to attend the schools that his half siblings did. \u00a0Geniuses are born across all social economic levels.\u00a0 No one doubts Leonardo and this is no reason to doubt Will.<\/p>\n Doubters mention that Will had “lost years” as there are gaps in knowledge of what transpired in his life between leaving his village and arriving in London. \u00a0Leonardo da Vinci had similar gaps; the History Channel believes aliens were involved with Leonardo. \u00a0I lean towards the theory he traveled and so did Will. \u00a0One can pick up much from observing the world around them and that’s my explanation for how both geniuses gained their diverse cultural knowledge.<\/p>\n Doubters claim that there must be numerous men named Shakespeare since the surname was spelled in various ways on surviving documents.\u00a0 Doubters must not have any experience with genealogy!\u00a0 I do not have one census record from 1840-1940 that spells my maiden name the same and that is in a much more recent time period than when Will lived. \u00a0There was no common spelling; the first known published dictionary in England was in 1538 by Sir Thomas Elyot and for the record, this was the original title:\u00a0 The Dictionary of syr <\/strong>Thomas Eliot<\/strong> knyght<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Notice the words I bolded.\u00a0\u00a0 See my point?!<\/p>\n Perhaps there were a number of men named Shakespeare at the time Will lived.\u00a0 A genealogist is able to separate the identities of those men.\u00a0 Certainly there is no 100% guarantee but I would think if there were two or five or ten William Shakespeares living in Snitterfield at the same time an examination and analysis could narrow down which Will belonged to which parent and was the writer. I suspect there was only one, using spelling variations.<\/p>\n The Doubters question why the works purportedly written by Will were not attributed to him until seven years after his death.\u00a0 They point out that is not only unusual but unheard of in the literary world.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not surprised there was a delay.\u00a0 The remaining individuals who had been close to Will were most likely trying to capitalize on what once had been.\u00a0 After seven years, with no one taking over Will\u2019s place, the actors needed to resurrect fame in the shape of The Folios.\u00a0 Why does Hollywood make sequels?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t Disney remake The Jungle Book for release AGAIN?!\u00a0(On a side note, the coming attractions look good so yes, I’ll be spending money to see it even though I already know what happens. \u00a0Hmm, no wonder the actors brought The Folios out again!)<\/p>\n We must also remember Will was not writing for publication so it\u2019s not surprising that his works weren\u2019t initially credited to him.\u00a0 Will was writing for theatre.\u00a0 I only know of five 16th<\/sup> century comedies and tragedies remaining.\u00a0 During the Medieval period, theatrical works were not very original nor well preserved.\u00a0 Prior to Will\u2019s time, most theatre was religious stories brought to life; they encompassed mystery, miracle and moralism.\u00a0 Once the Protestant Reformation came about, theatre shifted and farces were accepted.\u00a0 Will wrote all three.\u00a0 His plays brought in crowds who didn\u2019t care who wrote the script.\u00a0 Attendees wanted to simply be entertained.\u00a0 Do you know who wrote your favorite television program from twenty years ago?\u00a0 I don\u2019t and really don\u2019t care who did.\u00a0 The scriptwriter, much like the prop mistress or the understudy, was unimportant and would remain in the wings.<\/p>\n Besides, Will wasn\u2019t going to make any pounds by selling the script after the play closed.\u00a0 No one would purchase Hamlet <\/em>to read by candle light at the time. There was no store in the theatre to sell mementos of the event.\u00a0 Will was a scriptwriter; he only became an author when the fame of his scripts spread.\u00a0 When others wanted to put on his plays to draw in the crowds and make money, his role changed.\u00a0 Compiling his works together transformed him from script writer to author.<\/p>\n The Doubters believe that Will was illiterate.\u00a0 There were local schools that Will may have attended.\u00a0 In fact, the Blackfriar\u2019s Theatre in which his plays were performed shared the venue with the Children of the Chapel, a choir composed of children who attended local schools.\u00a0 They were quite the sensation and scholars think that Will was a tad jealous of their success as he wrote in Hamlet <\/em>about the “little eyasses.”<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what school was like at the time Will lived:<\/p>\n \u201cThe schedule for school Boys were educated to be able to read and write to be members of society. The most important part of their teaching was memorization and recitation. They had to be proficient in Latin. There is no doubt that Will was literate.\u00a0 Doubters question the remaining few copies of his signatures and believe the handwriting might not be his but that of court clerks instead.\u00a0 That is possible and a moot point regarding whether he wrote his works or not.\u00a0 It is also possible that he was in declining health which could have made writing difficult.\u00a0 My handwriting is not what it was in my youth so variations in signature can be expected.<\/p>\n Doubters also are concerned that not one letter he may have written survives.\u00a0 For the Kinship Determination Project I just completed, not one letter survives from the 2nd<\/sup> generation individual who was known to be literate.\u00a0 There are only three surviving documents with his handwriting, two as a young adult and one in middle age.\u00a0 He won an award for writing but the piece he wrote no longer exists.\u00a0 He died just 70 years ago.\u00a0 I’m not surprised there are no surviving letters from Will.\u00a0 I wonder how many letters the doubters have from their great grandfathers.\u00a0 Take that back several generations and I\u2019d expect none.<\/p>\n Doubters wonder why so many of Will\u2019s plays take place in the upper class and how he could possibly have known what their ways were like.\u00a0 If they looked at Will\u2019s ancestry they would have a better understanding.\u00a0 Will\u2019s mother was Mary Margareta Arden, a descendant of Siward de Arden. \u00a0The Ardens, according to Burke’s Peerage, Volume 1, are one of only three English families that can trace their lineage back to Anglo Saxon times. \u00a0Sure the family fortune wasn’t what it had been by the time Will was born but as a\u00a0once affluent family, Will would have had knowledge of the glories of his ancestor\u2019s pasts. He’s also related the the Beauchamps, Vernons and Bromwich’s.<\/p>\n My maternal great grandparents would be considered as peasants today.\u00a0 They were poor farmers after my great grandfather was let go by the Austrian-Hungarian cavalry for being injured.\u00a0 They were illiterate.\u00a0 They were immigrants.\u00a0 They were not, however, lacking in culture.\u00a0 They passed down the stories of being the descendants of PL\u2019s, noble men and women who had been recognized by a long ago king for bravery in the distant past.\u00a0 My grandmother, their daughter, loved lavishly set tables, the latest fashion and travel.\u00a0 One may ask how it is possible she had acquired such refined tastes coming from such humble beginnings. \u00a0It was always in her.\u00a0 She aspired to culture and attained it.\u00a0 You may have a similar story in your family.\u00a0 Why do the doubters not understand that Will was writing about what would most interest those that did not have it but really wanted to. Why do pop magazines have Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, on the cover? \u00a0Because it sells. That leads us to answer the doubters that question why Will wrote so much about Italy and not about himself and his community. \u00a0Perhaps Will visited Italy in those lost year or maybe his teacher had.\u00a0 He was taught Latin if he attended the town school so he would have gained knowledge of the language.\u00a0 Geez, I was also taught Latin in elementary and my teachers gave us knowledge of other countries.\u00a0 Trade between Italy and England was not unusual; he could have met visitors when he was in London. Remember, too, that England had once embraced Catholicism which was rooted in Italy. \u00a0Will’s father had been Roman Catholic.\u00a0 As such, he may have been in closer contact with Italian customs that we now know.\u00a0 Definitely would have been something to keep quiet about!<\/p>\n Doubters also wonder why Will never wrote a play about his own life experiences or about Stratford-on-Avon.\u00a0 People rarely wrote autobiographies in the 16th<\/sup> Century.\u00a0 Will was writing to bring people into the theatre. Why would he write his life story or about his neighboring countryside?\u00a0 No one would spend money on something they already knew.\u00a0 People won\u2019t part with their hard earned income for something that is not novel or necessary.\u00a0 Clearly, the theatre isn\u2019t a necessity so novelty had to be what drew in the crowds.<\/p>\n Doubters question why Will did not record the death of his 11-year-old son in one of his sonnets.\u00a0 Perhaps it was too painful but I think that he understood his life experiences were not that much different from the collective human experience of the time. \u00a0His pain was no greater or less than anyone else. \u00a0He wrote what he thought would interest the populous.\u00a0 Childhood death was commonplace and a part of life in Will\u2019s time.\u00a0 There was no need to write about something that so many experienced.<\/p>\n I do not doubt William Shakespeare was the writer of the sonnets that are attributed to him today.\u00a0 As we approach the 400th<\/sup> Anniversary of his death I use his words in remembrance, \u201cThis above all: to thine own self be true”. – \u201cSuspicion always haunts the guilty mind;.\u201d – (Henry VI, Part III, Act V, Scene VI).<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. J. (1997). The effects of poverty on children. The Future of Children: Children and Poverty, 7(2), 61.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> https:\/\/prezi.com\/aa9cpyjcvg8j\/education-in-1564-1616-in-england\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com on 17 Apr 2016. My cousin Will\u2019s death occurred 400 years ago this week.\u00a0 Like many of my relatives, Will\u2019s life has been controversial.\u00a0 There are doubters that say Will was not capable of producing the work that he did in his lifetime.\u00a0 He\u2019s been called an imposter, a sham and … Continue reading “My Cousin Will – 400 Years Later Questions Remain”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[279],"class_list":["post-296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-stories","tag-william-shakespeare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=296"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":297,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions\/297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogyatheart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n7:00-7:30, Dancing
\n7:30-8:00, Breakfast
\n8:00-9:00, French
\n9:00-10:00, Latin
\n10:00-10:30, Writing and drawing
\n10:30-1:00, Prayers
\n1:00-2:00, Cosmography
\n2:00-3:00, Latin
\n3:00-4:00, French
\n4:00-4:30, Writing
\n4:30-5:30, prayers, recreation, supper\u00a0…<\/p>\n
\nWhen boys were six to seven they started grammer school. Classrooms were very strict.
\nIn younger grades they focused on Latin grammar and vocabulary and in older grades they read poetry and studied the stories of writers. Most boys started out as apprentices in grammar schools. Sons of richer families attended university’s and inns of court.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMy connect with cousin Will is through the Ardens and my line twists and turns and at the time of Will’s life, a contemporary great grandfather of mine would be Francis Hollingshead. \u00a0Does the name Hollingshead ring any bells? \u00a0Francis was a cousin of Raphael, the renowned historian. They likely new each other and I often thought that Will may have “borrowed” Raphael’s work, jazzed it up and offered it to the masses. \u00a0Historical fiction of his day. \u00a0I have no proof but it’s a hunch I’d like to explore when I’m done with my BCG portfolio.<\/p>\n
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