Henry Bradshaw (poet) facts for kids

Henry Bradshaw (around 1450–1513) was an English poet born in Chester. When he was a boy, he joined the Benedictine monastery of Saint Werburgh. He studied with other young monks at Gloucester College, Oxford, and then he went back to his monastery in Chester.

About Henry Bradshaw

Henry Bradshaw wrote a Latin book called De antiquitate et magnificentia Urbis Cestricie, which means "On the Antiquity and Magnificence of the City of Chester." Sadly, this book is now lost.

He also wrote a long poem in English about the patron saint of his monastery, Saint Werburgh. He finished this poem in 1513, the year he died. A short poem at the end of his work mentions him as "Harry Braddeshaa, of Chestre abbey monke."

Bradshaw was honest about his work. He said he wasn't making up new stories. Instead, he used information from older writers and historical records. He put together many different stories rather than just translating one.

The Story of Saint Werburgh

Bradshaw's poem, The Holy Lyfe and History of saynt Werburge, is like a long story poem. It tells the life of Saint Werburgh, who was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia. The poem also includes a lot of history about the kingdom of Mercia and its royal family.

He wrote about Saint Werburgh's mother and grandmother, Saint Ermenilde and Saint Sexburge. Both of them were leaders of a religious house in Ely. Bradshaw included amazing, magical parts of the story, but he was more interested in real historical facts.

For example, the second part of his poem talks about the Viking invasion in 875. It also describes the history of Chester, from its founding by a legendary giant named Leon Gaur. He even wrote about a big fire that destroyed parts of Chester in 1180. The poem says the fire suddenly stopped when the special shrine of Saint Werburgh was carried through the streets.

How People Saw His Work

Bradshaw's poem, The Holy Lyfe and History of saynt Werburge, was printed by Richard Pynson in 1521. People have had different ideas about it over the years. Some thought his writing style wasn't very good, especially his rhythm.

However, others found his poem to be very original and heartfelt. They felt it had a simple, honest feeling. Bradshaw himself was very humble about his own writing skills. Everyone agreed he was sincere and very religious.

Later Editions

The first printed edition of The Holy Lyfe by Pynson is very rare today. Only a few copies are known to exist. Later, the poem was reprinted in 1848 and again in 1887, which shows that people continued to find his work important for studying old English texts.