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All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Biography of Æthelred I of Northumbria 762-796

Around 762 Æthelred I of Northumbria was born to Æthelwald Moll King of Northumbria.

In 774 Æthelred I of Northumbria (age 12) was appointed King Northumbria.

774 Battle of Otford

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 774. This year the Northumbrians banished their king, Alred, from York at Easter-tide; and chose Ethelred (age 12), the son of [his father] Mull, for their lord, who reigned four winters. This year also appeared in the heavens a red crucifix, after sunset; the Mercians and the men of Kent fought at Otford; and wonderful serpents were seen in the land of the South-Saxons.

In 774 Alhred King of Northumbria was deposed. Æthelred I of Northumbria (age 12) was appointed King Northumbria.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 792. This year Archbishop Eanbert died, and Abbot Ethelherd was chosen archbishop the same year. Osred, king of the Northumbrians, was betrayed and banished from his kingdom, and Ethelred (age 30), the son of [his father] Ethelwald, succeeded him.

On 29th September 792 Æthelred I of Northumbria (age 30) and Queen Ælfflæd of Northumbria were married. She by marriage Queen Northumbria. She the daughter of King Offa of Mercia and Cynethryth Queen Mercia. He the son of Æthelwald Moll King of Northumbria.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. and Osred, who had been king of the Northumbrians, returning home after his exile, was apprehended and slain, on the eighteenth day before the calends of October. His body is deposited at Tinemouth. Ethelred (age 32) this year, on the third day before the calends of October, took unto himself a new wife, whose name was [his wife] Elfleda.

On 18th April 796 Æthelred I of Northumbria (age 34) died.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Ethelred (age 34), king of the Northumbrians, was slain by his own people, on the thirteenth day before the calends of May; in consequence of which, Bishops Ceolwulf and Eadbald retired from the land. Everth took to the government of Mercia, and died the same year. Eadbert, whose other name was Pryn, obtained the kingdom of Kent; and Alderman Ethelherd died on the calends of August. In the meantime, the heathen armies spread devastation among the Northumbrians, and plundered the monastery of King Everth at the mouth of the Wear. There, however, some of their leaders were slain; and some of their ships also were shattered to pieces by the violence of the weather; many of the crew were drowned; and some, who escaped alive to the shore, were soon dispatched at the mouth of the river.