The Shakespeare Family Bible

Copied by Walter J. Nock in the late 1950s or early 1960s from a page in a Bible printed in 1837 belonging to the Shakespeare/Shakespere family.

“John Joseph Shakespere

Father of Henry Shakspere

Died 1859 - 1 - 17”

“Mary Mayberry 9 - 17 - 1871” As discussed with George Nock , assumed a date of death and that this was possibly the sister of John Joseph Shakespere

“Henry Skakespere died Dec 1, 1872”

“Jemina Beddal died 12 -29 -1872”

“Jennie Cartright died 2 - 18- 1873 Mt. Pleasant”

“Eliza Shaksepere died 2 - 19 - 1875”

“Benjamin B. Cartright 5 - 6 – 1876 Cradley Heath”

“Eliza Cartright died 6 - 6 – 1881”

“James Mayberry died 2 - 2 – 1885”

“Joseph Shakespere died Dec 10, 1882 int Brierly Hill Churchyard”

“Ben Cartright died 1 -21 – 1889 int Holly Hall Church”

“Noah Shakspere April 9, 1891 int Brierly HillChurch”

A note of a discussion between Walter J Nock and George Nock stated that the Shakesperes lived in Round Oak. The spelling of the name was also discussed and George Nock indicated he had also seen it spelled ‘Shakespeare’ in family papers.

Notes

John Joseph Shakespeare was buried at Brierley Hill 23 Jan 1859, and appears most likely to be the son of Henry.
Henry Shakespeare, then of Wallows St, was buried at Brierley Hill 8 Dec 1872, aged 45.
'Eliza' above would seem to actually be Elijah Shakespeare, of Brockmoor, buried at Brierley Hill 24 Feb 1875, aged 66. He was baptised 19 Aug 1810, at Brierley Hill, son of Benjamin & Sarah.
Joseph Shakespeare, of Level Street, was buried 13 Dec 1882, at Brierley Hill, aged 75. This is almost certainly Henry's father, born around 1807. However his baptism is not : 19 April 1807, son of Joseph Shakespeare & Anne (nee Pargiter) because this Joseph died in 1810. The baptism is most likely to be 8 Jan 1804, at Brierley Hill, son of Benjamin & Sarah (nee Baker) - these were also the parents of Elijah mentioned above who appears in the family bible. Note that Joseph & Harriet also had a son named Elijah, a very unusual name. This means, of course a discrepancy in Joseph's age given at burial, but this is not unusual.
Noah Shakespeare was buried 14 April 1891 at Brierley Hill, aged 79. His baptism: 29 July 1813, at Brierley Hill, son of John & Phoebe Shakespeare, of 'Gossybank' (sometimes spelled Gorsty Bank - now Bank Street). This John was the brother of Benjamin (married Sarah Baker) mentioned above as the probable father of Joseph Shakespeare who married Harriet Maybury. Co-incidentally, the Joseph Shakespeare who married Anne Pargiter, mentioned above, was another brother!

The details in this bible confirm the connections with the Maybury abd Cartwright families.

See: The Descendants of Joseph Shakespeare & Harriett Maybury