author
active approximately 1462 of Cobsam Adam
Known only through a lively Middle English tale, this late medieval writer is remembered for a mischievous story of wit, fidelity, and comic revenge. The surviving record is slim, but the poem has kept the name Adam of Cobsam in literary history.
1 Audiobook
The Wright's Chaste Wife A Merry Tale (about 1462)
by active approximately 1462 of Cobsam Adam
About the author
Adam of Cobsam is an elusive medieval English author, known for The Wright's Chaste Wife, a comic narrative poem preserved in a manuscript dated to about 1462. Modern catalogs and editions commonly list the writer simply as "active approximately 1462," which reflects how little is securely known beyond the poem itself.
The Wright's Chaste Wife has lasted because of its brisk storytelling and earthy humor. The tale turns on marriage, temptation, and clever payback, giving modern listeners a vivid glimpse of late medieval popular literature and the tastes of its audience.
No reliable biographical details beyond the name and approximate date were confirmed in the sources I found, so this author remains more of a literary presence than a fully known historical figure. Even so, that one surviving work has been enough to keep Adam of Cobsam's voice alive for readers of Middle English verse.