Giles Fletcher the Elder (1548-1611), and his two sons, Phineas (1582-1650) and Giles the Younger (c1586-1623) were from a highly cultured and literary family. They were related to John Fletcher, born in Rye Sussex, a playwright whose fame and success rivalled that of Shakespeare during this life time. Giles the Elder, though born in Watford, Hertfordshire, moved to Cranbrook as a child. He was educated at Eton, and King’s College, Cambridge, and there became a lecturer in Greek, translating works by Demosthenes, before moving back to Cranbrook around 1580. His chief interest today is the work he wrote while posted to Russia as Queen Elizabeth’s Ambassador around 1586, unique testimony to the country during its initial development prior to the 16th century. He also served as the Member of Parliament for Winchelsea from 1584, and authored one lengthy poem, Licia.
His eldest son, born while his father and his family lived in Cranbrook, also attended Eton and King’s College, and also engaged in academic work there, till, under the patronage of Sir Henry Willoughby whose personal chaplain he served as after leaving Cambridge he was granted the living of Hilgay, Norfolk in 1621. He lived there till his death, serving as vicar, almost three decades later. He produced a large amount of work throughout his career, most of which survives and was issued in the 20th century. Of these works, the best regarded is `The Purple Island’, a long allegory which compares the body and mind be describing a journey through the former, and which was issued in 1633.
Giles the Younger was also most likely born in Cranbrook, though this is unclear. Unlike his father and elder brother, he attended Westminster rather than Eton, and then went to Trinity College, Cambridge. From 1619 he served as rector of Alderton, Suffolk. It was here that he wrote the four cantos of his best known work, `Christ’s Victorie and Triumph, in Heaven, in Earth, over and after Death.’