William Haughton

William Haughton (died 1605) was an English playwright in the age of English Renaissance theatre. During the years 1597 to 1602 he collaborated in many plays with Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, John Day, Richard Hathwaye and Wentworth Smith.

Most of what little biographical information there is about him is derived from the papers of Philip Henslowe, proprietor of the Rose Theatre. Henslowe's earliest reference to him refers to him as "young" Haughton. He wrote all his known dramatic work for Henslowe, for production by the Admiral's Men and Worcester's Men. (Henslowe's papers refer to Haughton as Hawton, Hauton, Haughtoun, Haulton, Howghton, Horton, Harton, and Harvghton—a fine example of the famously flexible Elizabethan orthography. His name is spelled Houghton in his 1605 will.)

A merry comedy entitled Englishmen for My Money, or A Woman will have her Will (1598) is ascribed to his sole authorship, and Fleay credits him with a considerable share in Patient Grissel (1599). The latter attribution has been confirmed and refined by W. L. Halstead and by Cyrus Hoy (1980), giving the subplot concerning Sir Owen the Welsh Knight and his wife Gwenthyan, as well as that concerning the Duke's sister Julia and her three foolish suitors to Haughton, leaving the main plot to Dekker and Chettle.

On 10 March 1600 Henslowe lent Haughton ten shillings "to release him out of The Clink".

The Devil and his Dame, mentioned as a forthcoming play by Henslowe in March 1600, is identified by Fleay as Grim the Collier of Croydon, which was printed in 1662. In this play an emissary is sent from the infernal regions to report on the conditions of married life on earth. This attribution has recently been confirmed by William M Baillie (see below).

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