Sir John Hayward

author

Sir John Hayward

d. 1627

A sharp, early modern historian whose writing about power and kingship was bold enough to alarm Queen Elizabeth I. His best-known work on Henry IV helped shape English historical writing beyond the old chronicle style.

1 Audiobook

The Lives of the III. Normans, Kings of England: William the First, William the Second, Henrie the First

The Lives of the III. Normans, Kings of England: William the First, William the Second, Henrie the First

by Sir John Hayward

About the author

Born in Suffolk around 1564, Sir John Hayward was an English historian, lawyer, and politician. He studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and later became known for learned, forceful prose that brought a more literary style to English history writing.

Hayward is best remembered for The First Part of the Life and Raigne of King Henrie IV, published in 1599 and dedicated to the Earl of Essex. Its account of Richard II's fall and Henry IV's rise was read as politically sensitive in Elizabeth I's reign, and the book brought him serious trouble.

Later in life, he held public office and continued to write historical works. Today he is often noticed both for the drama surrounding his career and for his place among the earlier English historians who moved beyond simple chronicle-writing toward more interpretive history.