Not the daughter of Sir Henry Alexander Webb, {Fictional} & Grace Webb, {Fictional}. Sister of Alexander Webbe, of Bearley. No reliable source has been cited or found that provides credible evidence as to the identity of their parents.

Biography

From A Who’s Who of Tudor Women: W-Wh compiled by Kathy Lynn Emerson to update and correct her very out-of-date Wives and Daughters: The Women of Sixteenth-Century England (1984). < link >

AGNES WEBBE (1514-1580)
Agnes Webbe was probably [sic: not] the daughter of John Alexander Webbe (1484-1516). Kate Pogue's Shakespeare's Family states that the identity of Mary's mother is unknown.

Her first husband was John Hill of Bearly (d.c.1546), a farmer, by whom she had:

1. Mary (1543-c.1616),
2. John,
3. Eleanor (d. before 1579), and
4. Thomas (d. before 1579).

Agnes had a license dated April 21, 1548 to marry Robert Arden of Wilmcote, Warwickshire (d.1556).

The marriage did not go smoothly. Agnes did not get along well with her stepdaughters, particularly Alice, and when he made his will, Arden left his widow £6 8s. 4d. in cash on the condition that she "suffer my daughter Alice quietly to enjoy half my copyhold in Wilmcote during the time of her widowhood, and if she will not suffer my daughter Alice quietly to occupy half with her then I will that my wife shall have but £3 6s. 4d. and her jointure in Snitterfield." Another stepdauther married John Shakespeare. Agnes remained at Wilmcote. Agnes's will is dated 1579 and was proved March 31, 1580/1. She was buried in Aston Cantlow on December 29, 1580.

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Webbe-54 and then edited

Stopes[2] reports: Agnes' first husband, John Hill of Bearley, died in 1545 leaving his wife Agnes as executrix. Three years later she applied to the Queen's court at Balsall on 02 Apr 1548 for license to marry an older widower Robert Arden (William Shakespeare's grandfather). Robert Arden made his last will on 24 Nov 1556 and died on 17 Dec 1556. Agnes has a brother Alexander Webbe of Bearley who married Agnes’ stepdaughter, Margaret Arden. Alexander and Margaret had a son Robert Webbe. Alexander Webbe was buried on 17 Apr 1573 at Snitterfield. Alexander’s will of 15 Apr 1573 made his brother-in-law John Shakespeare (father to William) an overseer.

Agnes' will is detailed in Hunter[3] pp38-40: Deceased Agnes Arden of Wilmcote. Will dated 1578. Died 1580. Executors: John Hill (son) and John Fullwood (son-in-law). Other family mentioned: brother, Alexander Webbe, and godchildren, John Fullwood and Edward Hill.

Richard Shakespeare farmed land at Snitterfield as a tenant to Robert Arden - the Bard's two grandfathers. Robert Arden's 2nd wife, widow Agnes Hill, was sister of Alexander Webbe of Bearley. They married after April 1548. Robert's will was dated 24 Nov 1556. He was a Catholic[4].

References

1. WikiTree contributors, "Agnes (Webbe) Arden (-1580)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Webbe-54 : accessed 25 April 2025).
   1. A Who’s Who of Tudor Women: W-Wh compiled by Kathy Lynn Emerson to update and correct her very out-of-date Wives and Daughters: The Women of Sixteenth-Century England (1984). https://web.archive.org/web/20171016062122/http://www.kateemersonhi...
   2. Shakespeare’s Environment by Mrs C C Stopes London: G Bell & Sons 1914. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/imgsrv/download/pdf?id=coo1.ark%3A...
   3. New Illustrations on the life, studies and writings of Shakespeare Vol 1 by Joseph Hunter London: J B Nichols, 1845. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015082265102;view=1up;...
   4. Publications of the Dugdale Society (London, 1921) https://archive.org/stream/publicationsofdu01dugd#page/n37/mode/1up Page xxxi