Holinshed

Holinshed, Raphael (d. 1580?), chronicler, was probably the son of a landed proprietor in Cheshire. Soon after the accession of Elizabeth he enmo to London, and obtained work undo; Reginald Wolfe, the royal printer, whom he assisted in preparing the descriptions of England, Scotland, and Ireland, based on the MSS. of Lelnnel, which were to form part of his Universal Cosmographie. After the death of Wolfe (1573) this large design was abandoned, but Holinshed, in conjunction with William Harrison (q.v.) and Richard Stanihnrst, was instructed to proceed with the parts relating to Great Britain. Raphael Ifollingcshvd's Cronycle was published in 1578, his own contributions consisting of the history of England to 1577, of Scotland to 1571, and of Ireland from its conquest to 1509. A new edition with continuations and insertions appeared in 1586 after his death. During the latter part of his life he appears to have been steward to Thomas Bnrdet of Bramcote in Warwickshire. Holinshed was diligent in the search of authentic materials, and his work may be accepted as a trustworthy source of historical information. A further interest attaches to it from the fact that it. furnished the plots of Shakespeare's historical plays and other Elizabethan dramas.