FROM KENT LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES Christopher Marlowe and Canterbury A circular walk www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent KENT “Was this the face that launch’d a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?” Doctor Faustus: Act Five, Scene One The playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe was born in Canterbury in 1564, the son of a shoemaker. His groundbreaking use of blank verse and dynamic plotlines paved the way for William Shakespeare, yet he is remembered also for his roistering lifestyle, a heady mixture of scandal, religion and espionage. Although it is widely believed he met his end in a brawl in Deptford, the truth may yet turn out to be stranger than fiction. From the clock tower, go down the 1 Marlowe’s home: High Street. St George’s Church After 160 metres, turn right into Christopher Marlowe was baptised at Butchery Lane towards the cathedral. the church of St George the Martyr on Saturday, 26 February 1564; the Turn left at the end towards the entry in the parish register is held Buttermarket. at Canterbury Cathedral Archives. Christopher’s parents, John and 2 Marlowe’s Canterbury: Katherine Marlowe, were married here The Buttermarket and The Sun Inn on 22 May 1561, a union that lasted At the time of Christopher Marlowe’s nearly forty-four years until their birth, Canterbury was a small town deaths in 1605. of about seven hundred households, with wooden framed buildings like The house, believed to have been the Sun Inn. This was the home of the Marlowe family home and the Marlowe’s contemporary from the workshop for shoemaker John King’s School, the writer John Lyly. Marlowe in the sixteenth century, The city was crowded, dirty and full of was where Fenwick department disease. store stands today. John became a freeman of Canterbury in 1564, the At this point, decide whether to enter year of Christopher’s birth, which the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, entitled him to trade in the city. Until where fees apply. (Visit www. leaving Canterbury for Cambridge, canterbury-cathedral.org or phone Christopher lived here with his 01227 762862 for details.) parents who had nine children, six of whom survived into adulthood. If you go into the cathedral precinct, head through the gates and follow the path to the left of the cathedral round towards the cloisters. Latin at all times, even when playing. The school day began at six in the morning with a psalm and litany and ended at five in the evening with a psalm, a litany and a prayer. As well as learning religion and music, the scholars sang Mass in the cathedral every morning. At the age of sixteen and a half, Marlowe won a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, becoming Bachelor of the Arts in 1584. His time at the King’s School is commemorated by a plaque. Canterbury Cathedral Archives is on the site of the medieval dormitory of Canterbury Cathedral Priory and continues a tradition of record-keeping at the cathedral Continue straight ahead through the that dates back at least 1300 years. cloisters, where you will find Kent The collection contains several Archives through the third entrance. documents relating to Christopher Marlowe and his family. Visit the web If you don’t visit the Cathedral, page www.canterbury-cathedral. continue down Sun Street and into org/history/archives to plan a visit to Palace Street. Canterbury Cathedral Archives. Turn left before the Bell and Crown pub and you will see St Alphege Leaving Archives, turn left into the Church. (Skip ahead to 4.) covered walkway. At the end turn left again, out into the 3 Marlowe’s school days: grounds of Kings School. Cathedral, Cathedral Archives and Continue round the green towards the King’s School the gate in the far-left hand corner. When he was fourteen, Marlowe Leave the precinct and turn left down became a King’s Scholar, one of “fifty Palace Street. boys both destitute of the help of friends and endowed with minds apt Once you reach the Bell and for learning”. Crown pub, turn right to find Pupils were expected to speak in St Alphege Church. 4 Marlowe’s influences: St Alphege Church When Protestant refugees fleeing religious persecution on the continent first came to Canterbury, St Alphege was the church allotted for their use until their numbers became so great they moved to the cathedral crypt. Britainonview / Rod Edwards Britainonview In 1572, when Marlowe was eight © years old, the city would have been Credit: abuzz with reports of the Massacre be fined or gaoled for not acting in of St Bartholomew’s Eve. Over three religious plays. In Marlowe’s lifetime, thousand French Protestants, or players would have performed in Huguenots, were murdered in Paris courtyards, inns and private houses. on the orders of Catherine de Médicis, mother of the king, Charles IX. The Marlowe memorial, fondly known as Kitty, depicts the Muse of Poetry. The pedestal features characters “Agent for England, send from Marlowe’s plays: Tamburlaine, Dr thy mistress word What this Faustus, Barabas and Edward II. detested Jacobin After the Marlowe Theatre continue hath done”. to the High Street. The Massacre at Paris, Act Five, Turn right towards the Westgate Scene Five Tower. Continue past St Alphege Church. 6 The Marlowe family: At the end of the road turn left. The Westgate Tower Take the next road on the right, Westgate is the only gate to the city The Friars. that still stands. At one time it had a portcullis and drawbridge, and in Marlowe’s time it was the city gaol, 5 Celebrating Marlowe: The Marlowe Theatre and imprisoning debtors, thieves and Marlowe Memorial murderers. Marlowe’s father John appears frequently in the city archives, Canterbury has a long theatrical taking neighbours to court over petty tradition. In the early sixteenth squabbles and being chased by irate century the city’s craftsmen could landlords for unpaid debts. “Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?”Hero and Leander Although the family were often forced Turn right down Stour Street to the to move home, John managed to Greyfriars guest house. avoid imprisonment here, going on to Go right through the black gates and become warden treasurer of the city’s into the gardens. Company of Shoemakers. Retrace your steps back along the 8 Marlowe the heretic: High Street to the Canterbury The Greyfriars Pilgrims Hospital. The sixteenth century was a dangerous time. People could 7 Marlowe’s early life: be executed for heresy – holding Eastbridge Hospital and The Weavers religious beliefs that were not In 1569, Archbishop Matthew Parker sanctioned by the state. Government established a school for twenty boys informers claimed that Marlowe in the chapel and endowed two converted people to atheism and scholarships at Corpus Christi College, made jokes about the Bible. He was Cambridge. Christopher Marlowe may arrested on 18 May 1593 and released well have been a pupil here before on bail. attending the King’s School and becoming a Parker Scholar at The Franciscan friars built their priory Corpus Christi. after their arrival in England in 1224. The friary was dissolved in 1538, four years after two of the friars were executed for treason after opposing Henry VIII. The King’s divorce resulted in a struggle for England’s soul between Catholics and Protestants that dominated Marlowe’s lifetime. The Greyfriars returned to Canterbury The Weavers, built in the early in the last century and now worship sixteenth century to house Protestant in the Greyfriars Chapel once more. refugees from the continent who brought their textile skills to Take a walk round the Franciscan Canterbury, would have been a Garden and relax in this peaceful oasis familiar sight to young Christopher. in the heart of the city. Upon leaving the priory turn right towards the Museum of Canterbury. 10 Marlowe the spy: Queen Elizabeth’s Guest Chamber 9 Marlowe’s signature: Adorned with elaborate plasterwork, Stour Street and the Poor Priests' this building was the focus of great Hospital excitement in 1573 when Queen Elizabeth stayed here for several Christopher Marlowe came to Stour days, including her fortieth birthday, Street on 30 of September 1586 which was celebrated with a feast at as a witness to the will of his aunt, the Archbishop’s Palace. Christopher Katherine Benchkin. Marlowe’s Marlowe was then nine years old brother-in-law, John Moore, told how and the pageantry and majesty of Marlowe read the will aloud: the Queen’s visit would later provide inspiration for scenes of lavish wealth The will is the only surviving example and power in Tamburlaine. of Marlowe’s signature and is kept at Canterbury Cathedral Archives. “A god is not so glorious as Housed inside a medieval poor priests’ a king. I think the pleasure hospital, the Museum of Canterbury has an interactive Marlowe exhibition they enjoy in heaven where you can find out more about cannot compare with his life and work and investigate his kingly joys in earth”. mysterious death. Tamburlaine the Great, Part One, Act Leaving the museum, follow Two, Scene Five Hawks Lane. Turn left at the end past The The Queen would touch Marlowe’s Canterbury Tales into the High Street. life once again when he was recruited by the English secret service while Turning left on the High Street you a student at Corpus Christi College. will see the Queen Elizabeth’s Guest His work for the government was Chamber which is now a coffee shop. acknowledged when the college Mercery Lane is in front of you, the attempted to withhold his master’s the site of Chequers of the Hope Inn.