Shakespeare’s Grandchildren

Read all about Shakespeare’s grandchildren: In total William Shakespeare had four grandchildren, though he only knew his first granddaughter Elizabeth Hall, as his remaining three grandchildren were born after his death in 1616.

Elizabeth Hall (1608 – 1670)

Shakespeare’s first daughter, Susanna, married Dr. John Hall, and they had one daughter together – Elizabeth Hall.

Elizabeth lived a very noteworthy life. John and Susanna gave Elizabeth a good education, and there is evidence that “her handwriting was well formed and clear like that of her father”. Her first husband was Thomas Nash, a wealthy barrister and son of Shakespeare’s good friend, Anthony Nash. Elizabeth and Thomas were married in 1626 and moved into New Place. Thomas Nash died in 1645, and four years later Elizabeth married her second husband, John Barnard. Barnard was knighted in 1661 by King Charles II, after which Sir and Lady Bernard (Thomas and Elizabeth) took up their primary residence at a sprawling estate in Northamptonshire, Abington Manor, with Thomas; eight children from a previous marriage. Elizabeth herself had no children and was Shakespeare’s last descendant. She died in 1670, just days short of her sixty-second birthday.

Shakespeare’s second daughter Judith married Thomas Quiney and had three children with him, giving William Shakespeare three grandchildren:

Shakespeare Quiney

Was born in Nov 1616. He died aged just 6 months old in May 1617.

Richard Quiney

Was born in Oct 1617. He died in Jan 1639 aged 21 (possibly of the Bubonic Plague).

Thomas Quiney

Was born in Jan 1619. He also died in Jan 1639, the same month as his brother, aged 19 (possibly of the plague).

None of Shakespeare’s grandchildren went on to have children themselves, so with the death of Elizabeth in 1670, William Shakespeare’s direct line of descendants ends.