O’Farrell secures first memorial to Shakespeare’s twin children Hamnet and Judith

Maggie O’Farrell, author of Women’s Prize-winner Hamnet (Tinder Press), has successfully led a campaign for the first memorial to Shakespeare’s twin children Hamnet, who tragically died as a child, and Judith.

Two matching rowan trees for Hamnet – who died in 1596, aged 11, and who was little-known until the publication of O’Farrell’s prize-winning novel in 2020 – and for his twin sister Judith, who died aged 77 in 1662, will be unveiled in Stratford-upon-Avon’s Holy Trinity Church on 7th May. 

Known as "Shakespeare’s Church", it is where the playwright was baptised, where he worshipped, and where he is buried alongside his wife Anne Hathaway and their eldest daughter Susanna. Hamnet and Judith were buried in the churchyard, but the location of their graves is unknown.  

The trees, to be planted in the churchyard, will be accompanied by plaques featuring quotes from "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet", including the line from Act IV: "He is dead and gone, lady. He is dead and gone; At his head a grass-green turf, at his heels a stone."

O’Farrell said: “When I first visited Holy Trinity Church in 2017, I was saddened to discover that there was no gravestone to either of the Shakespeare twins. It’s wonderful that the church and the town have come together to create this memorial – I can’t wait to see the twin rowan trees and their accompanying plaques. 

“We owe Hamnet and Judith so much: separated twins surface again and again in Shakespeare’s plays; I believe that without Hamnet’s early death, we wouldn’t have ’Hamlet’ and we wouldn’t have ’Twelfth Night’.” 

Annie Ashworth, director of the Stratford Literary Festival, said: “When Maggie approached us last year about exploring the possibility of a memorial to Judith and Hamnet in the churchyard, we were delighted to help. 

“I loved the book and a memorial to the twins seemed long overdue. Tim Raistrick, churchwarden, and Rev Patrick Taylor, vicar of Holy Trinity, have been enormously supportive in helping us to get permission to plant the trees, and it has become a real community effort.” 

RSC actress Hannah Young will read two passages from Shakespeare’s plays during the unveiling ceremony. O’Farrell will also be appearing at the 2022 Stratford Literary Festival the day before, 6th May, to talk about her writing and the memorial. The festival takes place between 3rd and 8th May.