Samuel Rowley
Encyclopedia
Samuel Rowley was a 17th century English
dramatist and actor
.
Rowley first appears in the historical record as an associate of Philip Henslowe
in the late 1590s. Initially he appears to have been an actor, perhaps a sharer, in the Admiral's Men
, who performed at the Rose Theatre
. After 1598, he assumed some non-acting responsibilities, helping Henslowe and Edward Alleyn
manage the business affairs of the company. Yet he remained an actor as late as 1617, as he appears in the "plots" for plays including Frederick and Basilea (as Heraclius), The Battle of Alcazar (as an ambassador), and 1 Tamar Cam. He remained with the company through its successive patronage by Prince Henry
and the Palsgrave
.
As a writer, Rowley belonged to the crowd of collaborating playwrights who kept Henslowe and Alleyn supplied with new drama. Henslowe paid him for additions to Christopher Marlowe
's Doctor Faustus; tradition, deferential to Marlowe, has assigned him the clown's bits in the 1616
edition. He wrote the now-lost Judas with William Borne (or Bird, or Boyle) and Edward Juby. He also wrote alone. His only extant solo work is When You See Me You Know Me
(1603–5), a history of Henry VIII
from the death of Jane Seymour
to the visit of Charles V
. He also wrote a play on Richard III
and two apparent comedies, Hard Shift for Husbands and A Match or no Match—all three licensed shortly before his death, and none of which has survived.
On stylistic grounds, H. D. Sykes assigned him a share in The Famous Victories of Henry V, The Taming of a Shrew, and parts of Robert Greene
's Orlando Furioso. These attributions are possible but not widely accepted, as the plays are associated with Queen Elizabeth's Men
, a troupe with which Rowley is not otherwise associated. MacD. P. Jackson also credits him with writing Richard II, Part One which others attribute to Shakespeare.
The long-uncertain question of his connection to the more-famous William Rowley
was perhaps clarified by the discovery of his will in the 1960s: in this document, a brother named William is bequeathed all of Samuel's books. Samuel Rowley died in the parish of St. Mary's in Whitechapel
, where he had resided for decades.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
dramatist and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Rowley first appears in the historical record as an associate of Philip Henslowe
Philip Henslowe
Philip Henslowe was an Elizabethan theatrical entrepreneur and impresario. Henslowe's modern reputation rests on the survival of his diary, a primary source for information about the theatrical world of Renaissance London...
in the late 1590s. Initially he appears to have been an actor, perhaps a sharer, in the Admiral's Men
Admiral's Men
The Admiral's Men was a playing company or troupe of actors in the Elizabethan and Stuart eras...
, who performed at the Rose Theatre
The Rose (theatre)
The Rose was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the fourth of the public theatres to be built, after The Theatre , the Curtain , and the theatre at Newington Butts The Rose was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the fourth of the public theatres to be built, after The Theatre (1576), the Curtain (1577),...
. After 1598, he assumed some non-acting responsibilities, helping Henslowe and 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:...
manage the business affairs of the company. Yet he remained an actor as late as 1617, as he appears in the "plots" for plays including Frederick and Basilea (as Heraclius), The Battle of Alcazar (as an ambassador), and 1 Tamar Cam. He remained with the company through its successive patronage by Prince Henry
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
and the Palsgrave
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
.
As a writer, Rowley belonged to the crowd of collaborating playwrights who kept Henslowe and Alleyn supplied with new drama. Henslowe paid him for additions to Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
's Doctor Faustus; tradition, deferential to Marlowe, has assigned him the clown's bits in the 1616
1616 in literature
The year 1616 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*Nicolaus Copernicus' De revolutionibus is placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Roman Catholic Church....
edition. He wrote the now-lost Judas with William Borne (or Bird, or Boyle) and Edward Juby. He also wrote alone. His only extant solo work is When You See Me You Know Me
When You See Me You Know Me
When You See Me You Know Me is an early Jacobean history play about Henry VIII, written by Samuel Rowley and first published in 1605.The play was acted by Prince Henry's Men, the company to which Rowley belonged through most of his acting career, and premiered most likely in 1604 at the Fortune...
(1603–5), a history of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
from the death of Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
to the visit of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. He also wrote a play on Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
and two apparent comedies, Hard Shift for Husbands and A Match or no Match—all three licensed shortly before his death, and none of which has survived.
On stylistic grounds, H. D. Sykes assigned him a share in The Famous Victories of Henry V, The Taming of a Shrew, and parts of Robert Greene
Robert Greene (16th century)
Robert Greene was an English author best known for a posthumous pamphlet attributed to him, Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit, widely believed to contain a polemic attack on William Shakespeare. He was born in Norwich and attended Cambridge University, receiving a B.A. in 1580, and an M.A...
's Orlando Furioso. These attributions are possible but not widely accepted, as the plays are associated with Queen Elizabeth's Men
Queen Elizabeth's Men
Queen Elizabeth's Men was a playing company or troupe of actors in English Renaissance theatre. Formed in 1583 at the express command of Queen Elizabeth, it was the dominant acting company for the rest of the 1580s, as the Admiral's Men and the Lord Chamberlain's Men would be in the decade that...
, a troupe with which Rowley is not otherwise associated. MacD. P. Jackson also credits him with writing Richard II, Part One which others attribute to Shakespeare.
The long-uncertain question of his connection to the more-famous William Rowley
William Rowley
William Rowley was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626...
was perhaps clarified by the discovery of his will in the 1960s: in this document, a brother named William is bequeathed all of Samuel's books. Samuel Rowley died in the parish of St. Mary's in Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, where he had resided for decades.