The Holinshed’s Chronicles

Shakespeare did not invent his stories for his plays. He had to research them. One source for his History plays would have been the Holinshed Chronicles
We have the first 1577 edition in a C19th Century binding. at a mere 2.5 million words. The 1587 edition has 3.5 million words. Both texts are available on-line. The idea for this complete history of the whole world came from a printer, Reginald Wolfe in 1548 but he soon realised he could not do it on his own and he appointed Raphael Holinshed and William Harrison to help him. Wolfe died in 1573 with the work far from complete so it was decided just to concentrate on the British Isles and Richard Stanyhurst, Edmund Campion and John Hooker were engaged to help. The work was published in two volumes complete with maps and illustrations.

Holinshed has a Warwickshire connection – in his will he is described as being steward to Thomas Burdet of Bramcote (it’s near Nuneaton).