Robert Daborne facts for kids

Robert Daborne (born around 1580 – died 23 March 1628) was an English dramatist, which means he wrote plays. He lived during the Jacobean era, a time in English history when King James I ruled (from 1603 to 1625).

Early Life and Family

Robert Daborne's father was also named Robert Daborne. His family owned land in places like Guildford, Surrey, and London. His father was a successful merchant who sold fabrics.

It is believed that Robert Daborne attended King's College, Cambridge in 1598. He was likely a "sizar," which meant he didn't have to pay for his studies. Records show he was a gentleman and part of the Inner Temple, a place where lawyers trained.

In 1602, Robert Daborne married Anne Younger. They had at least one child, a daughter. Sadly, Anne died during childbirth. By 1609, Robert was living with his father-in-law in Shoreditch. After his father-in-law passed away, there was a disagreement among the family about who would inherit property.

Working in Theatre

Robert Daborne became involved with theatre companies. In 1608, he owed money to Robert Keysar, who helped manage a group called the Children of the Queen's Revels. This was a theatre company made up of boy actors.

By 1610, Daborne was listed as one of the partners or supporters of the Queen's Revels Children. This happened when Philip Rosseter reorganized the acting group. People generally believe that Daborne wrote plays for this company.

Around 1613, the Queen's Revels Children worked with another group called the Lady Elizabeth's Men. This brought Daborne into the group of playwrights who worked for Philip Henslowe. Henslowe was an important person in the theatre world.

Plays for Philip Henslowe

Records kept by Philip Henslowe show that Daborne worked on many projects for him between 1613 and 1615. Like many writers of his time, Daborne often needed money. He borrowed small amounts from Henslowe.

During this period, Daborne worked on at least five plays for Henslowe. He sometimes wrote plays by himself, and sometimes he worked with other writers. These collaborators included Cyril Tourneur, John Fletcher, Nathan Field, and Philip Massinger. Unfortunately, none of these plays have survived. Their titles included Machiavel and the Devil, The Arraignment of London, and The She Saint.

Known Plays

Only two of Robert Daborne's plays are still available today. Both of these plays can be described as exciting adventure stories.

• A Christian Turn'd Turk (published in 1612): This is a sad story about a pirate who changes his religion to Islam after falling in love with a Muslim girl.
• The Poor Man's Comfort (first published in 1655): This play is a mix of tragedy and comedy. It features a main character named Gisbert who gets into strange and intense situations.

Other Works and Contributions

In the past, some experts thought Daborne might have helped write other plays. These included The Faithful Friends, Rollo Duke of Normandy, Cupid's Revenge, Thierry and Theodoret, and The Honest Man's Fortune. However, it is now thought that he did not work on these plays.

Daborne did not write many other types of literary works that have survived. He did contribute some poetry to a collection called The Nipping or Snipping of Abuses in 1614. This collection was put together by John Taylor, who was known as the Water Poet.

Later Life and Church Career

Records show that Robert Daborne was referred to as a "Master of Arts" twice. He likely became a priest by 1618, as he published a sermon that year.

In 1619, Daborne became a chancellor in Waterford, Ireland. A chancellor is a high-ranking official. He was also made a prebendary of Lismore in 1620 and then the dean of Lismore in 1621. It is believed that a nobleman named Lord Willoughby may have helped him in his church career. All the information suggests that Daborne stopped writing plays once he joined the Church.