Edward, a celebrated English actor in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James, and founder of the college of Dulwich in Surrey, was born at London, in the parish of St Botolph, on the 1st of September 1566, as appears from a memorandum of his own writing. Dr Fuller says that he was bred a stage-player, and that his father would have given him a liberal education, but that he was not turned for a serious course of life. He was, however, a youth of excellent capacity, cheerful temper, tenacious memory, graceful elocution, and stately aspect, advantages that might probably have induced their possessor to adopt the theatrical profession. By several authorities we find he must have been on the stage some time before 1592; for at that time he was in high favour with the town, and greatly applauded by the best judges, particularly by Ben Jonson.

Heywood, in his prologue to Marlowe's Jew of Malta, calls him Proteus for shapes, and Roscius for a tongue.

He usually played the capital parts, and was one of the original actors in Shakspeare's plays: in some of Ben Jonson's he was also a principal performer; but what characters he personated in any of their plays, it is difficult now to determine. This is owing to the inaccuracy of their editors, who did not print the names of the players opposite to the characters they performed, as the modern custom is; but gave one general list of actors to the whole set of plays, as in the old folio edition of Shakspeare; or divided one from the other, setting the dramatis personae before the plays, and the catalogue of performers after them, as in Jonson's.

It may appear surprising that one of Alleyn's profession should be enabled to erect such an edifice as Dulwich College, and liberally endow it for the maintenance of so many persons. But it must be observed that he had some paternal fortune, which, though small, might lay a foundation for his future affluence; and it is to be presumed that the profits he received from acting must have considerably improved his fortune: besides, he was not only actor, but proprietor of a playhouse built at his own expense, by which he is said to have amassed considerable wealth. He was also master of the royal bear-garden, which was frequented by vast crowds of spectators; and the profits arising from these sports are said to have amounted to L500 per annum. He was thrice married; and the portions of his first two wives, they leaving him no issue, would probably increase his wealth. Aubrey mentions a tradition, that when Alleyn was personating a demon, with six others, in one of Shakspeare's plays, in the midst of the play he was surprised by an apparition of the devil; which so worked on his fancy, that he made a vow, which he performed by building Dulwich College. The foundation of this college was begun under the direction of Inigo Jones, in 1614; and the buildings, gardens, &c., on which he is said to have expended about L10,000, were finished in 1617. After the college was built, he met with some difficulty in obtaining a charter for settling his lands in mortmain; for he proposed to endow it with L800 per annum, for the maintenance of one master, one warden, and four fellows, three whereof were to be clergymen, and the fourth a skilful organist; also six poor men and as many women; besides twelve poor boys to be educated till the age of fourteen or sixteen, and then put out to some trade or calling. The obstruction he met with arose from the Lord Chancellor Bacon, who wished King James to settle part of those lands for support of two academical lectures, and wrote a letter to the Marquis of Buckingham, dated August 18, 1618, entreating him to use his interest with his Majesty for that purpose. Alleyn's solicitation was, however, at last complied with, and he obtained the royal license, giving him full power to lay his foundation, by his Majesty's letters-patent, bearing date the 21st of June 1619. He was himself the first master of his college; so that, to make use of the words of Heywood, one of his contemporaries, "He was so mingled with humility and charity, that he became his own pensioner, humbly submitting himself to that proportion of diet and clothes which he had bestowed on others." We have no reason to think he ever repented of this distribution of his substance; but, on the contrary, that he was entirely satisfied, as appears from the following memorial in his own writing, found amongst his papers:—“May 26, 1620. My wife and I acknowledged the fine at the common pleas bar, of all our lands to the college; blessed be God that he hath given us life to do it.” His wife died in the year 1623; and about two years afterwards he married Constance Hinchtoe, who survived him. He died on the 25th of November 1626, in the 61st year of his age, and was buried in the chapel of his new college, where there is a tombstone over his grave, with an inscription. His original diary is also there preserved.

Alley lived on the most friendly terms with both Shakespear and Ben Jonson. They used frequently to spend their evenings together at the sign of the Globe, somewhere near Blackfriars, where the playhouse then was. The following letter gives a small but interesting glimpse of these noctes cenaeque Deorum. The writer was a student of Christ Church, Oxford, a dramatic poet, who belonged to the Club.

“Friend Marle,

“I must desyr that my syster hyr watch, and the cookerie book you promysed, may be sente bye the man. I never longed for thy company more than last night; we were all very merrie at the Globe, when Ned Alley did not scruple to affirme pleasantly to thy Friende Will, that he had stolen his speech about thee Qualityes of an actor’s excellencye in Hamlet hys Tragedye, from conversations many-fold which had passed betweene them, and opinyons given by Alley touching the subjecte. Shakespear did not take this talke in good sorte; but Jonson put an end to the strife with wittilye remarkinge, This affaire needeth no Contentions; you stole it from Ned, no doubt; do not marvel: Have you not seen him act tymes out of number?—Believe me most sincerelie yours, G. PEELE.”