Thomas Kyd
Thomas 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 Kydd, a Citizen and Writer of the Courte Letter. His father worked as a scrivener, a professional who wrote legal documents for others. This trade placed the family within the bustling commercial heart of London on Lombard Street. Young Thomas grew up watching his father handle contracts and court letters with steady hands. He attended Merchant Taylors' School starting in October 1565 under headmaster Richard Mulcaster. Fellow students included Edmund Spenser and Thomas Lodge, men who would shape English literature. The curriculum covered Italian, Latin, Greek, music, drama, physical education, and good manners. No records exist showing he ever attended university. Two surviving letters from Kyd show handwriting similar to that of a scrivener. He may have followed his father into writing official documents instead of pursuing higher academic study.
Kyd likely wrote The Spanish Tragedy during the mid to late 1580s. The first recorded performance took place on the 23rd of February 1592 by Lord Strange's Men. An edition printed in 1592 carried the full title The Spanish Tripedie Containing the lamentable end of Don Horatio. Audiences usually called it simply Hieronimo after its grieving protagonist. Historian J. R. Mulryne noted twenty-nine performances between 1592 and 1597 alone. Eleven editions appeared between 1592 and 1633, a tally unmatched by any play of Shakespeare. Philip Henslowe's diary recorded payments to Ben Jonson for additions made in 1602. Versions of this tragedy remained popular in Germany and the Netherlands for generations. The influence spread across Europe largely due to these repeated performances. A version with additions published in 1602 remains disputed regarding whether Jonson actually wrote them. Some scholars believe those changes were composed for a 1597 revival mentioned by Henslowe. The play set new standards for plot construction and character development in Elizabethan drama.
From 1587 to 1593 Kyd served an unidentified nobleman whose name remains unknown. After imprisonment in 1593 he wrote of having lost the favours of this lord whom he had served almost six years. Proposed candidates for this patron include the Earl of Sussex and Thomas Freeman. Others suggest the Earl of Pembroke or Edward De Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. He likely worked as a secretary if he did not write plays alongside his duties. Around 1591 Christopher Marlowe joined this same patron's service. For a time Marlowe and Kyd shared lodgings in London. They possibly even exchanged ideas while living under the same roof. Their professional relationship became complicated when authorities investigated seditious writings found nearby. The connection between these two dramatists would soon lead to tragedy for both men.
The Privy Council ordered arrests on the 11th of May 1593 for authors of lewd libels posted around London. One such libel appeared on property belonging to a Dutch Church with violent anti-foreigner sentiments. Kyd was among those arrested the next day and later believed he was the victim of an informer. Authorities searched his lodgings but found no evidence of the political pamphlets. Instead investigators discovered Arianist tracts describing vile heretical conceits denying Jesus Christ's deity. An official noted these papers belonged to Thos. Kydd who claimed they came from C. Marley. Historian Frederick Boas believes Kyd suffered brutal torture to extract information about the source. Kyd told officials the writings belonged to Christopher Marlowe, his former roommate and fellow dramatist. He accused Marlowe of being a blasphemous traitor and atheist regarding religious doctrine. This accusation led to Marlowe's death in Deptford during an incident involving government agents.
Kyd was eventually released but never accepted back into his lord's service. He wrote to Sir John Puckering protesting his innocence while under suspicion of atheism. His efforts to clear his name proved fruitless according to historical records. The last known publication from the playwright was Cornelia early in 1594. In its dedication to the Countess of Sussex he alluded to bitter times and privy broken passions. Kyd died later that year at age thirty-five and was buried on the 15th of August in St Mary Colechurch. His mother legally renounced administration of his estate in December due to debt-ridden circumstances. The church where he rested was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was not rebuilt after the disaster. Scholars rediscovered his work only after Thomas Hawkins found Heywood's attribution in 1773. A hundred years later German and English researchers began illuminating his life again.
Common questions
When was Thomas Kyd born and where did he grow up?
Thomas Kyd entered the world through a church record on the 6th of November 1558. He grew up in London on Lombard Street while his father worked as a scrivener at St Mary Woolnoth.
What is the full title of The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd and when was it first performed?
The first recorded performance took place on the 23rd of February 1592 by Lord Strange's Men. An edition printed that same year carried the full title The Spanish Tripedie Containing the lamentable end of Don Horatio.
Who discovered the attribution of plays to Thomas Kyd after he fell into obscurity?
Thomas Hawkins discovered an attribution for Thomas Kyd in 1773. This discovery came from notes found in Apologie for Actors written by Thomas Heywood in 1612.
Why was Thomas Kyd arrested in May 1593 and what evidence was found in his lodgings?
The Privy Council ordered arrests on the 11th of May 1593 for authors of lewd libels posted around London. Investigators discovered Arianist tracts describing vile heretical conceits denying Jesus Christ's deity instead of political pamphlets.
When did Thomas Kyd die and where was he buried?
Kyd died later in 1594 at age thirty-five and was buried on the 15th of August in St Mary Colechurch. His mother legally renounced administration of his estate in December due to debt-ridden circumstances.