William Hunnis facts for kids

William Hunnis was an English poet, playwright, and music composer. He lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his poems, plays, and songs. He also worked for the royal family.

About William Hunnis

Early Life and Royal Service

William Hunnis started working for William Herbert around 1549. Herbert later became the Earl of Pembroke. Hunnis was a talented writer from a young age. He wrote many sweet poems and songs. He also wrote plays called "interludes." His friend Thomas Newton said that Hunnis wrote these fun pieces when he was young. Later in life, Hunnis focused more on religious writings and deep thoughts.

In 1550, Hunnis published some of his works. Soon after, he became a gentleman of the Chapel Royal. This meant he worked for the royal family's church music group. He served King Edward VI.

Challenges During Mary I's Reign

When Queen Mary I came to power, Hunnis kept his job. However, he got involved in some secret plans. In 1555, he was part of a group that wanted to remove Queen Mary from power. They wanted to replace her with her sister, Elizabeth.

Hunnis knew a bit about alchemy, which was an old way of trying to turn metals into gold. He was supposed to help make money for the plan. Later, his job changed. He was asked to make fake keys for the treasury in London. He could do this because he was friends with Nicholas Brigham, who worked there.

However, one person in the group told the authorities about the plan. Some people involved were punished, but Hunnis was only put in prison.

Life After Prison and Royal Appointments

When Queen Mary died, Hunnis was set free. In 1559, he married Margaret, who was the widow of his friend Nicholas Brigham. But she passed away within a year. In 1560, Hunnis married again, this time to a grocer's widow.

He also became a grocer himself and a freeman of the City of London. This meant he had special rights to trade in the city. He also became the supervisor of the Queen's Gardens at Greenwich.

In 1566, Hunnis received an important job. He was made Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal. This meant he was in charge of training young boys to sing and perform for the Queen. The plays these children performed were usually not printed beforehand. This might be why we don't have many complete plays written by Hunnis today.

In his later years, Hunnis bought land in Barking, Essex. He may not have been very rich. A note from 1557 suggests he didn't have much money to leave behind.

William Hunnis's Works

William Hunnis created many different works, including poems and musical pieces. Here are some of his known works:

• Certayne Psalms (1549)
• A Hive full of Hunnye (1578)
• Seven Sobbes of a sorrowful Soule for Sinne (1583)
• Hunnies Recreations (1588)
• Sixteen poems in a collection called Paradise of Dainty Devices (1576)
• Two poems in another collection called England's Helicon (1600)

His most famous musical works are found in a collection called Seven Sobs of a Sorrowfull Soule for Sinne. This collection also includes A Handful of Honisuckles. The music in this collection is religious and often features simple tunes. Some of his music was written for a solo voice and instruments called viols. An example is his song "In terrors trapp'd," which uses his own poem.