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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.
Creevey Papers is in Georgian Books.
Henry Brougham, M.P., to Mr. Creevey (at Cantley1) 26th July [1821].
Dear C,
The Queen (age 53) certainly goes to Scotland. . I should not wonder if she were to go thro' the manufacturing districts. Possibly Birmingham (where the K. refused to go) may be in her way. It is on the cards that she should be found in the W. Riding and in Lancashire. For aught I know H. M. may then pass across towards Durham and Newcastle. Indeed the great towns are peculiarly interesting to a person of her contemplative cast. One whose mind is improved by foreign travel naturally loves tracts of country where the population is much crowded, and it is worthy of H. M.'s enlightened mind to patronise the ingenuous artizan. The coal trade, too, is highly interesting. I only hope she may not call at Howick on her way .... The time of her setting out is not fixed, depending naturally upon her beloved husband's motions .... The Chamberlain's place is not yet given away. The Ministers are believed to have resolved to bear this no longer, and to have agreed on a remonstrance to the K. about the Green Ribbons2. He will, of course, say something civil that means little — make some promise that means less — let them name to one place, name to the other himself— and so settle matters as to enable him to go over to Ireland .... The Queen has lost incalculably by getting out of her carnage and tramping about; going and being refused, and damaging the Coronation, was all very well, but the way of doing it was very bad ...."
Note 1. Michael Angelo Taylor's place in Yorkshire,
Note 2. The King had been creating Knights of the Thistle without taking the advice of his Ministers.
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Mr. Creevey to Miss Ord.
Condover Hall, Sept. I, 1828.
"... Our coach was full, but we dropt two at Oxford, and to my great delight we left the other filthy wretch at Birmingham at 6 in the morning. He had been eating prawns all night, and flinging the skins at the bottom of the coach. However, I changed coaches at Birmingham, so it was all mighty well. Having breakfasted then at that early hour, I came alone to Shrewsbury . . and embarked in a chay for Condover Hall, just 5 miles from Salop. Altho' the two Stoke young ladies . . have always praised the house much to me, their praises have been much— very much — below its deserts. It is a charming and most incomparable house
[1st September 1828]. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smythe Owen and I have lived in the most perfect harmony since 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, but other human being have I seen none, except the parson at church yesterday, whom I was in hopes to have seen more of. He is Mr. Leicester, nephew to the late Lord de Tabley. ... Having known his father in the days of my youth at Cambridge as by far the most ultra and impertinent dandy of his day, I was curious to see the son. It was precisely the same thing over again. This beautiful youth [Reverend Frederick Leicester (age 26)] (for such he is), aged 27, has been appointed by the Court of Chancery guardian to his nephew [Note. cousin] Lord de Tabley (age 16), aged 16. About 6 weeks ago, he was married to his aunt Lady de Tabley (age 34), who expects to be confined next month. I am sorry she is not [illegible] for this second marriage. On her part she forfeits £500 a year out of her jointure of £1500; and his diocesan, the Bishop of Lichfield, has given him notice he shall eject him from his living for marrying his aunt, which reduces his income to nothing. ..."
