Timeline
| Edward de Vere's Timeline | Historical happenings | |
|---|---|---|
| Edward de Vere is born at Castle Hedingham, Essex. First son of John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford, and Margery Golding. He is named after the king, the then 12-year old Edward IV. The De Vere family is one of the most illustrious noble families in England and have served the kings of England since the 12th century. |
1550 | |
| 1553 | King Edward IV dies of an illness. Before dying, he names his first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir, to prevent England from becoming a Catholic country again. After a 13-day reign, she is desposed of by Edward's half-sister Mary, and ultimately executed. She is 17 years old. Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and a Catholic, becomes the new Queen of England, as Mary I. |
|
| Five year old Edward is sent to study in the house-hold of one of England's most highly educated men, Sir Thomas Smith, at Ankerwycke, Buckinghamshire, near Windsor. | 1555 | |
| 1558 | Mary I, Queen of England and wife of Philip II of Spain, dies. Her young half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, becomes the new Queen, and the country returns to the Protestant faith. | |
| Edward's father dies. At the age of 11, he becomes the 17th Earl of Oxford and is made ward of the Crown. He moves to London to live in the household of William Cecil, the Queen's advisor and Secretary of State, the most powerful man in England at the time. One of his tutors is Arthur Golding, translator of Ovid's Metamorphosis. Arthur Golding is also Edward's maternal uncle. | 1561 | |
| Edward graduates with a Master of Arts degree from Cambridge University, aged 14. | 1564 | |
| He is gains another Master's degree from Oxford University, aged 16. | 1566 | |
| Studies law at Gray's Inn, one of London's four Inns of Court, established for the training of lawyers. The students at the Inns of Courts often set up masques (a form of play) and plays in wintertime. |
1567 | |
| Margaret Golding, his mother, who had previously remarried Charles Tyrrell, dies. Edward is 19 years old. |
1569 | |
| Edward is given permission to follow the Earl of Sussex on a military campaign in Scotland. | 1570 | |
| Edwards marries Anne Cecil, daughter of William Cecil. Cecil has recently become knighted, and is now Lord Burghley. | 1571 | In the Battle of Lepanto, the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic states, defeats the forces of the Ottoman Empire, and prevents its further expansion into Europe. |
| 1572 | Thomas Howard, 4th duke of Norfolk and Edward's first cousin, is executed for treason, for plotting to put the Scottish and Catholic Queen Mary on the English throne. Later in August the same year in France, the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre takes place place. Between 5,000 and 30,000 protestants are massacred during the weeks that follow. |
|
| Edwards starts travelling and sets out on a Continental tour that will take him to France, Germany and Italy. He stays more than half a year in Venice. Italy is at the height of the Renaissance, a cultural movement that celebrates the popular culture and language. Until now, Latin has been Lingua franca and the language of the educated in Europe. A new interest is shown in writing in, what Dante Aleghieri famous Italian poet, calls Vox Populi (the People's Voice). Commedia dell'Arte, Italian culture and language, its poets, writers and artists are cherished all over Europe. Edward de Vere, theatre man from early years, soaks up plays, poetry, art and culture on his travels around Italy. |
1575 | |
| His wife Anne delivers a daughter, Elizabeth. Edward returns from his travels after the birth of the child. On his return, his ship is attacked by Dutch Pirates. The French ambassador reports, "[De Vere was] left naked, stripped to his shirt, treated miserably, his life in danger if he hadn't been recognised by at Scotsman." |
1576 | Late that year, the first commercial theatres are being built in Shoreditch, London. The Theatre, the Curtain are now showing plays for the 'common' people. It quickly becomes the "it" thing of the time. |
| Edward takes over the Earl of Warwick's acting company. | 1580 | |
| His mistress, Anne Vavasour, maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, gives birth to a son. Both Anne and Edward are imprisoned in the Tower for adultery. | 1581 | |
| Thomas Knyvet, Anne Vavasour's uncle, attacks Edward De Vere and his men in a street fight meant to redeem Anne's honour. As a result both men are injured. One of Edward's servants is killed. Later in Edward's life, his injury will result in a debilitating lameness. |
1582 | |
| Edward reunites with his wife Anne Cecil. She later gives birth to a son that dies within days. | 1583 | |
| Wife Anne gives birth to daughter Bridget. Edward takes over the Earl of Worcester's acting company. |
1584 | |
| Is awarded a grant of annuity (like an annual salary) by Queen Elizabeth of £1,000 per year (about £220,000 today). No official reason for the grant is given. Edward also participates in the trial against Mary Queen of Scots for treason. |
1586 | |
| Daughter Susan is born. | 1587 | Mary Queen of Scots is executed at Fotheringhay Castle. The Rose theatre is built in Soutwark, south of river Thames. |
| Anne, Edward's wife dies, at the age of 31. She is to be buried in Westminster Cathedral next to her mother, the translator Mildred Cook, wife of William Cecil and aunt of statesman and author Francis Bacon. Edward takes part in the attempts to stop the Spanish Armada. |
1588 | The Spanish Armada, after years of preparation, sets out to invade England. The Spanish forces are superior to the English, but a twist of fortune and a brave move destroys the Armada and England is saved. |
| In a second marriage, Edward De Vere marries Elizabeth Trentham, one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honour. | 1591 | |
| Son and heir Henry De Vere is born to new wife Elizabeth. | 1593 | |
| Elizabeth De Vere, firstborn daughter in his marriage to Anne Cecil, marries the Earl of Derby at the age of 19. | 1595 | |
| 1600 | Giordano Bruno, philosopher, matematician and poet is burnt at stake in Rome, tried for heresy. He spent several years in London in the circles close to court. | |
| 1601 | In February, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, attempt a coup to force Queen Elizabeth to get rid of her then Secretary of State, Robert Cecil. As part of the rebellion the Lord Chamberlain's Men are commissioned to play Richard II, by William Shakespeare, a play that includes the deposition of an English monarch. The rebellion fails, Robert Devereux is executed. Henry Wriothesley is sentenced to death, but will later be pardoned by Elizabeth. He spends several years imprisoned in the Tower of London. William Shakespeare, the writer of the play, is never questioned for his involvement in the plot. |
|
| 1603 | Queen Elizabeth dies in February. This is the end of the Tudor era in England. The new king, James I, is the son of Mary Queen of Scots and through his coronation, England and Scotland unite under one crown. King James renews Edward De Vere's annual 'salary' of £1,000. |
|
| Edward De Vere dies on June 24th at his residence Brooke House (then King's Place), in Hackney, north London. | 1604 |
