John Maltravers ( * c. 1290, † 16 February 1364) was married in his first marriage to Millicent de Berkeley, a sister of Thomas Berkeley. He took part in the Battle of Bannockburn and fought as a Lancaster supporter against Edward II at Boroughbridge. From there he escaped and joined Isabella in France. In April 1327 he and his brother-in-law Thomas Berkeley were put in charge of guarding the deposed Edward II, who died in September. Whether Maltravers had anything to do with it could never be clarified. In 1330 he had a dubious role in the Earl of Kent’s conspiracy. He probably convinced him that his half-brother, the deposed Edward II, was still alive. After Edward III overthrew Mortimer, Maltravers fled abroad. He was accused of Kent’s murder. Interestingly, however, there were repeated contacts between him and the English royal court. In the end, he even met Edward III, for whom he fought in the war against the French. In 1351 he was allowed to return to England.
Edward II
In the play, the role is called "Matrevis", which must be pronounced "Matrévis" because of the metre.1 Adding to the confusion, in [Scene 9] Arundel suddenly becomes Matrevis. Since Alexander Dyce’s edition2, this confusion has been explained by the fact that one actor played both roles. Martin Wiggins, on the other hand, suspects that the two characters were merged during the writing or rehearsal period. Marlowe may also have made a simple mistake, for while in the 14th century there was a strict distinction between the Earl of Arundel and Matrevis, in Marlowe’s time the Baron of Maltravers also held the title of Earl of Arundel.
Matrevis' actual appearance is with Gurney in [Scene 19]. Mortimer appoints them as new guards for the abdicated Edward II, whom they torment and humiliate. Both also thwart the liberation attempt by Kent. They support Lightborn in the assassination of the king. He then breaks the news to Mortimer that Edward II and his murderer are dead, but that Gurney has escaped and will probably reveal everything.
