William Bradley (c. 1563-1589) was the son of William Bradley, Sr. and was raised on the corner of High Holborn and Gray’s Inn Lane. Bradley was frequently in trouble; his most famous fight involved Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Watson on
Drury, Thomas
Thomas Drury (1551-1603) was a government informant who accused Marlowe of atheism. Drury worked for Sir Nicholas Bacon as a government informant and messenger. Drury attended Caius College, but didn’t earn a degree. He was arrested in 1585 for no
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Sir Walter Raleigh (1552/1554-1618) was a member of the landed gentry, who also served as a soldier and Captain of the Queen’s Guard. Known for popularizing tobacco in England, Raleigh was also a scholar, poet, musician, courtier, and explorer. He
Walsingham, Sir Thomas
Sir Thomas Walsingham (1561-1630) was an important landowner and literary patron. Ingram Frizer was employed by Walsingham, at Scadbury Manor before he killed Christopher Marlowe. Walsingham may have allowed Marlowe to live at one of the many houses he inherited.
Daniel, Samuel
Samuel Daniel (1562-1619) was an English poet, historian, and playwright. Daniel’s known associates included William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Born in 1562, he studied at Oxford University. He left after three years to study poetry and philosophy,
Nashe, Thomas
Thomas Nashe (1567-1600/1) was a satirical Elizabethan writer of poetry, pamphlets, and dramatic works. Nashe joined St. John’s College of Cambridge University at 14 and received his BA in 1588. Nashe’s career would take a turn when the established church
Topcliffe, Richard
Richard Topcliffe served Queen Elizabeth as an interrogator in 1557 at the Tower of London and Bridewell Prison. Bridewell is presumed to be where Topcliffe interrogated Thomas Kyd. He was considered a merciless persecutor of Catholics. It is stated that “no blot
Watson, Thomas
Thomas Watson (1555/1557-1592) was an English poet and author of The Hekatompathia, or Passionate Century of Love. Watson and Christopher Marlowe were arrested and incarcerated at Newgate Prison for the murder of William Bradley. Marlowe was released after two weeks,
Baines, Richard
Despite scarce information surrounding Richard Baines’ early life, he graduated from Cambridge University in 1576 and became an Elizabethan intelligencer. Given his profession, he most likely frequented the Tower of London and reported to Sir Francis Walsingham. Starting in 1579,
Greene, Robert
Robert Greene (1558-1592) was a popular English pamphleteer and dramatist. He was baptized in Norwich on July 11th, 1558. Greene matriculated as a sizar at St. John’s, Cambridge where he received his BA. Later, he received his MA at Clare
Henslowe, Philip
Philip Henslowe was the owner of a few prominent playhouses and a financial keeper for some of the best acting companies in England. He was born in 1550 in Linfield, Sussex, and died on January 6, 1616 in London. Henslowe
Lyly, John
John Lyly (c. 1553/1554 – 1606) was an Elizabethan prose writer, dramatist, poet, and courtier. Lyly attended King’s School in Canterbury, and Magdalen College at Oxford, earning his BA and MA. The first play he ever published was the prose
Harriot, Thomas
Thomas Harriot (1560-1621) was an English scientist who made terrific advances in various branches of mathematics such as astronomy and navigation. He studied at Cambridge and is reputed to be the first person to look at an astronomical body through
Skeres, Nicholas
Nicholas Skeres (March 1563 – c.1601) was a con-man and government informant. Skeres worked as a servant for Thomas Walsingham. He was a government provocateur and a part of discovering the Babington Plot, working as a spy with Francis Walsingham.
Walsingham, Sir Francis
Francis Walsingham (1532-1590) was Queen Elizabeth I’s principal secretary and spymaster. He attended King’s College in Cambridge and continued his studies in France and Italy. As a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis, Dorset, Walsingham worked with William Cecil and
Carey, George
George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon (1547- Sept. 9, 1602) was the second cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, and a patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men for Shakespeare. George Carey was the oldest son of
Alleyn, Edward
Edward “Ned” Alleyn (1566-1626) was an early modern London actor and founder of Dulwich College. He was known for his physical size and ability to handle commanding parts. Born in 1566, he was characterized as a “bred a Stage-player” and
Babington, Anthony
Anthony Babington (1561-1586) was an English conspirator famous for being the leader of a plot to murder Queen Elizabeth, known afterwards as “The Babington Plot.” He was born October of 1561 and secretly raised a Roman Catholic. He went on
Richard Cholmeley Bibliography Intro
Richard Cholmeley (1460-1521) , an English soldier and farmer, served as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London under the reign of King Henry VIII. Born in Chorley, England into a wealthy family of sheep farmers and landowners, he later moved to East Yorkshire. In 1497 He was knitted soldier and served in the
Bradley, William
William Bradley William Bradley (cerca 1563-1589) was well known for being a thug who had several vicious encounters. William Bradley spent most of his time in London around Hog Lane, which was also the place of his death. Bradley’s father’s name was William Bradley Sr, and raised Bradley on the
Harriot, Thomas
Thomas Harriot Part 1: Thomas Harriot (1560-1621) was an English scientist who had made advances in various branches of mathematics such as astronomy and navigation. Part 2: Thomas Harriot was a noteworthy English scientist who many had regarded as the
Daniel, Samuel
Samuel Daniel Samuel Daniel (1562-1619) was an English poet, historian, and playwright. Daniel‘s known associates were Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, and Walter Raleigh. Born in 1562, he studied at Oxford University, leaving after three years to study poetry and philosophy, and became a servant of the English ambassador of France. The Countess of Pembroke, Mary Sidney, first taught him
Poley (Pooley), Robert
Robert Poley (Pooley) Robert Poley spied for the Elizabethan government, carried messages, and played a key role in the Babington Plot. Robert Poley worked as a messenger and spy for the British Government, under the employ of Sir Robert Cecil and Sir Francis Walsingham. He was present for
Lyly, John
John Lyly (c. 1553/1554 Kent, England – November 1606 London, England) was an Elizabethan prose writer, dramatist, playwright, poet, and politician for Queen Elizabeth’s court. John Lyly was an Elizabethan prose writer, dramatist, playwright, poet, and politician for Queen Elizabeth’s
Shakespeare, William
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Although not a “Londoner,” Shakespeare spent most of his adult life there writing and performing plays, socializing in the same literary circle as Christopher Marlowe and other University Wits. After Shakespeare left Stratford-upon-Avon to pursue his professional
Ralegh, Sir Walter
Author: Mesiti, Matthew Editor: O’Brien, Sinead Index Name: Ralegh, Sir Walter Sir Walter Ralegh, Raleigh, Rawleigh, or Rawley, either born in 1552, or 1554, was a captivating soldier, scholar, poet, musician, courtier, explorer, colonizer, Captain of the Queen’s Guard,
Skeres, Nicholas
Nicholas Skeres Nicholas Skeres (March 1563 – c.1601), was a con-man and government informant. Nicholas Skeres came from a wealthy family, as his father was a member of The Guild of Merchant Taylors. He worked as a servant for Thomas Walsingham. He was a government provocateur and a part
Topcliffe, Richard
Richard Topcliffe (1531-1604) was an interrogator at the Tower of London. Born on November 14, 1531 in Londonshire, Topcliffe lost both his parents by age 12. Later, he was orphaned by his uncle. According to records, Topcliffe served Queen Elizabeth in 1557 at the Tower of London or Bridewell Prison (Bindoff). Bridewell is presumed where Topcliffe interrogated Kit Marlowe’s roommate, Thomas Kyd. While
Kyd, Thomas
Thomas Kyd (1558-1594) was an influential Elizabethan playwright whose most famous plays include The Spanish Tragedy and The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda. His parents were Anna and Francis Kyd; he was baptized at Saint Mary Woolnoth church in London on November 6, 1558. His father was a member of London’s Company of
Drury, Thomas
Thomas Drury (1551-1603), a government informant, accused Marlowe of atheism. Thomas Drury worked for Sir Nicholas Bacon as a government informant and messenger. Drury attended Caius College, but didn’t earn a degree. He was arrested in 1585 for no documented reason. The length of his
Nashe, Thomas
Thomas Nashe Thomas Nashe (1567-1601) was a satirical Elizabethan writer of poetry, pamphlets, and dramatic works. Nashe was born to William and Margaret Nashe in Lowestoft, England in November 1567. His father joined the church of West Harling when Nashe was
Alleyn, Edward
Edward Alleyn Edward Alleyn (1566-1626) was an actor in early London who founded of Dulwich College. He was known for his physical size and handle of commanding parts. Born in 1566, he was characterized as a “bred a Stage-player” even though that his family was not focused
Walsingham, Francis
Francis Walsingham Francis Walsingham (1532-1590) was Queen Elizabeth I’s principal secretary and spymaster. He attended King’s College in Cambridge and continued his studies in France and Italy before returning to study at Gray’s Inn1 in London. As a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis, Walsingham worked with William Cecil, Lord Burghley and spied on suspicious foreigners in London. Many suspect Christopher Marlowe also worked with Walsingham as an intelligencer. Between
Carey, George
George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon (1547- Sept. 9, 1602) was the second cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household and a patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men for Shakespeare. George Carey was the oldest son of Henry
Walsingham, Sir Thomas
Sir Thomas Walsingham Sir Thomas Walsingham (1561-1630) was an important landowner, and financed Thomas Watson, Thomas Nash and Christopher Marlowe as their literary patron. Ingram Frizer was employed by Walsingham, at Scadbury Manor, in a business venture that advanced money to needy heirs against their own inheritance, before he killed Christopher Marlowe. Walsingham may have allowed Marlowe live at one of the many houses he
Baines, Richard
Richard Baines Richard Baines, much like Kit Marlowe, was an Elizabethan intelligencer. Despite scarce information surrounding Baines’ early life, he graduated from Cambridge University in 1576 and became an Elizabethan intelligencer. Based on his known profession, he most likely frequented the
Greene, Robert
Robert Greene Robert Greene (1558-1592) was a popular English pamphleteer and dramatist. Most famously known for a pamphlet attributed to him, Greene’s Groats-Worth of Wit, which is believed to critique William Shakespeare. Greene was known for his negative critiques of his
Henslowe, Phillip
Phillip Henslowe Philip Henslowe was the owner of a few prominent playhouses and a financial keeper for some of the best acting companies in England. He was born in 1550 in Linfield, Sussex, England and died on January 6, 1616 in London. Henslowe was also well known
Watson, Thomas
Thomas Watson Thomas Watson was an English poet and author of Hekatompathia, a collection of sonnets published in 1582. Many scholars, including Ibrahim Alhiyari, believe he was born between 1555 and 1557 and died on September 26th, 1592. Watson and his friend Christopher Marlowe were
Ingram Frizer
Ingram Frizer Ingram Frizer (1561-1627) is known for the murder of Christopher Marlowe, in an act done by the English Secret Service. Ingram Frizer was supposedly born in Kingsclere, Hampshire. Before Marlowe’s death, he was known as a