Book Culture in Shakespeare’s Stratford : The Quiney Connections

The discovery of two books in Latin that once belonged to the Quiney family of Stratford-upon-Avon expand our understanding of Shakespeare’s early grammar school education, early modern history, material culture and book ownership in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Building from a simple account of the two Latin books, Erasmus''s Apophthegmata and Giulio Pace’s Commentarius analyticus, a focus on the provenance of these books illuminates a wealth of information about the social, material and educational networks around Stratford and further afield. Each book is shown to be associated with the educational curriculum of the grammar school or the university, providing a window into the rich educational culture which Shakespeare grew up in. The importance of Stratford’s Latin culture is evidenced in texts from printed books, archival materials and public monuments. This study then further positions Stratford-upon-Avon as a town with strong intellectual and cultural resources, including influential clergymen and teachers who impacted the lives of young boys like Shakespeare through sermons and poetry. By examining the patterns of book ownership in Stratford through the analysis of wills and related materials, this study treads new ground in our understanding of the Quiney family including individual biographies of people we cursorily know as Shakespeare’s son-in-law and Shakespeare’s grandson.