Richard Vennar (orRichard Vennard; 1564–1615)^[1] was an English writer, known particularly for his attempt to stage his playEngland's Joy.

Vennar, baptised on 25 January 1564 at theChurch of St Edmund, Salisbury, was the second son of John Vennard of Salisbury, a merchant. He was educated byAdam Hill, prebendary and succentor of Salisbury Cathedral, proceeding about 1572 toBalliol College, Oxford, where he studied for two years as a fellow commoner. Along with an Italian guide, a serving man and a page, provided by his father, he crossed to France towards the close of 1574, visited the court ofHenri III, and procured letters of commendation to the emperor,Maximilian II. After some stay in Germany he returned home, and became a member ofBarnard's Inn. He was admitted toLincoln's Inn on 10 June 1581, receiving the privileges of a special admission on 25 July 1587 (Records of Lincoln's Inn, 1896, i. 93).^[1][2]

After the deaths of his elder brother in 1588 and his father in 1589, he found himself involved in a lawsuit with the husband – a lawyer, Richard Low – of his elder brother's widow for the possession of his patrimonial estates, and was ultimately compelled to take a younger brother's portion. Vennar went to prison at least twice during the affair, for allegedly stealing documents and for debt; he thought his reputation had been destroyed, and was determined to rehabilitate himself. In 1600 he proceeded to Scotland, and injudiciously solicited the intervention ofJames VI with the lords of the council. He had a favourable reception, and composed a thanksgiving for the delivery of James from theGowrie conspiracy, which was presented to the king. His good reception aroused Queen Elizabeth's anger, and on his return to England he was promptly arrested and imprisoned for a short time "as a dangerous member to the state".^[1][2]

In 1601 appearedThe Right Way to Heaven: and the true testimonie of a faithfull and loyall subject. Compiled by Richard Vennard of Lincolnes Inne. Printed byThomas Este (published in London), a work of a religious character, but abounding in adulation of Queen Elizabeth. The first part was reprinted in the following year with several alterations and additions, with the titleThe Right Way to Heauen, and a good presedent for Lawyers and all other good Christians. It was reprinted inJohn Nichols'sProgresses of Queen Elizabeth (iii. 532–43). An undated reprint of the second part,The True Testimonie, was preserved in theBridgewater Library. It is prefaced by a dedication to James I, and contains a thanksgiving for the deliverance of the kingdom from theGunpowder Plot.

Not realising much by the sale, Vennar, who had in contemplation a second journey to Scotland, proclaimed his intention of representing England's triumphs over Spain in a masque entitledEnglands Ioy. Thebroadside of the plot is in possession of theSociety of Antiquaries of London, and has been reprinted in theirMiscellanies (x. 196). He announced in the broadside that it would be represented atthe Swan on 6 November 1602, and a large company, including many noblemen, assembled to witness it. After taking the entrance money, however, Vennar disappeared, and the audience revenged themselves by breaking up the furniture. Vennar himself states that he was arrested by bailiffs when the masque was about to begin, butJohn Chamberlain relates that he fled on horseback, was pursued, captured, and brought before SirJohn Popham, who treated the affair as a jest, and bound him over in five pounds to appear at the sessions (Chamberlain, Letters, Camden Soc. p. 163; Hazlitt, Shakespeare Jest Books, 1864, i. 145).^[2] The play was eventually staged byWilliam Fennor in 1615.^[1]

The episode caused much amusement. Vennar was universally regarded as an impostor and dubbedEngland's Joy, a name which gave him peculiar annoyance. In 1614 he wrote a vehement protest, entitledAn Apology: written by Richard Vennar of Lincolnes Inne, abusively called Englands Joy. To represse the contagious ruptures of the infected multitude. It was printed in London byNicholas Okes. The work is divided into two parts, of which the first is autobiographical, and the second relates Vennar's exertions to obtain the abolition of imprisonment for debt in England. The only perfect copy extant is in theBritish Museum Library, but it was reprinted inCollier'sIllustrations of Old English Literature (vol. iii.). Collier inaccurately claims that it is the "oldest piece of prose autobiography" in English.^[2]

Several allusions to "England's Joy" occur in contemporary literature, particularly inBen Jonson'sLove Restored (1610–11), in hisThe Masque of Augurs (1622), and in SirJohn Suckling's comedyThe Goblins (1646). A poem entitled "Englands Joy", R. R., published without date, place, or printer's name, is sometimes attributed to exiledRecusantRichard Verstegan, but was believed byLouise Guiney to be the work of John Vennar.England's Joy commemorated victory against the4th Spanish Armada sent to Ireland in 1601 culminating in theBattle of Kinsale where theIrish clans underHugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone andRed Hugh O'Donnell were also defeated.

In 1606 Vennar was arrested on suspicion of an intention to defraud SirJohn Spencer of £500 on pretence of preparing a masque under the patronage of SirJohn Watts, the Lord Mayor. After that he avoided London, and lived chiefly in Essex and Kent. He was finally imprisoned for debt in 1614 inWood Street Compter, where he wrote hisApology, and died. William Fennor wrote that Vennar had objected to fees demanded in the compter and been thrown into the black hole, where "lying without a bedde, hee caught such an extreame cold in his legges, that it was not long before he departed this life". (Fennor, Compters Commonwealth, 1617, pp. 62–64). He was buried atSt Michael's Church, Wood Street on 13 October 1615.^[1][2]

Attribution

•   This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Carlyle, Edward Irving (1899). "Vennar, Richard". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 210–212.