Editing Thomas Malory (section)

===Thomas Malory of Wales===
Even only a few years after the original publication of ''Le Morte'', there was speculation as to Malory's identity. The earliest identification was made by [[John Bale]], a 16th-century antiquarian, who declared that Malory was Welsh, hailing from ''Mailoria'' on the [[River Dee (Wales)|River Dee]]. This theory received further support from [[Sir John Rhys]], who proclaimed in 1893 that the alternative spelling indicated an area straddling the border between England and North Wales, Maleore in [[Flintshire]] and Maleor in [[Denbighshire]]. On this theory, Malory may have been related to Edward Rhys Maelor, a 15th-century Welsh poet.<ref name="LMD"/> It was also suggested by antiquary [[John Leland (antiquary)|John Leland]] that he was Welsh, identifying "Malory" with "[[Maelor]]". However, most modern scholars have disregarded this early work on the basis that no such place as ''Mailoria'' has ever been identified on the Dee or elsewhere; no Welsh Thomas Malory appears in the surviving historical record; and Malory identified himself as English rather than Welsh.<ref>Matthews, pp.35-36</ref>