Ingram Frizer facts for kids
Ingram Frizer (died August 1627) was an English gentleman and businessman. He is known for his part in the death of the famous writer Christopher Marlowe on May 30, 1593. People have described Frizer as someone who bought and sold property, traded goods, and helped important people. He was also known for tricking young people out of their money.
Biography of Ingram Frizer
We don't know much about where Ingram Frizer came from. He might have been born near Kingsclere in Hampshire, England. Some researchers believe this because many people named Friser lived there, and the name Ingram was common.
Frizer was good at making money by buying and selling land. When Christopher Marlowe died, Frizer worked for Thomas Walsingham, a wealthy landowner. Frizer seemed to be Walsingham's business helper. Thomas Walsingham was related to Sir Francis Walsingham, who was an important secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. Both Walsinghams had worked in intelligence (like spying) before. However, there is no proof that Frizer was involved in this spy work.
Frizer sometimes used tricky business methods. For example, in 1593, he worked with Nicholas Skeres. Skeres was also present when Marlowe died. They lent money to a man named Drew Woodleff. Woodleff signed a paper saying he owed £60 for some guns Frizer supposedly had. Frizer then said he sold the guns for Woodleff, but only for £30. This meant Frizer had only lent Woodleff £30, but Woodleff had to pay back £60. This was a very high interest rate (100%). Woodleff later had to sign another paper to Thomas Walsingham for £200 to get out of his debt to Frizer.
Later, when King James became king, Frizer received many benefits. This happened because Audrey Walsingham, Thomas's wife, was a friend of King James's wife, Anne of Denmark. Frizer moved to Eltham, which was about three miles from Sir Thomas Walsingham's estate at Scadbury.
In Eltham, Frizer got permission from the local vicar (a church leader) to dig a well. He didn't pay for this permission, which was typical for him. He used the water from the well to make and sell ale. He became a churchwarden in 1605 and a tax assessor in 1611. He had two daughters, Alice Dixon and another who married John Banks. Frizer lived in Eltham and seemed to be a respected person until he died. He was buried in the church on August 14, 1627.
Christopher Marlowe's Death
Before he died, Christopher Marlowe worked for the government in some kind of intelligence role. In the spring of 1593, he was staying at Thomas Walsingham's home in Kent. Frizer invited him to a "feast" (a meal) in Deptford. This was at the house of Eleanor Bull, who was the widow of a local official. It's not clear if her house was a public inn or a private place for food and drink. Also at the feast were Nicholas Skeres and Robert Poley. Both of these men had worked with Sir Francis Walsingham's intelligence group. Poley was even working for the Privy Council (a group of royal advisors) at that time.
The full details of Marlowe's death on May 30, 1593, were found in 1925 by Leslie Hotson. These details came from an official investigation (an inquest) held two days later. According to the report, which was based on what the three men present said, Poley, Frizer, Skeres, and Marlowe were in a private room after dinner. Poley, Frizer, and Skeres were sitting at a table, with Frizer in the middle. Marlowe was resting on a bed behind them.
Frizer and Marlowe started arguing about "the reckoning," which means the bill for their meal. Marlowe suddenly stood up and grabbed Frizer's dagger, which Frizer wore on his back. Marlowe hit Frizer twice on the head with the dagger. Frizer, who couldn't move much because he was between Poley and Skeres, tried to defend himself. In doing so, he stabbed Marlowe above his right eye, and Marlowe died immediately.
On June 1, 1593, the jury at the inquest decided that Frizer was not guilty of murder. They said he acted in self-defense. On June 28, Queen Elizabeth I officially pardoned him.
Theories About Motives
Some people believe that the self-defense story from the inquest was true. They point to Marlowe's reputation for sometimes being violent. However, some experts, like Charles Nicholl, say that Marlowe's past violence might have been exaggerated.
Other theories suggest that Frizer might have had different reasons for what happened. One idea is that Marlowe's presence at Walsingham's home was causing problems for Walsingham's reputation. This would also affect Frizer's interests. The Privy Council suspected Marlowe of having beliefs that were against the church, which was a very serious crime at the time, like betraying the country.
One theory suggests that Thomas Walsingham might have thought Marlowe was becoming a problem. Walsingham was used to Frizer's tricky ways. So, he might have hinted to Frizer that Marlowe was a liability, leading indirectly to Marlowe's death.
Another theory suggests that Marlowe, who might have been part of a group called The School of Night, knew about Essex's plans against Raleigh. In this theory, Skeres was sent to warn Marlowe to keep quiet. When Marlowe refused to listen, the decision was made to silence him permanently. In this view, Frizer was just one of Skeres's helpers, not the main person in charge.
The Marlovian theory is another idea. It suggests that Frizer helped Marlowe fake his own death. This would allow Marlowe to escape being put on trial and likely executed for his beliefs. This theory also suggests that Marlowe then went into hiding and wrote the plays that are now credited to William Shakespeare.
