IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Cornmarket, WORCESTER, WR1 2DF

On the Corn Market.

Whimsical miniature bronze cast figures of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway on Worcester's Cornmarket.

Reverend Goffrey Studdert Kennedy, the vicar of St Paul’s Church, was given the nickname "Woodbine Willie" for giving out Bibles and packets of Woodbine cigarettes to soldiers during WW1.

Artwork by Jane Mota and Glen Brooks with sponsorship by Worcester News. To raise funds for the local hospice.

The interior of St Martin's church on the Cornmarket in Worcester. A medieval church stood on this site, though the present church was designed by Anthony Keck in 1768-72.

Figures of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway in front of St Martin's Church on the Cornmarket in Worcester. There are so many questions about William Shakespeare and much we don't know about him, including the location of his marriage. One possibility is St Martin's Church which these figures are placed in front of. Shakespeare's marriage licence has been lost. Adding to the confusion over where the marriage took place is that there are two documents referring to a William Shakespeare https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/resource/document/shakespeare-marriage-bond and https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/resource/document/entry-bishops-register-concerning-marriage-william-shakespeare-and-anne-hathaway One says Hathaway, the other Whateley. There are two entries referring to William Shakespeare, one in the diocesan register of 27 November 1582 of a licence granted by the Bishop of Worcester for the marriage of a William Shakespeare to Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton, and a bond dated the following day in which two husbandmen of Stratford (Messrs Sandells and Richardson) stood surety of £40 to the Bishop for the marriage of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. W.H. Hutton in "Highways and Byways in Shakespeare's Country", quoting Shakespeare's biographer Sir Sidney Lee, reminds us that this part of the country at the time was "honeycombed with Shakespeares" so it is quite possible that despite the close coincidence of dates and the similarity of the surnames of the two brides (particularly if written in an untidy hand) the two Williams were not the same person. Many scholars have since been sceptical of the link between the bard and the village described in a rhyme attributed to him as "hungry Grafton". The St Martin's church we see today was rebuilt in the 18th century to a design by Anthony Keck. Thanks to Penny Mayes and Tiger for their input into this caption.

On the Corn Market.

A mediaeval church on this site was destroyed during the Civil War. This foursquare dark brick building, designed by Anthony Keck, dates from 1772.