Edward Hall
Edward Hall (also Halle ) (* 1495 or 1498; † 1547 ) was an English historian , lawyer and chronicler of the Tudor era.
He received his education at Eton and at King's College , Cambridge (1518). After completing his training, he became a lawyer in London. In 1532 he took over the office of sergeant and judge at the court of the Sheriff of London. In addition, he was also a Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth , Shropshire.
Hall is known for his work, " The Union of the two Noble and Illustrious families of Lancaster and York ". This work, better known as " Hall's Chronicle ", was first published in 1542. In 1550, an expanded edition appeared with additional notes from the author, which were inserted after Hall's death by Richard Grafton, one of the most famous English book printers under King Henry VIII.
The chronicle begins with the rise of Henry IV as king in 1399, describes the conflicts between the Yorkists and Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses and ends (with additions by Grafton) with the death of King Henry VIII in 1547.
Hall, as a staunch Protestant , clearly shows sympathy for the Protestant cause in the chronicle and does not portray the policy of King Henry VIII in a very neutral manner.However, his chronicle is highly valued by historians because it allows an unadulterated look at historical material through contemporary witness reports . Hall looks at his reports clearly with the trained eye of the lawyer of the time, finds the opportunity to incorporate suitable stories from the peasant class and thus shows a colorful image of his time.
Viewed in absolute terms, the chronicle is therefore not very meaningful, but since it is an attractive work by a contemporary witness, it is also used by historians with pleasure, although some of its information must of course be viewed in the light of more recent research.
In addition to historians, literary scholars also find this chronicle extremely interesting, because its content was used by William Shakespeare as the most important template and one of the main sources for his historical dramas based on the history of England. Any differences between the content of these plays of Shakespeare and the exact and real story can also be traced back to a certain source as a template.
Web links
- Hall's Chronicle (full version on Archive.org)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hall, Edward |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hall, Edward |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English historian , lawyer and chronicler |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1495 or 1498 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1547 |