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John Shakespeare (c. 1531 – 7 September 1601) was the father of William Shakespeare. He was the son of Richard Shakespeare of Snitterfield, a farmer.〔.〕 He moved to Stratford-upon-Avon and married Mary Arden, with whom he had eight children, five of whom survived into adulthood.〔.〕 A well-to-do glover and whittawer (leather worker) by trade, Shakespeare was a dealer in hides and wool, and was elected to several municipal offices, serving as an alderman and culminating in a term as bailiff, the chief magistrate of the town council, before he fell on hard times for reasons unknown to historians.〔; .〕 His fortunes later revived after the success of his son, and he was granted a coat of arms five years before his death, probably at the instigation and expense of his playwright son.〔.〕 == Career and municipal responsibilities == John Shakespeare moved to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1551, where he became a successful businessman involved in several related occupations. From 1556 to 1592, several official records identify him as a glovemaker, which was probably his primary trade, as tradition remembers him as following that trade even into his old age,〔Schoenbaum 1987, pp. 30-1.〕 but the records of his real estate purchases and legal expenses indicate an income much higher than that of a small-town tradesman.〔Wood 2003, p. 39.〕 The administration of his father's estate in 1561 names him as a farmer. He inherited and leased agricultural lands and is on record as selling timber and barley.〔Schoenbaum 1987, pp. 30-2.〕 Court records also document him as a "brogger", an unlicensed—and therefore illegal—wool dealer.〔Schoenbaum 1987, pp. 31-2; Wood 2003, pp. 38-9, 65.〕 In addition, he bought and leased out houses. He was twice taken to court for violating the usury laws that prohibited charging interest higher than the legal limit of 10 percent.〔Schoenbaum 1987, pp. 18, 32; Wood 2003, p. 39.〕 By 1552 he was residing in a house on Henley Street. On 2 October 1556, he purchased a house on the same street now known as the eastern wing of what is traditionally referred to as the birthplace of William (now called Shakespeare's Birthplace). Whether it was the same house he was living in in 1552 is unknown. In 1576 he bought two houses to the west and joined the three together. In 1556 he was elected borough ale taster, the first of several key municipal positions he was to hold in Stratford. In that position he was responsible for ensuring that weights and measures and prices were observed by innkeepers and publicans within the borough, and also by butchers, bakers and town traders. In 1558 he was appointed borough Constable — a position similar to an early police constable. In 1559 John became an affeeror, an officer responsible for assessing fines for offenses carrying penalties not explicitly defined by existing statutes. This role led to his becoming a burgess, then a chamberlain. He would have been known as a 'Goodman', a title that recognised his growing social status within Stratford. By 1564, John was an alderman, a member of the Common Hall of Stratford, and it was in this year that William was born.〔Kinney, Arthur F., editor. (''The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare'' ). Oxford University Press. 2012. p. 2. ISBN 9780199566105.〕 In 1568 John was appointed High Bailiff, the present-day equivalent of mayor, elected by the common council of burgesses and aldermen, which entitled him to be referred to as Master John Shakespeare.〔.〕 In that capacity he presided at the sessions of the Court of Record and at council meetings. For his borough the bailiff was almoner, coroner, escheator, and clerk of the market, and served as justice of the peace issuing warrants and negotiating with the lord of the manor on behalf of the corporation. In 1569 John had applied for a coat of arms, which after a long period of dormancy was granted on 20 October 1596. Most historians believe that his son, William, re-opened the application following his literary and financial success in London.〔William Shakespeare, Peter Ackroyd, ''The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: The Alexander Text'', page xxxi (HarperCollins Publishers, 2006). ISBN 978-0-00-720830-2〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Shakespeare」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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