Thomas Middleton

Thomas Middleton (1580–1627) was an English Jacobean playwright and poet, active in London’s commercial theatre during the reigns of James I and Charles I. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he wrote comedies, tragedies, and city satires noted for their sharp social observation and complex plotting. His best-known plays include *A Chaste Maid in Cheapside* (c. 1613) and, with William Rowley, *The Changeling* (1622). Middleton also produced pageants and civic entertainments for the City of London. In 1620 he was appointed City Chronologer. He died in 1627 and was buried at St Mary’s, Newington Butts.