Richard Hunt (vicar)
Encyclopedia
Richard Hunt was born in Gloucestershire
in 1596, the son of a cleric, and died in February 1661. He is primarily noted for his connection to William Shakespeare
.
, Oxford
, from which he matriculated on 4 December 1612 at the age of 16. He received his B.A.
on 23 October 1615, his M.A. on 10 July 1618, and a Bachelor of Divinity sometime afterwards. Thereafter, on July 8, 1621, he became vicar
of Bishop's Itchington
, and three years later, on January 24, 1623 married Anne Lees of nearby Lighthorne
(d.1636), a parish
in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire
. In 1657 he performed the funeral oration over Robert Lucy, a relative of the Thomas Lucy
of Charlecote
figuring in legends of Shakespeare's youth. All of his seven children died in infancy or childhood between 1631 and 1657.
at Stanford Medical School
, and a lifelong subscriber to the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship
, according to which the works of Shakespeare were actually written by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
, in 2003 made what the mainstream Elizabethan scholar Alan H. Nelson of Berkeley University
termed "one of the most important Shakespeare discoveries of recent years"; Altrocchi noted in a copy of the 1590 edition of William Camden
's Britannia, that turned out to be Richard Hunt's, an annotation which read:
The periphrastic
eponym
Roscius here is an allusion to the great Roman actor Quintus Roscius Gallus
, and was applied at the time by John Weever
(1599) and Thomas Fuller
(1662) to Edward Alleyn
, and by William Camden
to Richard Burbage
. It was variously applied to actors like Richard Tarlton
and William Ostler
, the latter by John Davies of Hereford
. There is one instance of it referring to playwrights, Ben Jonson
and William Davenant
. Nelson and Altrocchi conclude:
This marginal entry clearly showed that the book's owner, Richard Hunt, associated Stratford on Avon's fame, not only to John of Stratford
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
and a London magistrate
Hugh Clopton
, as Camden had written in 1590, but also to the actor of the London stage, William Shakespeare, who in various versions of the Oxford alternative authorship theory had been dismissed as either no more than an illiterate Stratfordian grain-merchant and real-estate speculator, or a London frontman for de Vere's plays. For Altrocchi, this meant that Richard Hunt had fallen for a hoax devised to monstrously deny to de Vere his authorship of the plays. For Nelson, it constitutes yet one more solid proof that Shakespeare of Stratford was known by learned neighbours to be the same man as the great London actor and playwright, and he adds that "[i]t would take an individual of great courage to claim that an Oxford-educated vicar born in 1596 was so deceived."
Katherine Duncan-Jones had recently suggested that Hunt's mention of Shakespeare as Stratford's third notable may reflect a possibility that his theatrical fame had contributed to the town's mercantile prosperity, through literary pilgrimages.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
in 1596, the son of a cleric, and died in February 1661. He is primarily noted for his connection to William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
Life
He attended Oriel CollegeOriel College
Oriel College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, from which he matriculated on 4 December 1612 at the age of 16. He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
on 23 October 1615, his M.A. on 10 July 1618, and a Bachelor of Divinity sometime afterwards. Thereafter, on July 8, 1621, he became vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Bishop's Itchington
Bishop's Itchington
Bishop's Itchington is a village and civil parish about southeast of Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England.The village is on the B4451 road about southwest of Southam, and about northeast of Junction 12 on the M40 motorway...
, and three years later, on January 24, 1623 married Anne Lees of nearby Lighthorne
Lighthorne
Lighthorne is a village in Warwickshire, England. It is about south of Leamington Spa.Lighthorne is a small village in a valley and is near Moreton Morrell, Kineton and Wellesbourne....
(d.1636), a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. In 1657 he performed the funeral oration over Robert Lucy, a relative of the Thomas Lucy
Thomas Lucy
Sir Thomas Lucy was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1571 and 1585. He was a magistrate in Warwickshire, but is best known for his links to William Shakespeare...
of Charlecote
Charlecote Park
Charlecote Park is a grand 16th century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon in Wellesbourne, about east of Stratford-upon-Avon and south of Warwick, Warwickshire, England. It has been administered by the National Trust since 1946 and is open to the public...
figuring in legends of Shakespeare's youth. All of his seven children died in infancy or childhood between 1631 and 1657.
Shakespeare as Roscius
Paul Altrocchi, retired professor of NeurologyNeurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
at Stanford Medical School
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine is a leading medical school located at Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, California. Originally based in San Francisco, California as Cooper Medical College, it is the oldest continuously running medical school in the western United States...
, and a lifelong subscriber to the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship
Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship
The Oxfordian theory of Shakespearean authorship proposes that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford , wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. While a large majority of scholars reject all alternative candidates for authorship, popular...
, according to which the works of Shakespeare were actually written by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
, in 2003 made what the mainstream Elizabethan scholar Alan H. Nelson of Berkeley University
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
termed "one of the most important Shakespeare discoveries of recent years"; Altrocchi noted in a copy of the 1590 edition of William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
's Britannia, that turned out to be Richard Hunt's, an annotation which read:
- et Gulielmo Shakespear Roscio planè nostro (and to William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, manifestly our Roscius).
The periphrastic
Circumlocution
Circumlocution is an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech...
eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
Roscius here is an allusion to the great Roman actor Quintus Roscius Gallus
Quintus Roscius Gallus
-Life:Endowed with a handsome face and manly figure, he studied the delivery and gestures of the most distinguished advocates in the Forum, especially Q Hortensius, and won universal praise for his grace and elegance on the stage. He especially excelled in comedy. Cicero took lessons from him...
, and was applied at the time by John Weever
John Weever
John Weever , was an English poet and antiquary.-Life:He was a native of Preston, Lancashire. Little is known of his early life and his parentage is not certain...
(1599) and Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published after his death...
(1662) to Edward Alleyn
Edward Alleyn
Edward Alleyn was an English actor who was a major figure of the Elizabethan theatre and founder of Dulwich College and Alleyn's School.-Early life:...
, and by William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
to Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage
Richard Burbage was an English actor and theatre owner. He was the younger brother of Cuthbert Burbage. They were both actors in drama....
. It was variously applied to actors like Richard Tarlton
Richard Tarlton
Richard Tarlton , an English actor, was the most famous clown of his era.His birthplace is unknown, but reports of over a century later give it as Condover in Shropshire, with a later move to Ilford in Essex...
and William Ostler
William Ostler
William Ostler was an actor in English Renaissance theatre, a member of the King's Men, the company of William Shakespeare....
, the latter by John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford
John Davies of Hereford was a writing-master and an Anglo-Welsh poet. He is usually known as John Davies of Hereford in order to distinguish him from others of the same name....
. There is one instance of it referring to playwrights, Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
and William Davenant
William Davenant
Sir William Davenant , also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned both the Caroline and Restoration eras and who was active both before and after the English Civil...
. Nelson and Altrocchi conclude:
-
Having set out the facts to the best of our ability, we leave it to others to debate whether Richard Hunt characterizes Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon (following the majority of citations) as a memorable actor, or (following Pecke) as a man of the theater or indeed as a playwright.'
This marginal entry clearly showed that the book's owner, Richard Hunt, associated Stratford on Avon's fame, not only to John of Stratford
John de Stratford
John de Stratford was Archbishop of Canterbury and Treasurer and Chancellor of England.-Life:John was born at Stratford-on-Avon and educated at Merton College, Oxford, afterwards entering the service of Edward II....
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and a London magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
Hugh Clopton
Hugh Clopton
Hugh Clopton was a Lord Mayor of the City of London.He was born at Clopton House, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.He was appointed a Sheriff of London in 1487 and elected Lord Mayor of London for 1491....
, as Camden had written in 1590, but also to the actor of the London stage, William Shakespeare, who in various versions of the Oxford alternative authorship theory had been dismissed as either no more than an illiterate Stratfordian grain-merchant and real-estate speculator, or a London frontman for de Vere's plays. For Altrocchi, this meant that Richard Hunt had fallen for a hoax devised to monstrously deny to de Vere his authorship of the plays. For Nelson, it constitutes yet one more solid proof that Shakespeare of Stratford was known by learned neighbours to be the same man as the great London actor and playwright, and he adds that "[i]t would take an individual of great courage to claim that an Oxford-educated vicar born in 1596 was so deceived."
Katherine Duncan-Jones had recently suggested that Hunt's mention of Shakespeare as Stratford's third notable may reflect a possibility that his theatrical fame had contributed to the town's mercantile prosperity, through literary pilgrimages.
Further reading
- Alan H. Nelson, Paul H. Altrocchi, ‘William Shakespeare, “Our Roscius” in Shakespeare Quarterly, Volume 60, Number 4, Winter 2009, pp. 460–469
- Katherine Duncan-Jones, ‘Shakespeare, the Motley Player,’ in The Review of English Studies, Oxford University Press 2009
- Altrocchi, Paul H.; Nelson, Alan H, ‘The Roscius Annotation Revisited: Epicurean Discovery or Ambiguous Tidbit?’, in Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter, March 22, 2007
- Alan H.Nelson, ‘Symposium: Who Wrote Shakespeare? An evidentiary puzzle: Symposium article: Stratford Si! Essex No! (An open-and-shut case,)’ in Tennessee Law Review, Fall, 2004