Thursday, August 25, 2005

New document found

Reported in The Times Online (London): "Park Honan, a scholar and biographer, has unearthed a “crucial” document that reveals that the murderer, Ingram Frizer — a known conman who received a royal pardon just a month after stabbing the poet — was later rewarded with extensive property."
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Professor Honan, Emeritus Professor at the School of English, University of Leeds, points the finger at Walsingham, who needed to rid himself of any association with the poet.
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Professor Honan — whose research is published by Oxford University Press in Christopher Marlowe: Poet & Spy on October 27 — believes that the document unearthed in the archives of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, in Leeds, shows that Marlowe was killed for financial reasons. The document records that James gave land to Walsingham’s wife, who leased it to Frizier.

Professor Honan said: “It had been known that Frizer had received money before, but not in such a large amount. He enjoyed prosperity as Thomas rose in the court. He later became business agent of Walsingham’s wife and enjoyed even greater prosperity.”

Charles Nicholl, a noted scholar, said of Professor Honan: “Anything he says about Marlowe should be viewed with a great deal of interest.”