Curated category
16th-century English male writers
- William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and baptised on the 26th of April 1564. His father John worked as an alderman and a…
- Henry VIIIHenry VIII was born on the 28th of June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, Kent. He entered the world as the third child and second son of King…
- George Wyatt (writer)George Wyatt entered the world in January 1554 at Allington Castle. His bloodline carried heavy historical weight from his grandfather Sir Thomas Wyatt the…
- Ben JonsonBenjamin Jonson was born in June 1572, possibly on the 11th day of that month. His father died a single month before his birth after losing property and…
- Simon FishSimon Fish died in 1531, leaving behind a legacy as a 16th-century English Protestant rebel and propagandist. He is best known for helping to spread William…
- William Forrest (poet)William Forrest stood among the scholars at Christ Church, Oxford, during heated discussions in 1530. Henry VIII sought the university's judgment on his…
- Christopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe was baptised at St George's Church in Canterbury on the 26th of February 1564. He was the second child born to John Marlowe, a local…
- Michael DraytonMichael Drayton arrived in the world at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, during early 1563. Very little documentation exists regarding his…
- Thomas MoreThomas More entered the world on the 7th of February 1478 within the City of London. His father Sir John More was a successful lawyer who later became a…
- John FoxeJohn Foxe was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England during the year 1516 or 1517. He came from a family that held some local prominence.
- Francis BaconFrancis Bacon was born on the 22nd of January 1561 at York House near Strand in London. He entered Trinity College at the University of Cambridge on the 5th…
- Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was born in East Smithfield, London, around the year 1552. His parentage remains obscure to modern historians, though evidence suggests he was…
- Raphael HolinshedRaphael Holinshed lived before the 24th of April 1582, yet his early life remains a shadow. Historians believe he was born to Ralph Holinshed of Cophurst in…
- Robert Greene (dramatist)A baptism record from the 11th of July 1558 at St George's church in Norwich offers the only concrete anchor for a man whose life remains slippery.
- Thomas KydThomas Kyd entered the world through a church record on the 6th of November 1558. The entry at St Mary Woolnoth in London listed him as the son of Francis…
- William CamdenWilliam Camden was born in London on the 2nd of May 1551. His father Sampson Camden belonged to The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers.
- George Cavendish (writer)George Cavendish entered the world in 1497 at his father's manor of Cavendish, located in Suffolk. His father Thomas held a senior financial post as clerk of…
- Philip SidneyPenshurst Place in Kent served as the birthplace of Sir Philip Sidney on the 30th of November 1554. He emerged from a family deeply embedded in English…
- John FisherJohn Fisher entered the world around the 19th of October 1469 in Beverley, Yorkshire. His father Robert worked as a prosperous mercer who died in 1477 when…
- Thomas Wyatt (poet)Sir Thomas Wyatt entered the world at Allington Castle near Maidstone in Kent during 1503. His family traced their roots back to Yorkshire before settling in…
- Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of OxfordOn the 12th of April 1550, Edward de Vere entered the world at Hedingham Castle in Essex. He was the only son of John de Vere, the 16th Earl of Oxford, and…
- Henry WottonHenry Wotton was born on the 30th of March 1568 at Bocton Hall in Kent. His father Thomas Wotton died in 1587 leaving Henry only a hundred marks a year.
- Thomas NasheThomas Nashe entered the world on the 30th of November 1567 in Lowestoft, a coastal town in Suffolk. His father William served as curate there before the…
- John HemingesJohn Heminges entered the world on the 25th of November 1566. His name appeared in the register of St Peter de Witton Church in Droitwich, Worcestershire.