Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Archaeologia Volume 3 Section XXVIII is in Archaeologia Volume 3.
Account of opening one of the largest Barrows on Sandford Moor, Westmoreland, in a Letter from Mr. William Preston, dated Warcop Hall, Sept. 5, 1766, to Bishop Lyttelton (age 52). Read at the Society of Antiquaries, Nov. 6, 1766.
The labourers began by driving a level, and for some time found nothing worth notice. At length one of them, digging on the top of the barrow downwards, turned up, within half a yard from the surface, a piece of an urn, and soon after came to what he thought an urn, fixed in a large pot or vessel, and containing a small quantity of white ashes. On one side of it, but somewhat lower, lay a broad two-edged sword, broken in two, the whole blade measuring in length better than two feet, and two inches and an half broad; the head curiously wrought. On the other side lay the head of a spear, and some other instrument which Mr. Preston could not tell what to make of. All these instruments were nearly destroyed by rust. About a yard below these the workmen came to an orbicular pile of stones, resembling a vault, above seven yards in diameter, and above six yards high; the stones of various kinds, such as are not found on or near that moor. These were covered with a thick layer of dry sand, none of which had fallen in among them; which Mr. Preston accounts for, by supposing this covering to have been formerly of turf, with the heathy side downwards, which is now become sand. On removing this pile, they came to a fine black mould, about three inches deep, covering a square of about two yards, and lying as near as they could guess under the place where the sword, &c. were deposited. Here they found only some burnt bones. Under the whole lay a bed of gravel.