John Manningham

Born in the 1570s and dying in 1622, John Manningham was an English barrister associated with the Middle Temple. He was the son of Robert Manningham of Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire, and he studied law before being called to the bar in the early 17th century.

What keeps Manningham remembered is his diary, written mainly in 1602–1603. Rather than a formal autobiography, it gathers sermon notes, court news, social observations, and bits of gossip, creating a lively picture of London life at the turn of the century.

That notebook has lasted because it captures the world around him so sharply. It is often cited for its early mention of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and for a well-known anecdote about Shakespeare and the actor Richard Burbage, making Manningham an unexpectedly important witness to the cultural life of his age.