Hall, Edward (c. 1498-1547)

English lawyer and chronicler who wrote The Union of the Noble and Illustre Families of Lancaster and York. It chronicles the success of the Tudor dynasty supposedly bringing the War of the Roses to an end. A first edition appeared in 1542, but the second edition, published posthumously in 1548, is considered the standard version. The book was widely used by other historians, notably Raphael Holinshed, and was also used by Shakespeare as a source for his history plays.

Commonly called Hall's Chronicle it was continued after his death by Richard Grafton, but because of its Protestant bias, it was prohibited during the reign of Mary I.

Born in London, Hall was educated at Eton and Cambridge. In 1532 he was appointed common serjeant (a position in the legal system) and from 1533-40 was a reader at Grey's Inn in London. In later years he was a judge of the sheriff's court. He became a member of parliament for Bridgnorth in Shropshire in 1542 and was a commissioner to the inquiry into transgressions against the Six Articles (1539).