Thomas Randolph (poet)
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Thomas Randolph (bapt. 15 June 1605 – March 1635) was an English poet and dramatist, recognised by his mentor Ben Jonson as being a promising writer of comedy, and amongst his contemporaries had a reputation as a wit.
Thomas was born at Newnham, Northamptonshire, near Daventry, England, eldest son of William Randolph (1572–1660) and Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Smith, of Newnham.[1] He was baptized on 18 June 1605.[a] William and Elizabeth had two other sons and a daughter.[1] Around 1613 his mother died, shortly after giving birth to Randolph's sister. His father remarried about 1615 to Dorothy, the widow of Thomas West of Cotton End, and daughter of gentleman Richard Lane, of Courteenhall. Her brother was the barrister Richard Lane.[1] William and Dorothy were married two years after the family moved to a house in Little Houghton where his father was steward to Lord Zouche.[2] They had three daughters and four sons.[1] Thomas's half-brother Henry (1623-1673) emigrated to Colonial Virginia, becoming ancestor of the Randolph family of Virginia.[3][4] He was the uncle of American colonist William Randolph.[5][4]
Education
Randolph was admitted in 1618 as a King's Scholar to the College of St. Peter, better known as Westminster School,[2] and then Trinity College, Cambridge in 1624 at the age of 18.[6] He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1628, promoted to Master of Arts in 1631, and became a major fellow of his college in the same year.
Prior to official publication, Randolph wrote several pieces before entering Westminster, including several epitaphs for people close to the family, the first written when he was 16 in the year 1621. While at Cambridge, he contributed what was probably his first official literary contribution: a poem that was included in a collection celebrating the marriage of King Charles to Princess Henrietta Maria.[2] Around 1626, Thomas' first dramatic production was produced at Cambridge: Aristippus or The Jovial Philosopher. He also revived the tradition of Saltings at Cambridge and his Salting is one of the few that have survived to our day. The revival was repeated the following year by a student one year below Randolph: John Milton.[2] Randolph continued writing throughout his educational career.
