William Elderton (ballad writer)
William Elderton (died 1592?) was an actor, lawyer, and prolific English ballad-writer, well known in London literary circles.
Life
Elderton first appears as an actor playing the fourth son of the Lord of Misrule, played by George Ferrers, at the court of Edward VI during the 1552-1553 Christmas season.[1]
His son, also named William, was christened on 16 January 1548 as recorded in the parish register of St. Peter's upon Cornhill, London. His wife, Grace Clearton, was buried on 9 November 1553, in the same church, and his servant, Steven Riche, on 8 December of the same year.[2]
Works
An early dated ballad of Elderton is The Panges of Loue and louers fttes (sic), 1559. Michael Drayton, in his epistle to Henry Reynolds, writes —
I scornd your ballet then, though it were done
And had for Finis William Elderton.
A lost book, entitled Eldertons Jestes with his mery Toyes, was licensed for publication in 1561-2 (Arber, Transcript, i. 179). It provoked 'An Admonition to Elderton to leave the toyes by him begone,' which was followed by 'Eldertons answere for his mery toyes.' Both the 'Admonition' and the 'Answer' are also lost. Among Elderton's extant ballads are
- 'The true fourme and shape of a monstrous chyld which was borne at Stony Stratforde... 1565';
- 'An Epytaphe upon the Death of the Right Reverent and learned Father in God, I. Iuell,' 1571;
- 'A ballat intituled Northomberland Newes,' &c., n. d. (licensed 1569);
- 'A new Yorkshyre song,' &c., 1584, describing a match at archery, in twenty-two six-line stanzas.
Some verses of Elderton are printed before Claudius Hollyband's Arnalt and Lucenda, 1575. John Stow in his 'Survey,' (chapter on 'Cheape Warde'), quotes some verses on the images over the Guildhall Gate, composed 'about thirty yeares since by William Elderton, at that time an Atturney in the Sheriifes Courtes there.' From A true reporte of the death and martyrdome of M. Campion, 1581, it appears that he published some 'scurile balates' on Edmund Campion's execution.
Elderton died in or before 1592. In that year
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Elderton, William". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2011) |
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