Ian Johnson: Edward de Vere and Thomas Watson. 'Band of Brothers 1580' ZOOM Webinar 12th Dec 2020

THE DEVERESOCIETY.CO.UK: 12TH DEC 2020, 'BAND OF BROTHERS 1580' ZOOM Webinar: Ian Johnson: Edward de Vere and Thomas Watson
In a list of poet-playwrights known to the Earl of Oxford, Thomas Heywood claimed that Apollo himself admired Thomas Watson. Born around 1555, his parents died when he was a child and he and his brother were brought up by his uncle, Thomas Lee, an educated wealthy man who was an ideal guardian. He was educated at Winchester School and briefly at New College Oxford, which he left in the early 1570s when the Commissioners for Religion were sweeping out ‘popery’, and he set sail to the continent of Europe. Watson and Oxford were in Europe at much the same time, and both may have met Ronsard.
Watson owed loyalty to the Walsingham-Sidney camp as well as to Oxford and the Band of Brothers, and the enmity of the groups may have been exaggerated. He felt he owed a debt to Walsingham, who may have helped him gain access to Padua University, supported him when his uncle died - probably employed him in his spy network - and may have led to his close friendships with Walsingham’s cousin Thomas and Kit Marlowe. Watson’s links to the de Vere clique are revealed by involvement in the Burnell case, by his The Hekatompathia of 1582, with its ‘breathtakingly erudite’ prefaces, and by his associations with John Dee and the so-called ‘School of Night’ and the ‘University Wits’.
He had close ties with the composer William Byrd, who also had dealings with de Vere. Oxford may have employed Watson to write verse for the entertainment for Queen Elizabeth at Elvetham in 1591. Scandal scarred the last months of Watson’s life, and he died of the plague in 1592: this and much more is revealed in his book, Renaissance Man. His book came close to selling out on Amazon during his presentation.

[@fuadsflkas]

so interesting...than you for the analysis.....

[@alexanderwaugh7036]

A fascinating talk by the author of an excellent - the most excellent - book on Tudor poet, Thomas Watson.

[@Eudaimonia88]

Lots of information but very confusing to listen to as there is no context and lots of theatrical gesticulating. I gave up half way through.