 On 10 February 1616 , Judith Shakespeare married Thomas Quiney , a vintner of Stratford , in Holy Trinity Church . The assistant vicar , Richard Watts , who later married Quiney 's sister Mary , probably officiated . The wedding took place during the pre @-@ Lenten season of Shrovetide , which was a prohibitive time for marriages . In 1616 , the period in which marriages were banned without dispensation from the church , including Ash Wednesday and Lent , started on 23 January , Septuagesima Sunday and ended on 7 April , the Sunday after Easter . Hence the marriage required a special licence issued by the Bishop of Worcester , which the couple had failed to obtain . Presumably they had posted the required banns in church , since Walter Wright of Stratford was cited for marrying without banns or licence : but this was not considered sufficient . The infraction was a minor one apparently caused by the minister , as three other couples were also wed that February . Quiney was nevertheless summoned by Walter Nixon to appear before the Consistory court in Worcester . ( This same Walter Nixon was later involved in a Star Chamber case and was found guilty of forging signatures and taking bribes ) . Quiney failed to appear by the required date . The register recorded the judgement , which was excommunication , on or about 12 March 1616 . It is unknown if Judith was also excommunicated , but in any case the punishment did not last long . In November of the same year they were back in church for the baptism of their firstborn child . 
