John Derricke (fl. 1578–1581) was the author and artist of The Image of Irelande, with a Discoverie of Woodkarne, a 1581 book describing the Irish campaigns of Lord Deputy Henry Sidney.

The book's dedication to Sir Philip Sidney was signed at Dublin on 16 June 1578,[1] indicating that Derricke completed the book in Ireland and was likely an eyewitness to the events therein. Katherine Duncan-Jones connects Derricke's dedication to an assumption that Sir Philip would succeed Sir Henry, his father, as Lord Deputy.[2] He probably returned to England with Sidney in 1578, after which his illustrations would have been engraved and his book published in London by John Day in 1581.[1]

Plate from The Image of Irelande

He was in all likelihood also the John Derick who was appointed to collect custom duty on wine imported into Drogheda port in 1569.[1]

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c Hadfield, Andrew. "Derricke, John (fl. 1578–1581)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7537. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Katherine Duncan-Jones, Sir Philip Sidney, Courtier Poet (1991), p. 229.

References edit

  • Anthony M. McCormack and Terry Clavin, "Derricke, John", Dictionary of Irish Biography, (Eds.) James Mcguire and James Quinn, Cambridge University Press, 2009.

External links edit