Roger Williams | |
|---|---|
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Actions_in_the_Lowe_Countrries.jpg) The title page of Williams' book The Actions of the Lowe Countries. | |
| Born | c. 1539–1540 |
| Died | 12 December 1595 (aged 55–56) London, England |
| Buried | St. Paul's Cathedral, London |
| Allegiance |  Dutch Republic Kingdom of Navarre Kingdom of England |
| Battles/wars | Dutch Revolt War of the Catholic League |
Sir Roger Williams (1539–1540 – 12 December 1595) was a Welsh soldier of fortune and military theorist, who served the Protestant cause, fighting against the Spanish in several theatres of war. Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester said that as a soldier he was "worth his weight in gold". He was later a close associate of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and became a national hero because of his exploits fighting the Catholic League. He has been described as "an obstreperous, opinionated Welsh soldier" who was "Essex's devoted confederate and agent".[1]
In his writings on the art of war, Williams was a strong advocate of the modernisation of armies and the exploitation of new military technologies.
Some Shakespeare scholars have suggested that he was the basis for the pugnacious Welsh captain Fluellen in William Shakespeare's Henry V, a character who is also both argumentative and unflinchingly loyal.
- ^ David J. Baker, Between Nations: Shakespeare, Spenser, Marvell, and the Question of Britain, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 1997, p. 54.