Thomas Churchyard
born c. 1520, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Eng.
died 1604, London
English writer who won brief fame through his
occasional verse, pamphlets on wartime
experiences, pageants for Queen Elizabeth I, and
historical and antiquarian works—all reflecting
aspects of a crowded career. His works have
never been completely printed and are of only
intermittent quality. Churchyard’s earliest work
was A Myrrour for Man (about 1552), reflections
on the estate of man. His most important poem,
The Legend of Shore’s Wife, was
printed in the 1563 edition of A Mirror for
Magistrates, a collection of verse laments by
several authors. He is also thought to have
authored lyrics in Tottel’s Miscellany (1557).
After serving in the household of Henry Howard,
Earl of Surrey, Churchyard became a mercenary,
for 30 years fighting in almost every campaign
in Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries, and
France under various banners. Later, at court,
he devised pageants for Queen Elizabeth’s
progresses to Bristol (1574) and Norwich (1578),
but a passage in his Generall rehearsall of
warres (1579) offended Elizabeth, and Churchyard
fled to Scotland. He was restored to favour
about 1584 and received a small pension in 1593.
