Anne Hathaway: Stratford Farmer's Daughter and Wife of William Shakespeare

Early Life and Family

Anne Hathaway was born in 1556 in Shottery, a village near Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

Her father, Richard Hathaway, was a prosperous farmer, and her mother, Agnes, was a homemaker. Anne was the eldest of nine children and grew up in a comfortable home.

Marriage to William Shakespeare

In 1582, at the age of 26, Anne married William Shakespeare, a young playwright and actor who was 18 years her junior.

The couple had three children together: Susanna (born 1583), Hamnet (born 1585), and Judith (born 1588). Their marriage lasted until Shakespeare's death in 1616.

Later Life and Legacy

After Shakespeare's death, Anne Hathaway continued to live in Stratford-upon-Avon.

She died in 1623 and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is also buried. Anne's legacy lives on through her connection to one of the greatest writers in English history.