Ben Jonson

(1572 - 1637)

After dropping out of Westminster School to become a bricklayer with his stepfather, Ben Jonson served as a volunteer soldier during the Dutch revolt against Spain. Upon his return from the Netherlands, he began writing for theater impresario Philip Henslowe, and in 1598 his play Every Man in His Humour was performed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, possibly at the recommendation of cast member William Shakespeare. Jonson became a favorite at the court of James I, hired to write masques and comedies, and in 1616 he became poet laureate. He is buried in Westminster Abbey under the inscription o rare ben jonson.