Spenser is paid £8 for delivering Norris’s letters, which indicates that “Ben Jonson’s claim that Spenser died ‘for lack of bread’ is unfounded.” (PROE. 351/543, f. 40r; Maley, 76; Hadfield, 386, 391)
Spenser in England at Whitehall, where he delivers Norris’s letters detailing the state of affairs in Ireland. (Judson, 201) Hadfield says Spenser “may well have attended the court in session at Whitehall…but he probably completed his business before…
Spenser made Sheriff of Cork, though he may not have been aware of his appointment until his later trip to England since he was a refugee. (Judson, 200)
Sir Thomas Norris writes to Sir Robert Cecil from Cork advising him of the traitor David Maurice and that some of Spenser’s neighbors, the Barrys, had also joined the rebellion. (Hadfield, 383)
Kilcolman is likely sacked and razed around this date. “Spenser and his family are reputed to have escaped through an underground passage known as the Fox hole, which led to caves north of the castle.” (CSPI202.113; Maley, 73) [No such…
A letter from Sir Thomas Norris, James Goold, and George Thornton to the Privy Council mentions Irish forces marching on Arlo, meaning Spenser’s estate is threatened. Hadfield mentions that “this intelligence had been ignored by the Dublin…
