▁War wick shire . ▁H . ▁O sk ar ▁Sommer ▁first ▁proposed ▁this ▁identification ▁in ▁his ▁edition ▁of ▁Le ▁Mor te ▁d ' Ar thur ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁and ▁George ▁L yman ▁K itt red ge , ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁Harvard , ▁provided ▁the ▁evidence ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁K itt red ge ▁showed ▁Mal ory ▁as ▁a ▁soldier ▁and ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament , ▁who ▁fought ▁at ▁Cal ais ▁with ▁Richard ▁Be auch amp , ▁Earl ▁of ▁War wick . ▁However , ▁a ▁bi ography ▁by ▁Edward ▁H icks ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁revealed ▁that ▁Mal ory ▁had ▁been ▁imprison ed ▁as ▁a ▁th ief , ▁band it , ▁kid n apper , ▁and ▁rap ist , ▁which ▁hardly ▁seemed ▁in ▁keeping ▁with ▁the ▁high ▁ch ival ric ▁standards ▁of ▁his ▁book . ▁Helen ▁Cooper ▁referred ▁to ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁one ▁that ▁" read s ▁more ▁like ▁an ▁account ▁of ▁exempl ary ▁th ugg ery ▁than ▁ch ival ry ". ▁ ▁Mal ory ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁Sir ▁John ▁Mal ory ▁of ▁Win wick , ▁North am pt ons hire , ▁who ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁Peace ▁in ▁War wick shire ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament , ▁and ▁Lady ▁Phill ip a ▁Mal ory , ▁he ir ess ▁of ▁New bold . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁after ▁ 1 4 1 5 ▁and ▁before ▁ 1 4 1 8 , ▁jud ging ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁he ▁att ained