Thomas Jenkins

Thomas Jenkins was the headmaster of the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford-upon-Avon, England starting in 1575. It has reasonably assumed that William Shakespeare was one of his students, although no school records from the period survive. The Welsh schoolmaster Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor seems to be modeled on Jenkins, who was reportedly of Welsh extraction. It has been speculated that Jenkins ancient British history and literature, which instilled in Shakespeare an interest in the legendary history of the British Isles, which he would explore in plays such as King Lear and Cymbeline.

Thomas Jenkins in Ruled Britannia
Thomas Jenkins had taught Latin to young William Shakespeare in Stratford. When Lord Burghley quizzed Shakespeare on his knowledge of the old language, the poet recalled how Jenkins used a switch to make sure the lessons stayed in young William's mind.