Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Machin, Henry

​MACHIN or MACHYN, HENRY (1498?–1563?), diarist, born about 1498, was according to his own perplexing account, fifty-six on 16 May 1554 (Diary, p. 63), and sixty-six on 20 May 1562 (ib. p. 283). He was a citizen of London, dwelling in the parish of Trinity the Little by Queenhithe, and calls himself a merchant tailor. But his chief occupation seems to have been that of a furnisher of funerals. He was a devout catholic, and welcomed Mary's accession and the restoration of the old religion. On 30 July 1557 he attended an oyster feast at a friend's house in Anchor Lane (ib. p. 143). On 23 Nov. 1561 he did penance at St. Paul's Cross for having circulated a libellous story respecting M. Veron, the French protestant preacher (ib. p. 272; Strype, Annals, i. 237). His ‘Diary’ concludes with an account of an outbreak of the plague in London in July 1563, and it is possible that he himself fell a victim to the disease.

A brother Christopher, also a merchant tailor, died in the parish of St. James on 30 Nov. 1550. A daughter, Catherine, was christened 27 Sept. 1557 (Diary, p. 153), and a niece, ‘Kynlure Machen,’ Christopher's daughter, obtained a license to marry Edward Gardener, a cooper, on 7 July 1562 (ib. p. 287). The interest manifested by the diarist in the families of two persons named John Heath has suggested a relationship between him and them: the one, a sergeant of the king's bakehouse, died in the autumn of 1551 (ib. p. 9); the other, a painter-stainer, lived in Fenchurch Street, and died in the spring of 1553 (ib. p. 32). Each left a widow named Annes. Mrs. Heath, the painter-stainer's wife, may possibly have been the diarist's sister or daughter (ib. p. 105).

Machin kept a diary, which is still extant, from July 1550 till August 1563. The earliest entries record in detail the funerals which he provided in the way of business, but in February 1550–1 he made a note of Bishop Gardiner's committal to the Tower, and thenceforth he interspersed his descriptions of funerals with accounts of the chief public events, paying especial attention to the city pageants and incidents in the religious struggles. Machin was the earliest writer to describe the lord mayor's show. The manuscript of the work is at the British Museum (MS. Cotton. Vitellius F v.), but was severely injured in the fire at the Cottonian Library. After remaining neglected till 1829, the injured leaves were carefully repaired by Sir Frederick Madden. Strype used the manuscript in his ‘Ecclesiastical Memorials and Annals,’ and commended the writer's diligence. The ‘Diary’ was printed by the Camden Society in 1848, being edited by J. G. Nichols.

A family of the name was connected with Gloucestershire, and of this branch Thomas Machen (1568–1614) was demy and fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford (B.A. 1587 and M.A. 1592), a student of Lincoln's Inn 1589, M.P. for Gloucester in 1614, and alderman and thrice mayor of the town (cf. Bloxam, Magd. Coll. Reg. iv. 224). He was buried in Gloucester Cathedral, and an elaborate ​monument to his memory still stands there (see print in Fosbroke's History of Gloucester). His wife Christian, whom he married in 1564, died in 1615.

Another family of Machon was known in Yorkshire. John Machon (1572–1640?), son of John of Machon Bancko, Sheffield, graduated B.A. from Magdalen College, Oxford, 1594; was vicar of Aston, Warwickshire, 1603, and of Ridgely, Staffordshire, 1620; canon of Lichfield, 1631; master of the hospital of St. John's de Forbrage in Stafford, 1632; and vicar of Hartburn, Northamptonshire, 1632. His son John Machon (1603–1679) graduated B.A. 1624 and M.A. 1626 from Magdalen Hall, Oxford, was master of Christ's Hospital at Sherbourne, co. Durham, and was father of Thomas Machon (d. 27 Feb. 1672–3), chaplain to Prince Rupert, master of St. John the Baptist's Hospital, Lichfield, from 1671, and canon of Lichfield (see Foster, Visitation of Durham and Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714).

One Lewis Machin (fl. 1608) was author, in collaboration with Gervase Markham [q. v.], of a comedy called ‘The Dumbe Knight,’ London, 1608, 1633. Machin signs the address ‘To the Understanding Reader.’ The piece is throughout in blank verse. Shirley makes a casual reference to it in his ‘Example,’ 1637. It is reprinted in Dodsley's ‘Old Plays,’ ed. Hazlitt, x. 108 sq. ‘Three Eclogs’ by Machin are appended to William Barkstead's ‘Mirrha,’ 1607.

S. L.