Biography for
Thomas Malory More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

c. 1414, Newbold Revel, Warwickshire, England

Date of Death

14 March 1471, Newgate Prison, London, England

Mini Biography

Born around 1414-1420 into an English gentry family, Sir Thomas Malory spent his first couple of decades in quiet obscurity, aside from campaigning at the Siege of Calais in 1436. By 1441 he had been knighted, and had developed a growing interest in politics. In 1445 he became MP for his county and over the next few years developed a startling talent for lawlessness. In 1444 he had been charged with assault and theft, and in 1450 Malory tried to ambush and murder the Duke of Buckingham. He allegedly raped Joan Smith not once but twice, stole goods from her husband, extorted money, pilfered cattle, and destroyed the Duke of Buckingham's hunting lodge. In 1451 Malory was imprisoned at Coleshill, but escaped two days later by swimming the moat at night. He then twice raided Combe Abbey alongside a band of outlaws, stealing a great deal of money and harrassing the monks. Malory was captured in 1452 and thrown into a London prison where he spent eight years awaiting trial. After he was bailed out, he was caught stealing horses and placed in a Colchester jail, but fought his way through the guards and escaped. He was recaptured and returned to the London prison, but was freed by royal pardon in 1460. However, by 1468 Malory was back in Newgate prison, where he would die in 1471. While in Newgate he turned to writing, creating the immortal "Le Morte D'Arthur", which would win him eternal fame. The truth behind the seemingly contradictory nature of Sir Thomas Malory is hotly debated, and may never be fully known.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Nichol

Spouse

Elizabeth Walsh

(? - ?) 2 children

Trivia

Le Morte D'Arthur formed the basis for T.H. White's 20th century series of novels, "The Once and Future King". This series in turn formed the basis for the Broadway musical "Camelot", which was filmed in 1967, and the first book in the series, "The Sword in the Stone", formed the basis for the Disney movie of the same name.

Malory was knighted between 1439 and 1441.

Died either on 12 or 14 March 1471.

Imprisoned from about 1452-1460 and about 1468-1470. He probably wrote Le Morte Darthur whilst in prison.

Charged with many criminal offences, including extortion, rape, theft, burglary and wounding.

Le Morte Darthur was one of the earliest books to be printed in the English language.

Elected member of parliament for Warwickshire in 1445.

Likely date of birth was between 1414 and 1418.

His children's names were Robert and Thomas. Thomas probably died in 1457.

Although, technically, Malory wrote "Le Morte D'Arthur" in Middle English, his Middle English, unlike Chaucer's, is virtually indistinguishable from Shakespeare's Elizabethan English, because of the way the language had changed between the late fourteenth and late fifteenth centuries.