Which daughter of Shakespeare was Hamnet's twin?

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Judith Quiney was Shakespeare’s daughter who was Hamnet’s twin. She was born Judith Shakespeare in 1585 and was the fraternal twin sister of Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet.

The twins were baptised together at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on 2 February 1585. Their names were recorded together in the parish register, an important surviving piece of evidence about Shakespeare’s immediate family. Hamnet and Judith were named after family friends Hamnet and Judith Sadler.

Hamnet died in 1596 at the age of 11, while Judith lived into old age. She married Thomas Quiney, a Stratford vintner, in 1616 and thereafter is commonly identified by her married name, Judith Quiney. They had three children, although none survived to continue the family line.

The main possible confusion is Susanna Hall, who was Shakespeare’s elder daughter but not Hamnet’s twin. Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare’s wife, and Elizabeth Hall was his granddaughter. Judith died in 1662, aged 77.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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