He served in Stratford government successively as a member of the Council (1557), constable (1558), chamberlain (1561), alderman (1565) and finally high bailiff (1568), the equivalent of town mayor.
At around about 1577 John Shakespeare's fortunes began to decline for unknown reasons. There are records of debts. In 1586 he was replaced as alderman for desisting responsibilities, and in 1592 was reprimanded for not attending church for fear of his debts being processed.
Mary, the daughter of Robert Arden, had in all eight children with John Shakespeare. William was the third child and the first son.
On November 28, 1582 the Bishop of Worcester issued the marriage bond for "William Shagspere" and "Ann Hathwey of Stratford." This was, almost beyond doubt, Anne Hathaway, daughter of Richard Hathaway of Shottery--a gathering of farm houses near Stratford. The Hathaway farm house has become known to the tourist industry as Anne Hathaway's cottage.
On May 26, 1583 their first daughter Susanna was baptised. Two years later, twins were born to them, Hamnet and Judith, named after Hamnet and Judith Sadler, apparently lifetime friends to Shakespeare.
There is no documentary record of Shakespeare's activities after the birth of the twins, in 1585 until 1592. Biographers have therefore called these the lost years. In fact, there is nothing certain known about him from his birth in 1564 until 1592 except that he was married in 1582, fathered Susanna in 1583 and the twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585, and probably attended Stratford Grammar School.
The lack of details has not stopped authors from inventing tales as to how Shakespeare got from Stratford, a young husband needing a way to support his growing family, to London as the man to be reckoned with in the entertainment business. A couple of these notions have some slight circumstantial evidence, but it must be said that no one really knows how it happened.
The most commonly told story about Shakespeare leaving Stratford has it that he had to leave to escape prosecution for poaching deer on the lands of Sir Thomas Lucy, a local parliament member.
The story was started by a Gloucestershire clergyman name Richard Davies who, around 1616, wrote that
"Shakespeare was much given to all unluckiness in stealing venison and rabbits, particularly from Sir Lucy who often had him whipped and sometimes imprisoned and at last made him fly his native country, to his great advancement."
From the beginning of his theatrical career, Shakespeare seems to have been associated with several acting companies: The Queen's Men, Pembroke's Men and Lord Strange's Men.
He must have in some sense been a freelance dramatist.
However his work in the theatre all changed when in January 1593 the theaters in London were closed on account of the plague. From December 1592 until December 1593 records show that there were 10,675 plague deaths in a city of approximately 200,000.
The theaters were allowed to open again briefly during the winter of 1594, but were closed again in February and remained closed until spring 1594.
This period of theater closures played havoc with the professional acting companies, which were forced into touring with much reduced companies.
Shakespeare seems to have sought preferment in the mean time with the social connections he had made. In 1593 he dedicated the long narrative poem Venus and Adonis to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton and Baron of Titchfield (1573-1624), who was 19 years old at the time.