    edward alleyn (; 1566â1626) was an english actor who was a major figure of the elizabethan theatre and founder of dulwich college and alleyn's school. ==early life== he was born in bishopsgate, london, a younger son of edward alleyn, an innkeeper and porter to the queen, and margaret townley. his mother's link to the lancashire townley family is somewhat of a mystery. alleyn himself stated she was the daughter of john townley of townley, however this does not easily fit with the available information on the townley family tree. regardless the present-day road that passes his school was named after her in 1884.gazetteer of dulwich roads and place names at the dulwich society accessed 2010 he was baptised at st botolph-without-bishopsgate. he was known to contemporaries as "ned"; his surname is variously spelled allen or alleyne. ==career on the boards== it is not known at what date he began to act, but in 1583 his name was on the list of the earl of worcester's players.e. k. chambers, the elizabethan stage, oxford, clarendon press, 1923; vol. 2, p. 224. he was eventually rated by common consent as the foremost actor of his time; his only close rival was richard burbage.shakespeare's actors (1) :: life and times :: internet shakespeare editions. internetshakespeare.uvic.ca (2011-01-04). retrieved on 2013-08-24. he played the title roles in three of christopher marlowe's major plays: faustus, tamburlaine, and barabas in the jew of malta. he created the parts, which were probably written especially for him. the evidence for his stage career is otherwise fragmentary. other parts thought to be associated with alleyn are orlando in robert greene's orlando furioso, and perhaps hieronymo in the spanish tragedy by thomas kyd.michael hattaway, elizabethan popular theatre: plays in performance (2005), p. 91. some further and lost works are thought to have had alleyn in leading roles, including plays by george peele such as the battle of alcazar.[http://extra.shu.ac.uk/emls/si-16/connpeel.htm early mode
1566_births 1626_deaths 16th-century_English_male_actors 17th-century_English_male_actors Dulwich_College English_male_stage_actors Founders_of_English_schools_and_colleges People_from_Dulwich People_from_the_City_of_London People_of_the_Tudor_period