The Alabaster family has a rich tradition in literature, theology, and the visual arts. This page highlights some of the most notable Alabaster figures in the arts.

William Alabaster (1567–1640)

Born in Hadleigh, Suffolk, William Alabaster is the most celebrated member of the family. A scholar, poet, and theologian, he studied at Trinity College Cambridge and became one of the most accomplished Latin poets of the Elizabethan age.

His religious convictions led him to convert to Catholicism, for which he was imprisoned — first in the Tower of London, then at Framlingham Castle in 1601. He later returned to the Church of England and held a canonry at St Paul’s Cathedral.

His major scholarly work, Apparatus in Revelationem Jesu Christi (1607), was presented to the Hadleigh town archives at the 2008 Alabaster Gathering. His sonnets, rediscovered in the twentieth century, are considered among the finest of the period.

Brian Alabaster ARBS

Brian Alabaster is an internationally acclaimed contemporary sculptor and an Associate of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. He spoke about his work at the 2008 Alabaster Gathering in Hadleigh.

Adrian Alabaster

Adrian Alabaster is the author of Quintet of Alabasters, available from the Society. See our Publications page for details.

Further profiles of Alabasters in the arts are published in the Alabaster Chronicle. Contributions welcome — contact the Editor via our Contact page.