William Elderton (ballad writer) facts for kids
William Elderton (who passed away around 1592) was a talented English writer, actor, and lawyer. He was very well-known in London for writing many popular ballads. Ballads were like popular songs or poems that told a story, often printed on single sheets of paper.
Early Life and Acting
William Elderton first appeared as an actor in 1552 or 1553. He performed at the court of King Edward VI during the Christmas holidays. He played the fourth son of the Lord of Misrule, a person chosen to lead the fun and games during festive times.
Elderton had a son, also named William, who was born in London in 1548. His wife, Grace Clearton, passed away in 1553.
His Writings
William Elderton was famous for his ballads, which were popular songs or poems of his time. One of his earliest known ballads was called The Panges of Loue and louers fttes, written in 1559.
Other famous writers of his time, like Michael Drayton, even mentioned Elderton in their own works. This shows how well-known and respected he was. He also wrote a book of jokes and funny stories called Eldertons Jestes with his mery Toyes, which was published around 1561.
Some of Elderton's other known ballads include:
- The true fourme and shape of a monstrous chyld (1565): This ballad was about a child born with unusual features.
- An Epytaphe upon the Death of the Right Reverent and learned Father in God, I. Iuell (1571): This was a poem written to honor a respected religious leader.
- A new Yorkshyre song (1584): This ballad described an archery competition.
Elderton also wrote some verses that were printed in a book called Arnalt and Lucenda in 1575. The historian John Stow mentioned that Elderton, who worked as a lawyer, wrote verses about the images on the Guildhall Gate in London.
Later Life and Legacy
William Elderton passed away around 1592. Other writers of his time, like Gabriel Harvey and Thomas Nashe, mentioned him in their writings, showing his lasting impact.
His ballads were very popular and some of them were even reprinted many years later. One of his ballads, "The God of Love," is even quoted in William Shakespeare's famous play, Much Ado about Nothing. This shows how his work continued to be enjoyed even after his death.
