Wilbur Gleason Zeigler (1857–1923) was an American lawyer and author who made a unique mark on literary history. He is most famous for originating the Marlovian theory of Shakespeare authorship, which proposes that Christopher Marlowe was the true author of the works traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare. Zeigler first introduced and detailed this theory in the preface and extensive notes of his 1895 novel, It Was Marlowe: A Story of the Three Chimneys. In this work, he laid the groundwork for future Marlovian theorists by arguing that Marlowe survived his reported death to write under Shakespeare's name.
Beyond his contributions to Shakespearean authorship debates, Zeigler wrote on a variety of historical and regional subjects. His bibliography includes works exploring the history of Ohio and the local culture of North Carolina. Additionally, Zeigler was a survivor of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, an experience that he documented in his writings, providing valuable firsthand historical accounts of the disaster. Throughout his career, his writing bridged the gap between creative historical fiction, regional history, and investigative literary theory.
