Thomas Killigrew 1612-1683

Thomas KILLIGREW 1612-83

Armorial stamp of Thomas Killigrew (British Armorial Bindings)

Biographical Note

Born at Lothbury, London, son of Sir Robert Killigrew, courtier and MP. He entered court service and by 1632 was a page of honour to the King; shortly afterwards he began writing and staging plays, beginning with The Prisoner (1635). He travelled in Europe around 1640; supporting the King during the Civil War, he was again in Europe in the late 1640s and 1650s, with a series of diplomatic missions on behalf of the exiled court. At the Restoration he settled in London, where he and Sir William Davenant were licensed to erect two playhouses; Killigrew established the King's Company of players, and became a successful theatre manager, while continuing to write plays. Towards the end of his life, when he withdrew from the theatre, he was in some financial difficulties.

Books

A small number of books decorated with his armorial stamps are recorded in the Armorials database; the extent of his library is not known. His will has no reference to books; most of his estate was left to his son Henry.

Sources

• Will of Thomas Killigrew, The National Archives PROB 11/372/365.
• British Armorial Bindings.
• Motten, J. P. Vander. "Killigrew, Thomas (1612–1683), playwright and theatre manager." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.