William's father, John Shakespeare, moved to Stratford-on-Avon about 1550 and became a tradesman. His wife, the writer's mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a rich farmer. John Shakespeare and his wife lived in a two-storey house in Hanley Street. Simple and ordinary looking, this house is still one of the most famous places in the world. For here, in a small room on the second floor, William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564.