Sir Thomas Malory

The precise identity of the Sir Thomas Malory who wrote Le Morte d’Arthur has always been a matter of some debate, as there are no less than six men of this name who have been looked at as possible candidates.

The story itself tells us that Malory was a ‘knight-prisoner’, and that Le Morte d’Arthur was completed in the ninth year of the reign of King Edward the Fourth – so around 1469/1470.

The most likely candidate is Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire, born between 1414 and 1418. The full details of his colourful life are included in the introduction to the book.