Shakespeares Brothers and Sisters

Shakespeare's Brothers and Sisters William Shakespeare came from a large family and had three brothers and four sisters ... although not all of them lived long enough to meet their most famous sibling! William Shakespeares brothers and sisters were: Joan ShakespeareMargaret  Shakespeare Gilbert  ShakespeareJoan  ShakespeareAnne  ShakespeareRichard  ShakespeareEdmund  Shakespeare Much is known of Shakespeare’s mother Mary Arden whose house in Wilmcote near Stratford-upon-Avon remains a tourist attraction and functions as a working farm. His father John Shakespeare, also came from farming stock and became a Glover. Mary and John lived in Henley Street Stratford upon Avon, John worked from his house. This is where William and his siblings were brought up and this house is also a tourist attraction and it is possible to see exactly how Shakespeare and his family would have lived. John and Mary had two children before William Shakespeare was born. It is not possible to give the exact dates as birth certificates were not produced in those times. However, due to high mortality rates, it was customary to have the child baptised as soon as three days after the birth so the dates given in this article are based on that assumption. Sisters:Joan and MargaretShakespeare Joan Shakespeare was baptised in September 1558 but sadly died two months later, her sister Margaret was baptised on December 2nd 1562 she died aged one. Both were thought to have caught the prolific and deadly bubonic plague. Happily William, John and Mary’s first born son was born in 1564. As we know he lived a very successful life until he was 52 and died in April 1616 on his own birthday. Brother:Gilbert Shakespeare In 1566 Gilbert Shakespeare was born. It is thought that he was named after Gilbert Bradley who was a burgess of Stratford and was a Glover like John Shakespeare. It is believed that Gilbert would have attended school with William, being two years younger than him. Gilbert became a haberdasher and followed his brother to London. However, Gilbert often returned to Stratford and was involved in a lawsuit in the town. Gilbert never married and died a bachelor aged 46 in 1612. Sister:Joan Shakespeare Joan Shakespeare was born in 1569 (It was customary in Elizabethan England for children to be named after their dead siblings). She married a hatter called William Hart. She had four children but only two survived, they were called William and Michael. William, who was born in 1600, became an actor like his uncle. He never married but it is thought he had an illegitimate child called Charles Hart who became a famous actor of the time. William Shakespeare gave permission for Joan to live in the western   house on Henley street (There were two houses) until her death at the ripe age of 77. Sister: Anne Shakespeare Anne Shakespeare was born in 1571 she was the sixth child of John and Mary but sadly she only survived until she was eight years old. It is thought that she also died of the bubonic plague. She was given and expensive funeral despite the family experiencing financial problems at the time. She was buried on April 4th 1579. Brother:Richard Shakespeare Richard Shakespeare was baptised on March 11th 1574. Little is known about his life but the families fortunes were in decline and as a result it is very likely that Richard did not receive an education like his brothers and he would have stayed home to help with the family business. Richard was buried on February 4th 1613. He died aged 39. Brother: Edmund Shakespeare Edmund Shakespeare was baptized in 1581, he was sixteen years William’s junior. By this time the Shakespeare’s fortunes had recovered. Edmund followed in his brother’s footsteps and moved to London to become an actor. He died aged 27 and his death is also attributed to the bubonic plague which had already claimed 3 of his sibling’s lives. William paid for Edmund’s funeral which was held in Southwark London 1607 and was attended by many famous actors from the Globe. After having eight children Mary, Shakespeare’s mother lived to the grand age of 71 and died in 1608. John Shakespeare, William’s father also lived a long life, dying in 1601 aged 70. Only their daughter Joan lived a longer life than them dying at 77.

An Introduction to Ecotourism

An Introduction to Ecotourism Ecotourism is broadly defined as low impact travel to endangered and often undisturbed locations. It is different from traditional tourism because it allows the traveler to become educated about the areas - both in terms of the physical landscape and cultural characteristics, and often provides funds for conservation and benefits the economic development of places that are frequently impoverished. When Did Ecotourism Start? Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable travel have their origins with the environmental movement of the 1970s. Ecotourism itself did not become prevalent as a travel concept until the late 1980s. During that time, increasing environmental awareness and a desire to travel to natural locations as opposed to built up tourist locations made ecotourism desirable. Since then, several different organizations specializing in ecotourism have developed and many different people have become experts on it. Martha D. Honey, PhD, a co-founder of the Center for Responsible Tourism, for example, is just one of many ecotourism experts. Principles of Ecotourism Due to the growing popularity of environmentally-related and adventure travel, various types of trips are now being classified as ecotourism. Most of these are not truly ecotourism, however, because they do not emphasize conservation, education, low impact travel, and social and cultural participation in the locations being visited. Therefore, to be considered ecotourism, a trip must meet the following principles set forth by the International Ecotourism Society: Minimize the impact of visiting the location (i.e.- the use of roads)Build respect and awareness for the environment and cultural practicesEnsure that the tourism provides positive experiences for both the visitors and the hostsProvide direct financial aid for conservationProvide financial aid, empowerment and other benefits for local peoplesRaise the travelers awareness of the host countrys political, environmental and social climate Examples of Ecotourism Opportunities for ecotourism exist in many different locations worldwide and its activities can vary as widely. Madagascar, for instance, is famous for its ecotourist activity as it is a biodiversity hotspot, but also has a high priority for environmental conservation and is committed to reducing poverty. Conservation International says that 80% of the countrys animals and 90% of its plants are endemic only to the island. Madagascars lemurs are just one of many species that people visit the island to see. Because the islands government is committed to conservation, ecotourism is allowed in small numbers because education and funds from the travel will make it easier in the future. In addition, this tourist revenue also aids in reducing the countrys poverty. Another place where ecotourism is popular is in Indonesia at Komodo National Park. The park is made up of 233 square miles (603 sq km) of land that is spread out over several islands and 469 square miles (1,214 sq km) of water. The area was established as a national park in 1980 and is popular for ecotourism because of its unique and endangered biodiversity. Activities at Komodo National Park vary from whale watching to hiking and accommodations strive to have a low impact on the natural environment. Finally, ecotourism is also popular in Central and South America. Destinations include Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Panama. These destinations are just a few where ecotourism is popular but opportunities exist in hundreds of more places worldwide. Criticisms of Ecotourism Despite the popularity of ecotourism in the above-mentioned examples, there are several criticisms of ecotourism as well. The first of these is that there is no one definition of the term so it is difficult to know which trips are truly considered ecotourism. In addition, the terms nature, low impact, bio, and green tourism are often interchanged with ecotourism, and these do not usually meet the principles defined by organizations like the Nature Conservancy or the International Ecotourism Society. Critics of ecotourism also cite that increased tourism to sensitive areas or ecosystems without proper planning and management can actually harm the ecosystem and its species because the infrastructure needed to sustain tourism such as roads can contribute to environmental degradation. Ecotourism is also said by critics to have a negative impact on local communities because the arrival of foreign visitors and wealth can shift political and economic conditions and sometimes make the area dependent on tourism as opposed to the domestic economic practices. Regardless of these criticisms though, ecotourism and tourism, in general, are increasing in popularity all over the globe and tourism plays a large role in many worldwide economies. Pick a Travel Company That Specializes In order to keep this tourism as sustainable as possible, however, it is essential that travelers understand what principles make a trip fall into the category of ecotourism and attempt to use travel companies that have been distinguished for their work in ecotourism - one of which is Intrepid Travel, a small company that offers worldwide eco-conscious trips and has won a number of awards for their efforts. International tourism will no doubt continue to increase in the coming years and as the Earths resources become more limited and ecosystems suffer more damage, the practices shown by Intrepid and others associated with ecotourism can make future travel a little more sustainable.