▁d ' Ar thur , ▁the ▁classic ▁English - language ▁chron icle ▁of ▁the ▁Arthur ian ▁legend , ▁published ▁by ▁William ▁Ca xt on ▁in ▁ 1 4 8 5 . ▁Mal ory ’ s ▁identity ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁confirmed , ▁but ▁the ▁lik eli est ▁candidate ▁is ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁Mal ory ▁of ▁New bold ▁Re vel ▁in ▁War wick shire . ▁Much ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁history ▁is ▁obsc ure , ▁but ▁Ca xt on ▁class ifies ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁‘ kn ight ▁prisoner ’ , ▁apparently ▁reflect ing ▁a ▁criminal ▁career , ▁for ▁which ▁there ▁is ▁am ple ▁evidence , ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁prisoner - of - war ▁during ▁the ▁Wars ▁of ▁the ▁Ros es , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁supported ▁both ▁sides ▁at ▁different ▁times . ▁ ▁Identity ▁Most ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁Mal ory ▁st ems ▁from ▁the ▁accounts ▁describing ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁pray ers ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Win chester ▁Man us cript ▁of ▁Le ▁Mor te ▁d ' Ar thur . ▁He ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁"", ▁distingu ishing ▁him ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁six ▁individuals ▁also ▁bearing ▁the ▁name ▁Thomas ▁Mal ory ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁when ▁Le ▁Mor te ▁d ' Ar thur ▁was ▁written . ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁" T ale ▁of ▁King ▁Arthur " ▁( Book s ▁I – IV ▁in ▁the ▁printing ▁by ▁William ▁Ca xt on ) ▁is ▁written : ▁" For ▁this ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁a ▁kn ight ▁prisoner ▁Thomas ▁M alle or re ,