▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁" no ▁more ▁than ▁circumst ant ial " ▁by ▁Cooper , ▁however . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁popular ▁alternatives ▁are ▁listed ▁below . ▁ ▁Wel sh ▁poet ▁The ▁earliest ▁identification ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁John ▁B ale , ▁a ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁anti qu arian , ▁who ▁declared ▁that ▁Mal ory ▁was ▁Wel sh , ▁ha iling ▁from ▁Mal oria ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁De e . ▁This ▁theory ▁received ▁further ▁support ▁from ▁Sir ▁John ▁Rh ys , ▁who ▁proc laimed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁that ▁the ▁alternative ▁sp elling ▁indicated ▁an ▁area ▁str add ling ▁the ▁border ▁between ▁England ▁and ▁North ▁Wales ▁border , ▁Male ore ▁in ▁Fl int shire ▁and ▁Male or ▁in ▁Den b igh shire . ▁On ▁this ▁theory , ▁Mal ory ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁related ▁to ▁Edward ▁Rh ys ▁Ma elor , ▁a ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁Wel sh ▁poet . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁suggested ▁by ▁anti qu ary ▁John ▁L eland ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁Wel sh , ▁ident ifying ▁" Mal ory " ▁with ▁" M ael or ". ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Mal ory ▁of ▁Pap worth ▁A ▁second ▁candidate ▁was ▁presented ▁by ▁A . T . ▁Martin , ▁another ▁anti qu arian , ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Ath ena e um ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁who ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁author ▁was ▁Thomas ▁Mal ory ▁of ▁Pap worth ▁St ▁Ag nes ▁in ▁Hun ting d ons hire . ▁Martin ' s ▁argument ▁was ▁based