William Shakespeare & Jane Stafford

of Walsgrave-on-Sowe

William Shakespeare and Jane Stafford married at Walsgrave-on-Sowe 5 December 1825. One of the witnesses at the wedding was a Charles Shakespeare, possibly William's father or brother. There were very few Charles Shakespeares at this point in time, and one of them, born in 1801, was the son of Charles Shakespeare, of nearby Bulkington. He was apprenticed in 1816 to Edward Watson, a Weaver 'of Sow' (ie Walsgrave-on-Sowe). This may be a clue to William being a son of this Charles, who as evidenced by available records, had children baptised in a number of parishes, and some children whose baptisms have not been traced.

William Shakespeare and Jane Stafford had the following children (from the IGI):

• Sarah, bapt 24 April 1826, Walsgrave-on-Sowe

• Amelia, bapt 29 Jan 1830, buried 21 July 1831, Walsgrave-on-Sowe

• Eliza, bapt 8 Aug 1831, buried 2 Aug 1839, Walsgrave-on-Sowe

• Rebecca, bapt 12 Nov 1837, St Lawrence, Foleshill

• William, bapt 11 Aug 1844, Walsgrave-on-Sowe

It will be noted that there are significant gaps where there may be other children - it is also interesting that Charles Shakespeare, of Bulkington, had children baptised at Foleshill.

Sarah, born 1826, may be the following Sarah in the 1851 census: