[MR] Wikipedia: Sir Thomas Malory

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1471, Sir Thomas Malory died in London. Malory is generally
credited with writing *Le Morte d'Arthur* while held in Newgate Prison on
charges of treason against Edward IV.

As a knight, Malory was caught up in the Wars of the Roses. Malory was a
Yorkist, and a follower of Henry Beauchamp 1st Duke of Warwick. Malory was
accused several times of banditry, extortion, horse theft, and rape, crimes
committed against the Lancastrian Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham or his
followers, and probably took place during the brief periods when peace
broke out in England. These crimes, if they actually happened, appear to
have been politically motivated, as were Malory's arrests and
imprisonments. Around 1468, Malory changed sides and entered into a failed
conspiracy with Richard Neville, the new Earl of Warwick, to overthrow
Edward IV. Somehow he kept his head, and was released by Henry VI, during
his brief return to power in 1470.

It is not clear from the Wikipedia article if Mallory was actually in
prison at the time of his death, as the sidebar claims. He was buried in
Greyfriars Church near the prison.

You can read more about Sir Thomas Malory and his checkered career at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Malory

For more about about Newgate Prison, go to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgate_Prison

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆