Manningham, John (1575-03-25 - 1622-11-22)

The exact birth date of John Manningham is unknown. He matriculated at Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1592, graduating B.A. in 1596. On 16 March 1598, he proceeded to study law at the Middle Temple, becoming a barrister-at-law on 7 June 1605. Manningham is best remembered for his duodecimo diary which he kept as a student at the Middle Temple (January 1602-April 1603); at least a third of this notebook is dedicated to summaries of sermons which he heard. In addition, the diary contains the earliest known record of a performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on 2 February 1602, at the Middle Temple Candlemas Day feast. Manningham died at his home at Bradbourne Manor, East Malling, Kent on 22 November 1622. He was buried at East Malling church. See also John Manningham, Diary of John Manningham, ed. by John Bruce (London, 1868); John Manningham, The Diary of John Manningham of the Middle Temple, 1602-1603, ed. by Robert Parker Sorlien (Hanover, NH, 1976).