Westminster Chronicle of King Richard II, 1381-1394
The Westminster Chronicle is one of the most vivid and important narrative sources for the reign of Richard II. Written by an anonymous chronicler closely connected with Westminster Abbey, it covers the years 1381 to 1394, from the Peasants’ Revolt to the political tensions, court ceremonies, diplomatic negotiations, royal progresses, and public crises of Richard’s later reign. Rich in detail the chronicle records major events such as the conflicts between the King and Lords Appellant, King and the City of London, negotiations with France and Scotland, the death and funeral of Queen Anne of Bohemia, the illness of Charles VI of France, and the changing fortunes of leading nobles including John of Gaunt, Thomas of Gloucester, Robert de Vere, and the Earl of Arundel. The Chronicle offers readers a remarkable window into late fourteenth-century England, combining political observation, courtly spectacle, urban drama, ecclesiastical affairs, and moral judgement. It is an essential source for anyone interested in medieval monarchy, London, Westminster, and the troubled reign of Richard II.
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On 10th October 1738 Benjamin West was born.
In 1765 Benjamin West [aged 26] and Elizabeth Shewell were married at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map].
Around 1769 Benjamin West [aged 30]. Portrait of Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 17].
Before 1771. Benjamin West [aged 32]. Portrait of Jocosa Drury Lady Cust [aged 21].
Jocosa Drury Lady Cust: On 19th April 1749 she was born to Thomas Drury 1st Baronet and Martha Tyrrell Lady Drury. On 16th October 1770 Brownlow Cust 1st Baron Brownlow and she were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. She by marriage Lady Cust of Stamford in Lincolnshire. On 11th February 1772 Jocosa Drury Lady Cust died, probably of childbirth, since her daughter was born in 1771.
1772. Benjamin West [aged 33]. Portrait of Anna Maria Schutz as the Cumaean Sibyl reading music at a table.
Anna Maria Schutz: In 1749 John Whitwell aka Griffin 4th Baron Howard Walden 1st Baron Braybrooke and she were married.
1772. Benjamin West [aged 33]. Portrait of Catherine Clayton Baroness Howard de Walden [aged 24] as the Perisan Sibyl reading at a table writing.
Catherine Clayton Baroness Howard de Walden: Around 1748 she was born. In 1765 John Whitwell aka Griffin 4th Baron Howard Walden 1st Baron Braybrooke and she were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years. On 15th August 1807 she died.
1772. Benjamin West [aged 33]. Portrait of John Whitwell aka Griffin 4th Baron Howard Walden 1st Baron Braybrooke [aged 52].
1772. Benjamin West [aged 33]. Portrait of Edward Astley 4th Baronet [aged 42].
1773. Benjamin West [aged 34]. Portrait of Joseph Banks 1st Baronet [aged 29].
Around 1773. Benjamin West [aged 34]. Portrait of the artist's wife Elizabeth Shewell and their son Raphael.
Elizabeth Shewell: In 1765 Benjamin West and she were married at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map].
1777. Benjamin West [aged 38]. Portrait of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England [aged 32].
1778. Benjamin West [aged 39]. Portrait of the Mary Palmer Lady Beauchamp-Proctor [aged 18].
Mary Palmer Lady Beauchamp-Proctor: In 1760 she was born. On 5th May 1778 Thomas Beauchamp-Proctor 2nd Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Beauchamp-Proctor of Langley Park in Norfolk. In 1848 she died.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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In 1790 Thomas Phillips [aged 19] travelled to London with an introduction to Benjamin West [aged 51] who found him employment on the painted-glass windows of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map].
1793. Benjamin West [aged 54]. Self-Portrait.
Before 1795. Benjamin West [aged 56]. Thomas Grosvenor [aged 60].
Around 1801. Benjamin West [aged 62]. Milkmaids in St James' Park [Map] with Westminster Abbey [Map] Beyond.
Before 1802. Benjamin West [aged 63]. Richard Grosvenor 1st Earl Grosvenor [aged 70].
1805. Benjamin West [aged 66]. Portrait of the artist's wife Elizabeth Shewell and their son Benjamin West III.
1812. Benjamin West [aged 73]. Portrait of John Eardley-Wilmot [aged 64].
John Eardley-Wilmot: In 1748 he was born to John Eardley-Wilmot. On 23rd June 1815 John Eardley-Wilmot died in Bengal, India.
1814. Benjamin West [aged 75]. Portrait of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland.
On 11th March 1820 Benjamin West [aged 81] died.