Edward de Vere(1550-1604)
- Writer
The 17th Earl of Oxford, hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain of England,
scion of the noble house of Vere (his ancestor Aubrey received titles
and estates from William the Conqueror in 1066). Poet, playwright, and
courtier to Queen Elizabeth I, he received his classical education at
Cambridge and Oxford, studied law at Gray's Inn, and had his own
company of players who performed at court and in the public theatres.
Due to the extraordinary parallels between what is known about his life
and writing, and the language and events of the poems and plays, he is
believed by many to have written under the pen-name William
Shakespeare.