Shakespeare's birth home was nearly shipped to US in 1847; it was saved from a showman's fantasy with a payment of £3,000

"I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it," wrote William Shakespeare in his play 'As You Like It'. Most people feel this sentiment towards their homes, the abodes they come to buy and decorate in the space of a lifetime with one trinket at a time.Shakespeare is believed to have been born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. While the exact date of his birth is not recorded, it is celebrated around the world on April 23. He was the eldest son of John and Mary Shakespeare and one among the eight children the couple went on to have.At the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a young woman from the village of Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. They had three children, one of whom, Hamnet, died at the age of 11.He is said to have moved to London in the late 1580s or early 1590s to work in the theatre business, since he wanted to be an actor and writer. His earliest play is believed to be one of the three parts of King Henry VI (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), written between 1589 and 1591. By 1592, he was known well enough in London to be insulted by another writer in print. The man regarded as England's greatest playwright ended up ...