1590s in England
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 1590s in England: |
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| 1570s 1570s in England Events from the 1570s in England.-Events:* 1570** 25 February - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England with the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis.... | 1580s 1580s in England Events from the 1580s in England.-Events:* 1580** 6 April - Dover Straits earthquake.** June - England signs a commercial treaty with the Ottoman Empire.** 6 July - New building banned within three miles of the City of London.... | 1590s | 1600s 1600s in England Events from the 1600s in England.-Incumbents:Monarch - Queen Elizabeth I , King James I. Elizabeth was the last Tudor Monarch of England.-Events:* 1600... | 1610s 1610s in England Events from the 1610s in England.-Events:* 1610** 9 February - Parliament assembles and debates the Great Contract proposed by Robert Cecil whereby in return for an annual grant of £200,000, the Crown should give up its feudal rights of Wardship and Purveyance, as well as New Impositions.** 23 May... |
Events from the 1590s in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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Events
- 1590
- Publication of Edmund SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
's poetry The Faerie QueeneThe Faerie QueeneThe Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
and his satireSatireSatire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
Mother Hubbard's Tale. - First production of William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Henry VI, part 1Henry VI, part 1Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare, and possibly Thomas Nashe, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
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- Publication of Edmund Spenser
- 1591
- 10 April - The merchant James LancasterJames LancasterSir James Lancaster was a prominent Elizabethan trader and privateer.Lancaster came from Basingstoke in Hampshire. In his early life, he was a soldier and a trader in Portugal...
sets off on a voyage to the East IndiesEast IndiesEast Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. - August - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
leads an English army in support of the Protestant Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of FranceHenry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
at the Siege of Rouen. - 1 September - HMS RevengeHMS Revenge (1577)Revenge was an English race-built galleon of 46 guns, built in 1577 and captured by the Spanish in 1591, sinking soon afterwards. She was the first of thirteen English and Royal Navy ships to bear the name.Since she was built and served prior to the English Restoration of 1660, she did not carry...
captured by the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
following battle near the AzoresAzoresThe Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. - John Harington translates Ludovico AriostoLudovico AriostoLudovico Ariosto was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic Orlando Furioso . The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's Orlando Innamorato, describes the adventures of Charlemagne, Orlando, and the Franks as they battle against the Saracens with diversions...
's Orlando furiosoOrlando FuriosoOrlando Furioso is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form until 1532...
into English. - Approximate date of the writing of the play Richard IIIRichard III (play)Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. - Posthumous publication of Sir Philip SidneyPhilip SidneySir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...
's poetry Astrophel and StellaAstrophel and StellaLikely composed in the 1580s, Philip Sidney's Astrophel and Stella is an English sonnet sequence containing 108 sonnets and 11 songs. The name derives from the two Greek words, 'aster' and 'phil' , and the Latin word 'stella' meaning star. Thus Astrophel is the star lover, and Stella is his star...
. - The Durtnell (Dartnell) family of BrastedBrastedBrasted is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located to the west of Sevenoaks town. The parish includes the settlements of Brasted Chart and Toys Hill, and had a population of 1321 persons . The single slightly winding street of the village has a...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, begin to work as building contractors. They will still be functioning under the twelfth generation of the family in the 21st century.
- 10 April - The merchant James Lancaster
- 1592
- December - Outbreak of plague in London; 17,000 deaths over the next twelve months.
- First performance of Shakespeare's play Richard IIIRichard III (play)Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
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- 1593
- January - John NordenJohn NordenJohn Norden was an English cartographer, chorographer and antiquary. He planned a series of county maps and accompanying county histories of England, the Speculum Britanniae...
commissioned to make maps of all the counties of England. - 23 February - Peter WentworthPeter WentworthPeter Wentworth was a prominent Puritan leader in the Parliament of England. He was the elder brother of Paul Wentworth, and first entered as member for Barnstaple in 1571. He later sat for the Cornish borough of Tregony in 1572, and for the town of Northampton in the parliaments of 1586–7, 1589,...
imprisoned for raising the issue of succession to the throne in Parliament. - 6 April - Witches of WarboysWitches of WarboysThe Witches of Warboys is the name used to describe the accusation, trial and execution for witchcraft of Alice Samuel and her family between 1589 and 1593 in the village of Warboys, in the fens of England.- The trial :...
: Alice, John and Agnes Samuel found guilty of witchcraft and hanged. - 12 May - Arrest of dramatist Thomas KydThomas KydThomas Kyd was an English dramatist, the author of The Spanish Tragedy, and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama....
over bills posted in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
threatening Protestant refugees from FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. - 20 May - Dramatist Christopher MarloweChristopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
appears before the Privy CouncilPrivy councilA privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in connection with the bills. - 29 May - Execution of the WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Protestant John PenryJohn PenryJohn Penry is Wales's most famous Protestant martyr.-Early life:He was born in Brecknockshire, Wales; Cefn Brith, a farm near Llangammarch, is traditionally recognised as his birthplace. He matriculated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in December 1580, being then probably a Roman Catholic; but soon...
suspected of involvement with the Marprelate ControversyMarprelate ControversyThe Marprelate Controversy was a war of pamphlets waged in England and Wales in 1588 and 1589, between a puritan writer who employed the pseudonym Martin Marprelate, and defenders of the Established Church....
. - 30 May - Marlowe killed in a brawl in DeptfordDeptfordDeptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
. - Theatres in London closed for most of the year due to a Plague outbreak.
- Publication of Shakespeare's poem Venus and AdonisVenus and Adonis (Shakespeare poem)Venus and Adonis is a poem by William Shakespeare, written in 1592–1593, with a plot based on passages from Ovid's Metamorphoses. It is a complex, kaleidoscopic work, using constantly shifting tone and perspective to present contrasting views of the nature of love.-Publication:Venus and Adonis was...
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- January - John Norden
- 1594
- May - Nine Years' WarNine Years' War (Ireland)The Nine Years' War or Tyrone's Rebellion took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603. It was fought between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against English rule in Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the...
: In IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Hugh Roe O'DonnellHugh Roe O'DonnellAodh Rua Ó Dónaill, anglicised as either Hugh Roe O'Donnell or Red Hugh O'Donnell , was An Ó Domhnaill and Rí of Tir Chonaill . He led the Irish forces against the English conquest of Ireland from 1593 and helped to lead the Nine Years' War from 1595 to 1603...
form an alliance to try to overthrow English domination. - 7 June - Roderigo Lopez executed for allegedly trying to poison Queen Elizabeth.
- First known performances of Shakespeare's Titus AndronicusTitus AndronicusTitus Andronicus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, and possibly George Peele, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy, and is often seen as his attempt to emulate the violent and bloody revenge plays of his contemporaries, which were...
in London. - Publication of Shakespeare's narrative poem The Rape of LucreceThe Rape of LucreceThe Rape of Lucrece is a narrative poem by William Shakespeare about the legendary Lucretia. In his previous narrative poem, Venus and Adonis , Shakespeare had included a dedicatory letter to his patron, the Earl of Southampton, in which he promised to write a "graver work"...
. - Posthumous publication of Marlowe's play Edward IIEdward II (play)Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. It is one of the earliest English history plays. The full title of the first publication is The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud...
. - Thomas NasheThomas NasheThomas Nashe was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist. He was the son of the minister William Nashe and his wife Margaret .-Early life:...
's picaresque novelPicaresque novelThe picaresque novel is a popular sub-genre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts, in realistic and often humorous detail, the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society...
The Unfortunate TravellerThe Unfortunate TravellerThe Unfortunate Traveller: or, the Life of Jack Wilton by Thomas Nashe is a picaresque novel set during the reign of Henry VIII of England....
published. - Richard HookerRichard HookerRichard Hooker was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition came to exert a lasting influence on the development of the Church of England...
's Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie commences publication. - Bevis Bulmer sets up a system at Blackfriars to pump water to London.
- May - Nine Years' War
- 1595
- 21 February - Catholic martyr Robert Southwell hanged, drawn and quarteredHanged, drawn and quarteredTo be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
at Tyburn, LondonTyburn, LondonTyburn was a village in the county of Middlesex close to the current location of Marble Arch in present-day London. It took its name from the Tyburn or Teo Bourne 'boundary stream', a tributary of the River Thames which is now completely covered over between its source and its outfall into the...
. - 23 July - SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
raid burns PenzancePenzancePenzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
and MouseholeMouseholeMousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
, Cornwall. - 28 August - Sir Francis DrakeFrancis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
and Sir John HawkinsJohn HawkinsAdmiral Sir John Hawkins was an English shipbuilder, naval administrator and commander, merchant, navigator, and slave trader. As treasurer and controller of the Royal Navy, he rebuilt older ships and helped design the faster ships that withstood the Spanish Armada in 1588...
depart on their final voyage to the Spanish MainSpanish MainIn the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
which ends in both of their deaths. - Probable first performance of William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's plays Richard IIRichard II (play)King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
, A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
and Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
. - Sir Walter RaleighWalter RaleighSir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
travels up the OrinocoOrinocoThe Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
river in search of the fabled city of El DoradoEl DoradoEl Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
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- 21 February - Catholic martyr Robert Southwell hanged, drawn and quartered
- 1596
- 30 June–4 July - An English fleet, commanded by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
and Lord Howard of EffinghamCharles Howard, 1st Earl of NottinghamCharles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham , known as Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I...
, sacks CádizCádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. - November 21 - Bartholomew SteerBartholomew SteerBartholomew Steer was an unsuccessful rebellion leader in Oxfordshire, England. He was a carpenter, born in Hampton Poyle, Oxfordshire, brother to a weaver. In 1596, the area was suffering through famine and increasing poverty...
attempts to launch a rebellion on Enslow Hill in OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. - Blackfriars TheatreBlackfriars TheatreBlackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
opens in London. - First production of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
- William SlingsbyWilliam SlingsbySir William Slingsby , was an English soldier, who is noted as the discoverer of the first spa water well in Harrogate, North Yorkshire....
discovers that water from the Tewitt Well mineral spring at HarrogateHarrogateHarrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
in North YorkshireNorth YorkshireNorth Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
possesses similar properties to that from Spa, BelgiumSpa, BelgiumSpa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
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- 30 June–4 July - An English fleet, commanded by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
- 1597
- ParliamentParliament of EnglandThe Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
passes the Vagabonds ActVagabonds Act 1597The Vagabonds Act 1597 is an Act of the Parliament of England . It introduced penal transportation as a punishment for the first time. During the reign of Henry VIII, it has been estimated that 72,000 people were executed...
introducing penal transportationPenal transportationTransportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
of convicted criminals to England's colonies. - Gresham CollegeGresham CollegeGresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
founded in the City of LondonCity of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. - Approximate date of the first performance of the Shakespeare plays Henry IV, Part 1Henry IV, Part 1Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
and King John. - Thomas NasheThomas NasheThomas Nashe was an English Elizabethan pamphleteer, playwright, poet and satirist. He was the son of the minister William Nashe and his wife Margaret .-Early life:...
and Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
's satirical comedy The Isle of DogsThe Isle of Dogs (play)The Isle of Dogs is a play by Thomas Nashe and Ben Jonson which was performed in 1597. It was immediately suppressed, and no copy of it is known to exist.-The Play:...
performed in July or August before being suppressed by the Privy CouncilPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
for its "slanderous matter". - Francis BaconFrancis BaconFrancis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
's first EssaysEssays (Francis Bacon)Essayes: Religious Meditations. Places of Perswasion and Disswasion. Seene and Allowed was the first published book by the philosopher, statesman and jurist Francis Bacon. The Essays are written in a wide range of styles, from the plain and unadorned to the epigrammatic...
published. - Thomas DeloneyThomas DeloneyThomas Deloney was an English novelist and balladist.He appears to have worked as a silk-weaver in Norwich, but was in London by 1586, and in the course of the next ten years is known to have written about fifty ballads, some of which got him into trouble, and caused him to keep a low profile for...
's Jack of Newbury published. - John GerardJohn GerardJohn Gerard aka John Gerarde was an English herbalist notable for his herbal garden and botany writing. In 1597 he published a large and heavily illustrated "Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes", which went on to be the most widely circulated botany book in English in the 17th century...
's The Herball, or generall historie of plantes published. - John DowlandJohn DowlandJohn Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
's The Firste Booke of Songes or Ayres published.
- Parliament
- 1598
- March - Poor Relief Act establishes early workhouseWorkhouseIn England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
s. - 14 August - Nine Years' War: Irish rebel victory over the English at the Battle of the Yellow FordBattle of the Yellow FordThe Battle of the Yellow Ford was fought in western County Armagh, Ulster, in Ireland, near the river Blackwater on 14 August 1598, during the Nine Years War ....
. - 28 December - In London, The TheatreThe TheatreThe Theatre was an Elizabethan playhouse located in Shoreditch , just outside the City of London. It was the second permanent theatre ever built in England, after the Red Lion, and the first successful one...
is dismantled and the materials used to begin building the Globe TheatreGlobe TheatreThe Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
. - Thomas BodleyThomas BodleySir Thomas Bodley was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.-Biography:...
refounds the Bodleian LibraryBodleian LibraryThe Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. - Montacute HouseMontacute HouseMontacute House is a late Elizabethan country house situated in the South Somerset village of Montacute. This house is a textbook example of English architecture during a period that was moving from the medieval Gothic to the Renaissance Classical; this has resulted in Montacute being regarded as...
, Somerset, built, a notable early example of an unfortified country residence built completely from new. - Publication of the poem Hero and LeanderHero and LeanderHero and Leander is a Byzantine myth, relating the story of Hērō and like "hero" in English), a priestess of Aphrodite who dwelt in a tower in Sestos on the European side of the Dardanelles, and Leander , a young man from Abydos on the opposite side of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero...
unfinished by Marlowe and completed by George ChapmanGeorge ChapmanGeorge Chapman was an English dramatist, translator, and poet. He was a classical scholar, and his work shows the influence of Stoicism. Chapman has been identified as the Rival Poet of Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Minto, and as an anticipator of the Metaphysical Poets...
. - Chapman translates HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
into English. - First performance of Ben JonsonBen JonsonBenjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
's play Every Man in His HumourEvery Man in His HumourEvery Man in His Humour is a 1598 play by the English playwright Ben Jonson. The play belongs to the subgenre of the "humours comedy," in which each major character is dominated by an overriding humour or obsession.-Performance and Publication:...
. - Publication of Francis MeresFrancis MeresFrancis Meres was an English churchman and author.He was born at Kirton in the Holland division of Lincolnshire in 1565. He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he received a B.A. in 1587 and an M.A. in 1591. Two years later he was incorporated an M.A. of Oxford...
' Palladis Tamia, Wits TreasuryPalladis TamiaPalladis Tamia, subtitled "Wits Treasury", is a 1598 book written by the minister Francis Meres. Meres calls it "A Comparative Discourse of our English Poets, with the Greek, Latin, and Italian Poets", and is important in English literary history as the first critical account of the poems and early...
, including the first critical discussion of Shakespeare's works. - Publication of John StowJohn StowJohn Stow was an English historian and antiquarian.-Early life:The son of Thomas Stow, a tallow-chandler, he was born about 1525 in London, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill. His father's whole rent for his house and garden was only 6s. 6d. a year, and Stow in his youth fetched milk every...
's A Survey of London.
- March - Poor Relief Act establishes early workhouse
- 1599
- 1 January - Darcy v. AlleinDarcy v. AlleinEdward Darcy Esquire v Thomas Allin of London Haberdasher 74 ER 1131 , was an early landmark case in English law, establishing that the grant of exclusive rights to produce any article was improper...
(The Case of Monopolies): The Court of King’s Bench decides it is improper for any individual to be allowed a state monopolyMonopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over a trade. - 12 March - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
is appointed Lord Lieutenant of IrelandLord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
by Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. - 23 April - Essex in IrelandEssex in IrelandEssex in Ireland refers to the military campaign pursued in Ireland in 1599 by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, during the Nine Years War and the Anglo-Spanish War....
: Essex arrives in Dublin. - 29 May - Nine Years' War: Essex captures Cahir CastleSiege of Cahir CastleThe Siege of Cahir Castle took place in Munster, in southern Ireland in 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex against the rebels in the Nine Years War . Although the castle was considered the strongest fortress in the country, Essex took it after only a few days of artillery bombardment...
in MunsterMunsterMunster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
. - 15 August - Nine Years' War: Irish rebel victory at the Battle of Curlew PassBattle of Curlew PassThe Battle of Curlew Pass was fought on the 15th of August 1599, during the campaign of the Earl of Essex in the Nine Years' War, between an English force under Sir Conyers Clifford and a rebel Irish force led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell. The English were ambushed and routed while marching through a pass...
. - 8 September - Essex in Ireland: Essex signs a truce with Hugh O'Neill. He leaves Ireland against the instructions of Queen Elizabeth.
- 28 September - Essex returns to England and is arrested.
- Approximate date of the first performances of the Shakespeare plays Julius CaesarJulius Caesar (play)The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
, Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
and Henry VHenry V (play)Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
. - Globe TheatreGlobe TheatreThe Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613...
built in SouthwarkSouthwarkSouthwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. - The publisher William JaggardWilliam JaggardWilliam Jaggard was an Elizabethan and Jacobean printer and publisher, best known for his connection with the texts of William Shakespeare, most notably the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays...
issues The Passionate PilgrimThe Passionate PilgrimThe Passionate Pilgrim is an anthology of 20 poems that were attributed to "W. Shakespeare" on the title page, only five of which are accepted by present-day scholars as authentically Shakespearean.-Editions:...
e, poems attributed to "W. Shakespeare".
- 1 January - Darcy v. Allein
Births
- 1590
- 30 January - Lady Anne CliffordLady Anne CliffordLady Anne Clifford, 14th Baroness de Clifford was the only surviving child of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland by his wife Lady Margaret Russell, daughter of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford...
, noblewoman (died 16761676 in EnglandEvents from the year 1676 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 18 February - Isaac Newton observes to Robert Hooke that "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"....
) - May - William Cecil, 17th Baron de RosWilliam Cecil, 17th Baron de RosWilliam Cecil, 17th Baron de Ros of Helmsley .He was born at Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire, and baptised on 4 June 1590. In 1591, he inherited the barony of de Ros from his mother, Elizabeth Cecil, 16th Baroness de Ros. On 13 February 1615, he married Ann Lake.He was sent by King James I on a...
(died 1618) - 19 August - Henry Rich, 1st Earl of HollandHenry Rich, 1st Earl of HollandHenry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland was an English aristocrat, courtier and soldier.-Life:He was the son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick and of Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, and the younger brother of Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick...
, soldier (died 16491649 in EnglandEvents from the year 1649 in England.-Incumbents:Monarch - King Charles I of England ; Interregnum-Events:* 3 January - An explosion of several barrels of gunpowder in Tower Street, London kills 67 people and destroys 60 houses....
) - William BradfordWilliam Bradford (1590-1657)William Bradford was an English leader of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and served as governor for over 30 years after John Carver died. His journal was published as Of Plymouth Plantation...
, leader of Plymouth Colony (died 16571657 in EnglandEvents from the year 1657 in the The Protectorate.-Events:* January - Regional military government in England abolished.* 13 March - Anglo-Spanish War: With the Treaty of Paris, France and England form an alliance against Spain....
) - William Browne, poet (died 16451645 in EnglandEvents from the year 1645 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* January - A group of ministers appointed by the Long Parliament draws up the Directory of Public Worship which replaces the Book of Common Prayer...
) - Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 1st Marquess of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester was an English aristocrat, inheriting the title Earl of Worcester from his father Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, in 1628. He was a prominent and financially important royalist....
(died 16461646 in EnglandEvents from the year 1646 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 9 January - Battle of Bovey Heath: Parliament secures a significant victory over the Royalists in Devon.* 13 March - Parliament captures Cornwall after Royalists surrender at Truro....
)
- 30 January - Lady Anne Clifford
- 1591
- 11 January - Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
, English Civil War general (died 16461646 in EnglandEvents from the year 1646 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 9 January - Battle of Bovey Heath: Parliament secures a significant victory over the Royalists in Devon.* 13 March - Parliament captures Cornwall after Royalists surrender at Truro....
) - July - Anne HutchinsonAnne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, puritan preacher (died 16431643 in EnglandEvents from the year 1643 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 23 January - English Civil War: Leeds falls to Parliamentary forces.* 13 March - English Civil War: The Roundheads routed the Cavaliers at the First Battle of Middlewich....
) - 24 August - Robert HerrickRobert Herrick (poet)Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English poet.-Early life:Born in Cheapside, London, he was the seventh child and fourth son of Julia Stone and Nicholas Herrick, a prosperous goldsmith....
, poet (died 16741674 in EnglandEvents from the year 1674 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 19 February - England and the Netherlands sign the Treaty of Westminster ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War...
) - Thomas GoffeThomas GoffeThomas Goffe a minor Jacobean dramatist.-Life:Thomas Goffe was born in Essex in 1591. He first studied at Westminster School where he was considered a Queen Scholar. Goffe received a scholarship on 3 November 1609 to attend Christ Church, Oxford...
, dramatist (died 1629) - William LenthallWilliam LenthallWilliam Lenthall was an English politician of the Civil War period. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons.-Early life:...
, politician of the Civil War period (died 16621662 in EnglandEvents from the year 1662 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 17 March - Two old women are hanged after being found guilty of witchcraft at the Bury St. Edmunds witch trial.* 2 May/3 May - Catherine of Braganza marries Charles II of England...
) - Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset (died 1632)
- 11 January - Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
- 1592
- 20 February - Nicholas FerrarNicholas FerrarNicholas Ferrar was an English scholar, courtier, businessman and man of religion. Ordained deacon in the Church of England, he retreated with his extended family to the manor of Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire, where he lived the rest of his life.-Early life:Nicholas Ferrar was born in London,...
, trader (died 1637) - 11 April - Sir John EliotJohn Eliot (statesman)Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.-Family and early life:...
, statesman (died 1632) - May - Francis QuarlesFrancis QuarlesFrancis Quarles was an English poet most famous for his Emblem book aptly entitled Emblems.-Career:Francis was born in Romford, Essex, , and baptised there on 8 May 1592. He traced his ancestry to a family settled in England before the Norman Conquest with a long history in royal service...
, poet (died 16441644 in EnglandEvents from the year 1644 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* King Charles I opens a Royalist 'parliament' at Oxford.* 26 January - First English Civil War: At the Battle of Nantwich the Parliamentarians defeat the Royalists....
) - 28 August - George Villiers, 1st Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, statesman (died 1628) - 5 November - Charles ChauncyCharles ChauncyCharles Chauncy was an Anglo-American clergyman and educator.He was born at Yardleybury , Hertfordshire, England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later was a lecturer in Greek. After serving as a pastor in England at Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire , he emigrated to...
, English-born president of Harvard College (died 16721672 in EnglandEvents from the year 1672 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 2 January - Cash payments by the Exchequer suspended for a year, due to fears of imminent bankruptcy....
) - 6 December - William Cavendish, 1st Duke of NewcastleWilliam Cavendish, 1st Duke of NewcastleWilliam Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne KG KB PC was an English polymath and aristocrat, having been a poet, equestrian, playwright, swordsman, politician, architect, diplomat and soldier...
(died 16761676 in EnglandEvents from the year 1676 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 18 February - Isaac Newton observes to Robert Hooke that "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"....
) - John HacketJohn HacketJohn Hacket was an English churchman, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1661 until his death.-Life:He was born in London and educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. On taking his degree he was elected a fellow of his college, and soon afterwards wrote the comedy, Loiola , which...
, churchman (died 16701670 in EnglandEvents from the year 1670 in England.-Events:* 1 June - The secret treaty of Dover is signed between King Charles II of England and France.* 8 July O.S...
) - John JenkinsJohn Jenkins (composer)John Jenkins , English composer, was born in Maidstone, Kent, and died at Kimberley, Norfolk.Little is known of his early life. The son of Henry Jenkins, a carpenter who occasionally made musical instruments, he may have been the "Jack Jenkins" employed in the household of Anne, Countess of Warwick...
, composer (died 16781678 in EnglandEvents from the year 1678 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 31 May - The Godiva Procession, a commemoration held in honour of Lady Godiva's legendary naked ride on horseback through the streets of Coventry in protest against her husband's treatment of the citizens, begins.* 6 September - Titus...
) - Henry KingHenry King (poet)-Life:The eldest son of John King, Bishop of London, and his wife Joan Freeman, he was baptised at Worminghall, Buckinghamshire, 16 January 1592. He was educated at Lord Williams's School, Westminster School and in 1608 became a student of Christ Church, Oxford...
, poet (died 16691669 in EnglandEvents from the year 1669 in England.-Events:* 31 May - Citing poor eyesight, Samuel Pepys records the last entry in his diary, one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period....
)
- 20 February - Nicholas Ferrar
- 1593
- 3 April - George HerbertGeorge HerbertGeorge Herbert was a Welsh born English poet, orator and Anglican priest.Being born into an artistic and wealthy family, he received a good education that led to his holding prominent positions at Cambridge University and Parliament. As a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, Herbert excelled in...
, poet and orator (died 1633) - 4 April - Edward NicholasEdward NicholasSir Edward Nicholas was an English statesman.-Life:He was the eldest son of John Nicholas, a member of an old Wiltshire family.He was educated at Salisbury grammar school, Winchester College and Queen's College, Oxford...
, statesman (died 16691669 in EnglandEvents from the year 1669 in England.-Events:* 31 May - Citing poor eyesight, Samuel Pepys records the last entry in his diary, one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period....
) - 13 April - Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of StraffordThomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of StraffordThomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland...
, statesman (died 16411641 in EnglandEvents from the year 1641 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 23 January - Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton of Mounslow appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.* 29 January - Oliver St John appointed Solicitor General....
) - 9 August - Izaak WaltonIzaak WaltonIzaak Walton was an English writer. Best known as the author of The Compleat Angler, he also wrote a number of short biographies which have been collected under the title of Walton's Lives.-Biography:...
, writer (died 16831683 in EnglandEvents from the year 1683 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 9 January - Charles II gives orders establishing the dates on which he will perform the "Touching the King's Evil" ceremony....
) - Francis Russell, 4th Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 4th Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford PC was an English politician. About 1631 he built the square of Covent Garden, with the piazza and church of St. Paul's, employing Inigo Jones as his architect...
(died 16411641 in EnglandEvents from the year 1641 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 23 January - Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton of Mounslow appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.* 29 January - Oliver St John appointed Solicitor General....
) - Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of CastlehavenMervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of CastlehavenMervyn Touchet , 2nd Earl of Castlehaven , convicted rapist and sodomite, was the son of George Tuchet, 1st Earl of Castlehaven and his wife, née Lucy Mervyn. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and 12th Baron Audley on 20 February 1616/7...
(died 1631) - George RadcliffeGeorge Radcliffe (politician)Sir George Radcliffe was an English politician.Born the son of Nicholas Radcliffe of Overthorpe, West Yorkshire, Radcliffe was educated at Oldham and at University College, Oxford...
, politician (died 16571657 in EnglandEvents from the year 1657 in the The Protectorate.-Events:* January - Regional military government in England abolished.* 13 March - Anglo-Spanish War: With the Treaty of Paris, France and England form an alliance against Spain....
)
- 3 April - George Herbert
- 1594
- 30 November - John CosinJohn CosinJohn Cosin was an English churchman.-Life:He was born at Norwich, and was educated at Norwich grammar school and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was scholar and afterwards fellow. On taking orders he was appointed secretary to Bishop Overall of Lichfield, and then domestic chaplain to...
, churchman (died 16721672 in EnglandEvents from the year 1672 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 2 January - Cash payments by the Exchequer suspended for a year, due to fears of imminent bankruptcy....
) - John BramhallJohn BramhallJohn Bramhall was an Archbishop of Armagh, and an Anglican theologian and apologist. He was a noted controversialist who doggedly defended the English Church from both Puritan and Roman Catholic accusations, as well as the materialism of Thomas Hobbes.-Early life:Bramhall was born in Pontefract,...
, Anglican clergyman and controversialist (died 16631663 in EnglandEvents from the year 1663 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 10 January - The Royal African Company is granted a Royal Charter.* February - Parliament pressures King Charles into withdrawing a proposed Declaration of Indulgence....
) - Peter Oliver, miniaturist (died 16481648 in EnglandEvents from the year 1648 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 17 January - The Long Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses, breaking off negotiations with King Charles I and thereby setting the scene for the Second English Civil War....
)
- 30 November - John Cosin
- 1595
- 5 December - Henry LawesHenry LawesHenry Lawes was an English musician and composer.He was born at Dinton in Wiltshire, and received his musical education from John Cooper, better known under his Italian pseudonym Giovanni Coperario, a famous composer of the day...
, musician (died 16621662 in EnglandEvents from the year 1662 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 17 March - Two old women are hanged after being found guilty of witchcraft at the Bury St. Edmunds witch trial.* 2 May/3 May - Catherine of Braganza marries Charles II of England...
) - Thomas CarewThomas CarewThomas Carew was an English poet, among the 'Cavalier' group of Caroline poets.-Biography:He was the son of Sir Matthew Carew, master in chancery, and his wife, Alice daughter of Sir John Rivers, Lord Mayor of the City of London and widow of Ingpen...
, poet (died 16401640 in EnglandEvents from the year 1640 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 12 January - Thomas Wentworth becomes Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland and Earl of Strafford.* 17 January - John Finch becomes Lord Keeper of the Great Seal....
) - Miles CorbetMiles CorbetMiles Corbet was an English politician, recorder of Yarmouth and Regicide.-Life:He was the son of Sir Thomas Corbet of Sprowston, Norfolk and the younger brother of Sir John Corbet, 1st Baronet, MP for Great Yarmouth from 1625 to 1629...
, Puritan politician (died 16621662 in EnglandEvents from the year 1662 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 17 March - Two old women are hanged after being found guilty of witchcraft at the Bury St. Edmunds witch trial.* 2 May/3 May - Catherine of Braganza marries Charles II of England...
) - Henry Herbert, official (died 16731673 in EnglandEvents from the year 1673 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 8 March - Under pressure from Parliament, King Charles II withdraws the Royal Declaration of Indulgence.* 29 March - The Test Act is passed, preventing Roman Catholics from holding public office....
) - Thomas MayThomas MayThomas May was an English poet, dramatist and historian of the Renaissance era.- Early life and career until 1630 :...
, poet and historian (died 16501650 in EnglandEvents from the year 1650 in England.-Events:* 1 May - The future King Charles II of England signs the Treaty of Breda with the Scottish Covenanters.* 23 June - Charles arrives in Scotland where he signs the Covenant....
)
- 5 December - Henry Lawes
- 1596
- September - James ShirleyJames ShirleyJames Shirley was an English dramatist.He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so much for any transcendent genius in himself, as that he was the last of a great race, all of whom spoke nearly...
, dramatist (died 16661666 in EnglandEvents from the year 1666 in England. This is the first year to be designated as an Annus mirabilis, in John Dryden's 1667 poem so titled, celebrating England's failure to be beaten either by fire or by the Dutch.-Events:...
) - Bevil GrenvilleBevil GrenvilleSir Bevil Grenville was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England between 1621 and 1642. He was a Royalist soldier in the English Civil War and was killed in action at the Battle of Lansdowne.-Backgound:...
, royalist soldier (died 16431643 in EnglandEvents from the year 1643 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 23 January - English Civil War: Leeds falls to Parliamentary forces.* 13 March - English Civil War: The Roundheads routed the Cavaliers at the First Battle of Middlewich....
)
- September - James Shirley
- 1597
- 21 August - Roger Twysden, antiquarian and royalist (died 16721672 in EnglandEvents from the year 1672 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 2 January - Cash payments by the Exchequer suspended for a year, due to fears of imminent bankruptcy....
)
- 21 August - Roger Twysden, antiquarian and royalist (died 1672
- 1598
- Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron HoptonRalph Hopton, 1st Baron HoptonRalph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.-Life:Hopton was the son of Robert Hopton of Witham Somerset. He was apparently educated at Lincoln College, Oxford and served in the army of Frederick V, Elector Palatine in the early campaigns of the Thirty...
, Royalist commander in the English Civil War (died 16521652 in EnglandEvents from the year 1652 in the Commonwealth of England.-Events:* 19 May - First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of Goodwin Sands fought off Dover between Lt.-Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp's 42 Dutch ships and 21 English ships divided into two squadrons, one commanded by Robert Blake and the other...
) - Marmaduke LangdaleMarmaduke LangdaleSir Marmaduke Langdale was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.He married Lenox , daughter of Sir John Rodes of Barlborough, Derbyshire, and his third wife Catherine, daughter of Marmaduke Constable of Holderness on 12 September 1626, at St Michael-le-Belfry in York...
, Royalist in the English Civil War (died 16611661 in EnglandEvents from the year 1661 which occurred in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 6 January - The Fifth Monarchists unsuccessfully attempt to seize control of London...
) - Gilbert SheldonGilbert SheldonGilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
, Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
(died 16771677 in EnglandEvents from the year 1677 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 16 February - Politicians the Earl of Shaftesbury, Duke of Buckingham, Lord Wharton and the Earl of Salisbury are arrested and sent to the Tower of London....
) - William StrodeWilliam StrodeWilliam Strode was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1624 and 1645. He was one of the five members impeached by King Charles and fought on the Parliamentarian side in the English Civil War.-Life:...
, parliamentarian (died 16451645 in EnglandEvents from the year 1645 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* January - A group of ministers appointed by the Long Parliament draws up the Directory of Public Worship which replaces the Book of Common Prayer...
)
- Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton
- 1599
- 25 April - Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland (died 16581658 in EnglandEvents from the year 1658 in the The Protectorate.-Events:* 4 February - Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Second Protectorate Parliament.* April - First stage coach services advertised; 4-day trips from London to Exeter, York, and Chester....
) - 14 August - Méric CasaubonMéric CasaubonMéric Casaubon , son of Isaac Casaubon, was a French-English classical scholar...
, classicist (died 16711671 in EnglandEvents from the year 1671 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 9 May - Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. He is immediately caught because he is too drunk to run with the loot...
) - 31 October - Denzil Holles, 1st Baron HollesDenzil Holles, 1st Baron HollesDenzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles PC was an English statesman and writer, best known as one of the five members of parliament whom King Charles I of England attempted to arrest in 1642.-Early life:...
, statesman and writer (died 16801680 in EnglandEvents from the year 1680 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 4 November - A second Exclusion Bill is proposed to exclude the Catholic James, Duke of York from inheriting the throne.* 15 November - The Exclusion Bill is defeated in the House of Lords....
) - John AldenJohn AldenJohn Alden is said to be the first person from the Mayflower to set foot on Plymouth Rock in 1620. He was a ship-carpenter by trade and a cooper for Mayflower, which was usually docked at Southampton. He was also one of the founders of Plymouth Colony and the seventh signer of the Mayflower Compact...
, settler of Plymouth Colony (died 16871687 in EnglandEvents from the year 1687 in the Kingdom of England.-Events:* 2 April - King James II of England issues the Declaration of Indulgence, suspending laws against Catholics and non-conformists....
) - Robert BlakeRobert Blake (admiral)Robert Blake was one of the most important military commanders of the Commonwealth of England and one of the most famous English admirals of the 17th century. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a dominance subsequently inherited by the British Royal Navy into...
, admiral (died 16571657 in EnglandEvents from the year 1657 in the The Protectorate.-Events:* January - Regional military government in England abolished.* 13 March - Anglo-Spanish War: With the Treaty of Paris, France and England form an alliance against Spain....
) - Lucy Hay, Countess of CarlisleLucy Hay, Countess of CarlisleLucy Hay, Countess of Carlisle was an English courtier known for her beauty and wit. She was involved in many political intrigues during the English Civil War.-Life:...
, socialite (died 16601660 in EnglandEvents from the year 1660 which occurred in the Kingdom of England. This is the year of Restoration.-Events:* 1 January** Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration.**...
)
- 25 April - Oliver Cromwell
Deaths
- 1590
- 1 February - Lawrence HumphreyLawrence HumphreyLawrence Humphrey was an English theologian, who was president of Magdalen College, Oxford, and dean successively of Gloucester and Winchester.-Biography:...
, president of Magdalen College, Oxford (born 1527) - 6 April - Francis WalsinghamFrancis WalsinghamSir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
, principal secretary to Elizabeth I and spymaster (born 1530) - 18 November - George Talbot, 6th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 6th Earl of ShrewsburyGeorge Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
, statesman (born 1528) - Roger DudleyRoger DudleyRoger Dudley was an English soldier.Dudley was born in London, England, but some say that he was baptised in Yardley Hastings, Northamptonshire. However Dudley's parentage has never been satisfactorily established...
, soldier (born 1535)
- 1 February - Lawrence Humphrey
- 1591
- 1 May - Elizabeth Cecil, 16th Baroness de RosElizabeth Cecil, 16th Baroness de RosLady Elizabeth Manners, 16th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley was the daughter and heir of Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland...
, noblewoman (born c. 1574) - 10 September - Richard GrenvilleRichard GrenvilleSir Richard Grenville was an English sailor, sea captain and explorer. He took part in the early English attempts to settle the New World, and also participated in the fight against the Spanish Armada...
, soldier and explorer (born 1542) - 20 November - Christopher HattonChristopher HattonSir Christopher Hatton was an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England.-Early days:...
, politician (born 1540) - John StubbsJohn StubbsJohn Stubbs was an English pamphleteer or political commentator during the Elizabethan era.He was born in Norfolk, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. After studying law at Lincoln's Inn, he lived at Thelveton, Norfolk...
, pamphleteer (born 1543)
- 1 May - Elizabeth Cecil, 16th Baroness de Ros
- 1592
- February - Thomas CavendishThomas CavendishSir Thomas Cavendish was an English explorer and a privateer known as "The Navigator" because he was the first who deliberately tried to emulate Sir Francis Drake and raid the Spanish towns and ships in the Pacific and return by circumnavigating the globe...
, sailor and explorer (born 1555) - 3 September - Robert GreeneRobert Greene (16th century)Robert Greene was an English author best known for a posthumous pamphlet attributed to him, Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit, widely believed to contain a polemic attack on William Shakespeare. He was born in Norwich and attended Cambridge University, receiving a B.A. in 1580, and an M.A...
, writer (born 1558)
- February - Thomas Cavendish
- 1593
- 23 March - Henry BarroweHenry BarroweHenry Barrowe was an English Puritan and Separatist, executed for his views.-Life:He was born about 1550, in Norfolk, of a family related by marriage to Nicholas Bacon, and probably to John Aylmer, Bishop of London. He matriculated at Clare Hall, Cambridge, in November 1566, and graduated B.A. in...
, Puritan and separatist (born 1550) - 6 April - John Greenwood, Puritan and separatist (hanged) (year of birth unknown)
- 30 May - Christopher MarloweChristopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
, poet and playwright (born 1564) - 25 September - Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of DerbyHenry Stanley, 4th Earl of DerbyHenry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby KG was a prominent English nobleman who served as Lord High Steward during the trial of Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel....
(born 1531) - William HarrisonWilliam Harrison (clergyman)William Harrison was an English clergyman, whose Description of England was produced as part of the publishing venture of a group of London stationers who produced Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles...
, clergyman (born 1534)
- 23 March - Henry Barrowe
- 1594
- February
- Barnabe GoogeBarnabe GoogeBarnabe Googe or Gooche was a poet and translator, one of the earliest English pastoral poets.-Early life:...
, poet (born 1540) - William PainterWilliam PainterWilliam Painter was an English author and translator.William Painter was a native of Kent. He matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge, in 1554. In 1561 he became clerk of the ordnance in the Tower of London, a position in which he appears to have amassed a fortune out of the public funds...
, translator (born 1540)
- Barnabe Googe
- 29 April - Thomas CooperThomas Cooper (bishop)Thomas Cooper was an English bishop, lexicographer, and writer.-Life:He was born in Oxford, where he was educated at Magdalen College...
, bishop, lexicographer, and writer (born c. 1517) - 3 June - John AylmerJohn Aylmer (English constitutionalist)John Aylmer was an English bishop, constitutionalist and a Greek scholar.-Early life and career:He was born at Aylmer Hall, Tilney St. Lawrence, Norfolk...
, divine (born 1521) - 16 July - Thomas KydThomas KydThomas Kyd was an English dramatist, the author of The Spanish Tragedy, and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama....
, author of The Spanish TragedyThe Spanish TragedyThe Spanish Tragedy, or Hieronimo is Mad Again is an Elizabethan tragedy written by Thomas Kyd between 1582 and 1592. Highly popular and influential in its time, The Spanish Tragedy established a new genre in English theatre, the revenge play or revenge tragedy. Its plot contains several violent...
(born 1558) - 25 September - Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of DerbyHenry Stanley, 4th Earl of DerbyHenry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby KG was a prominent English nobleman who served as Lord High Steward during the trial of Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel....
, Lord High Steward (born 1531) - 16 October - William Allen, cardinal (born 1532)
- 22 November - Martin FrobisherMartin FrobisherSir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage...
, explorer (born 1535) - John JohnsonJohn Johnson (composer)John Johnson was an English lutenist, composer of songs and lute music, attached to the court of Queen Elizabeth I. He was the father of the lutenist and composer Robert Johnson.-Discography:...
, lutenist and composer (born c. 1545)
- February
- 1595
- 21 February - Robert Southwell, Jesuit priest and poet (born 1561)
- 24 August - Thomas DiggesThomas DiggesSir Thomas Digges was an English mathematician and astronomer. He was the first to expound the Copernican system in English but discarded the notion of a fixed shell of immoveable stars to postulate infinitely many stars at varying distances; he was also first to postulate the "dark night sky...
, astronomer (born 1546) - 19 October - Philip Howard, 20th Earl of ArundelPhilip Howard, 20th Earl of ArundelSaint Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales...
, nobleman (born 1537) - 12 November - John HawkinsJohn HawkinsAdmiral Sir John Hawkins was an English shipbuilder, naval administrator and commander, merchant, navigator, and slave trader. As treasurer and controller of the Royal Navy, he rebuilt older ships and helped design the faster ships that withstood the Spanish Armada in 1588...
, shipbuilder and trader (born 1532) - 14 December - Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of HuntingdonHenry Hastings, 3rd Earl of HuntingdonSir Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, KG KB was the eldest son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole.-Ancestry:...
(born 1535)
- 1596
- 27 January - Sir Francis DrakeFrancis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
, explorer and soldier (born 1540) - 23 March - Henry UntonHenry UntoniSir Henry Unton was an Elizabethan English diplomat.Henry was the second son of Sir Edward Unton of Wadley House, near Faringdon, Berkshire , his mother, Anne , being a daughter of Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset, the protector...
, diplomat (born 1557) - 23 July - Henry Carey, 1st Baron HunsdonHenry Carey, 1st Baron HunsdonHenry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, of Hunsdon was an English nobleman.He was the son of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn and also the mistress to King Henry VIII of England...
(born 1526) - 10 November - Peter WentworthPeter WentworthPeter Wentworth was a prominent Puritan leader in the Parliament of England. He was the elder brother of Paul Wentworth, and first entered as member for Barnstaple in 1571. He later sat for the Cornish borough of Tregony in 1572, and for the town of Northampton in the parliaments of 1586–7, 1589,...
, Puritan politician (born 1530) - 29 November
- William Gibson (martyr)William Gibson (martyr)Blessed William Gibson was martyred by Anglicans at York for professing the Roman Catholic faith. He was from Ripon, in Yorkshire....
, Catholic martyr (year of birth unknown) - William KnightWilliam Knight (martyr)The Blessed William Knight was an Englishman put to death for his Roman Catholic faith at York, England. With him also suffered the Venerable George Errington of Herst, Northumberland; the Venerable William Gibson of Ripon; and the Venerable William Abbot of Howden, Yorkshire.Knight was the son of...
, Catholic martyr (born 1572)
- William Gibson (martyr)
- Blanche ParryBlanche ParryBlanche Parry was a personal attendant of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Chief Gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth’s most honourable Privy Chamber and Keeper of Her Majesty’s jewels.-Early life:...
, Personal attendant to Elizabeth I (born c. 1508) - Henry WillobieHenry WillobieHenry Willobie is the supposed author of a 1594 poem called Willobie his Avisa , whose main claim to fame is a possible connection with William Shakespeare's personal life....
, poet (born 1575)
- 27 January - Sir Francis Drake
- 1597
- 6 June - William HunnisWilliam HunnisWilliam Hunnis was an English Protestant poet, dramatist, and composer.Hunnis was a gentleman of the Chapel Royal to Edward VI, but was imprisoned during the reign of Mary for plotting against her regime and narrowly escaped execution...
, poet (year of birth unknown) - James BurbageJames BurbageJames Burbage was an English actor, theatre impresario, and theatre builder in the English Renaissance theatre. He built The Theatre, the facility famous as the first permanent dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times...
, actor (born 1531) - Edward KelleyEdward KelleySir Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot was an ambiguous figure in English Renaissance occultism and self-declared spirit medium who worked with John Dee in his magical investigations...
, spirit medium (born 1555)
- 6 June - William Hunnis
- 1598
- 9 January - Jasper HeywoodJasper HeywoodJasper Heywood, SJ , son of John Heywood, translated into English three plays of Seneca, the Troas , the Thyestes and Hercules Furens ....
, classicist and translator (born 1553) - 4 August - William Cecil, 1st Baron BurghleyWilliam Cecil, 1st Baron BurghleyWilliam Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, statesman (born 1520)
- 9 January - Jasper Heywood
- 1599
- 13 January - Edmund SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
, poet (born 1552) - 14 April - Henry WallopHenry WallopSir Henry Wallop was an English statesman.He was the eldest son of Sir Oliver Wallop of Farleigh Wallop in Hampshire. Having inherited the estates of his father and of his uncle, Sir John Wallop, he was knighted in 1569 and was chosen member of parliament for Southampton in 1572...
, statesman (born c. 1540)
- 13 January - Edmund Spenser