Poet, Privy Seal clerk, and scribe, Thomas Hoccleve (1367?–1426) produced short religious and secular poems as well as two major long works, The Regiment of Princes and what is called the “Series”. A contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and John Lydgate, Hoccleve claims to have known Chaucer during his lifetime (1343?–1400) and wrote some of the earliest praise for his contemporary and literary predecessor. He is also known for his autobiographical style, anti-Wycliffite (or Lollard) writings, his association with the Ricardian and Lancastrian governments of his day, his descriptions of London, and the fact that three manuscripts of his poetry survive in his own hand.
Although we know a lot about Hoccleve's life from his poems and from government financial records, we know very little for certain about his parents, place of...
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Citation: Goldie, Matthew Boyd. "Thomas Hoccleve". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 October 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2158, accessed 07 December 2025.]
