Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page. Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
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.
Chronicle of Greyfriars 1552 is in Chronicle of Greyfriars.
22nd January 1552. Item the xxij. day of the same monyth was be[heddyd] at the Towre hyll [Map] before viij. a clocke Edwarde deuke of Somersett (age 52) [erle of Hertjforde and unkyll unto the kynges (age 14) grace]. And also there was a commandment thorrow London that alle howsolders with their servantes shulde kepe their howses unto it was ....
24th December 1551. Item on Crystmas evyn was made a proclamacion that no man shulde make qwoyne [Note. Coin], nore send beyond see, in payne of dethe.
4th January 1552. Item the iiij th day of January [1551-2] the lorde of Crystmas [Note. Probably George Ferrars: as in the following year.] of the kynges howse came thorrow London and thorrow Scheppesyde [Map], and soo to the lorde mayer's to denner, and dyvers of hys corte was devydyd, some to the sherffes and to dyvers aldermen; and agayne after none was made a scaffolde at the crosse in Schepesyde, and thether he came and made hys proclamacion.
19th February 1552. Item the xix. day of February was a man slayne within Powlles churcheyerde [Map].
26th February 1552. Item the xxvj. day of the same monyth, the which was fryday, was hanged at Towre hylle sir Myllys Partryge knyght, the wych playd wyth kynge Henry the viiite at dysse for the grett belfery that stode in Powlles church-yerdea; and sir Raffe Vane, theys too ware hanged. Also sir Myhyll Stonnappe (age 45) and sir Thomas Arndelle (age 50), theys too ware beheddyd at that same tyme. And theis iiij. knyghttes confessyd that they ware never gyltd for soche thynges as was layd unto their charge, and dyde in that same oppinion.
The daye before endyd the parlament.
Note a. "Neere unto this schoole (St. Paul's) on the north side thereof, was (of old time) a great and high Clochier or Bell-house, foure-square, builded of stone, and in the same a most strong frame of timber, with foure bells, the greatest that I have heard; these were called Jesus' bells, and belonged to Jesus' Chappell, but I know not by whose gifte. The same had a great spire of timber covered with lead, with the image of Saint Paul on the top, but was pulled down by sir Miles Partridge knight, in the reigne of Henry the Eighth. The common speech was, that hee did set one hundred pounds upon a cast at dice against it, and so wonne the said clochier and bells of the king, and then causing the bells to be broken as they hung, the rest was pulled downe." Stowe's Survay.
26th April 1552. Item the xvj. day of Aprill was Ester evyn, and that day rydde a woman in a carte abowte London that dwelte in Aldersgate strete that made aqwavyte [Note. aqua vitae], for cardynge of hare mayde wyth a payer of carddes soche as doth carde wolle with-alle, and was sende unto warde agayne.
23rd December 1552. Item the .... day of thys same monyth d the chylderne was put in the howse that was some tyme the Grayfreres.