Parish register entry recording Judith Shakespeare Quiney's burial

Judith Quiney, Anne and William Shakespeare's younger daughter, was buried on February 9, 1662, according to the Holy Trinity Church parish register. Next to the entry, an “X” added by a later hand highlights its significance. She was 77 years old.  Her precise date of death is not known, as her gravestone does not survive.

The recorder showed respect for Judith’s social status by describing her as the “uxor,” wife, of Thomas Quiney, gentleman. This would imply that Thomas was still alive although no record has yet come to light as to his place of burial. By 1655, Thomas may have left Stratford to live closer to his wealthy brother, Richard Quiney, who had prospered in London as a grocer. In his will, Richard charged his estate with an annuity of £12 payable to Thomas for life, together with a one-off payment of £5 to cover Thomas’s burial expenses. This indicates that Thomas had fallen on hard times and there is no evidence of his activities in Stratford after 1650.  Richard Quiney’s eldest son (also Richard) lived in some comfort in Shottery until his death in 1684, and his aunt Judith may have lived with him there before her death in 1662.