Arthur Kelton

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Arthur Kelton (died 1549/1550) was an author who wrote in rhyme about Welsh history.

Life

Kelton's parents and date of birth are unknown. He married Matilda Strange, with whom he had 4 children.

A grandson born in 1541 was also named Arthur, and is sometimes confused with his grandfather. He was the heir of Thomas Kelton of Shrewsbury, by Mary, daughter of George Ponsbury. He married Joan, daughter of Richard Morgan, by whom he had a son, William.

Writing

Arthur Kelton is credited with Book of Poetry in Praise of Welshmen (1546) and A Chronicle with a Genealogie declaring that the Brittons and Welshmen are linealiye dyscended from Brute (1547), which was dedicated to Edward VI. He dealt with early British history after the uncritical fashion of Geoffrey of Monmouth, and made no serious effort at scholarship.

As Philip Schwyzer says in the Dictionary of National Biography, "His works are devoted to the celebration, in roughly equal measure, of British antiquity, the Tudor dynasty, the Reformation, and the union of England and Wales. Kelton's originality lies in the way he fused these disparate strands into a grand historical narrative." This was later to be a common theme in English literature.

Publications

• A Commendacyon of Welshmen. London: [Richard Grafton?], 1546.
• A Chronycle with a Genealogie; declaryng that the Brittons and Welshemen are lineallye dyscended from Brute: Newly and very wittely compyled in Meter. London: Richard Grafton, 1547.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• Anglo-Welsh poets
• List of British poets

References

• Philip Schwyzer, ‘Kelton, Arthur (d. 1549/50)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 April 2007 (subscription access)
• W.O. Ringler, ‘Arthur Kelton's contributions to early British history’, Huntington Library Quarterly, 40 (1976–7), 353–6.