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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.
Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria is in Stewart Books.
[20th October 1644]. To Cardinal Mazarin.
[Archives des Affaires Etrangeres.]
The following letter refers to the well-known duel between the queen's spirited little dwarf, Geoffrey Hudson, and Will. Crofts (age 33), which is thus named in contemporary newspapers.
Perfect Passages, October 23rd and 28th —
"By letters from France, it is certified that Will. Crofts, the queen's great favourite's [William Crofts 1st Baron Crofts] brother [Charles Crofts], upon some displeasure conceived against him by little Jeffry, the queen's dwarf, with her in France, was by him slain; his brother being captain of the queen's lifeguard, and master of her horse. It appears the challenge was sent by Jeffry, that they fought on horseback, and Jeffry, running his horse in full career, shot his antagonist in the head, and left him dead on the spot."
Cousin,
I wrote to the queen, my sister, about a misfortune which has happened to my house, of Geoffrey, who has killed Croft's brother [Charles Crofts]. I have written the whole affair to the commander, in order that you may hear of it. What I wish is, that as they are both Enghsh, and my servants, the queen my sister will give me authority to dispose of them as I please, in dispensing either justice or favour, which I was unwilling to do, without writing to you, and asking you to assist me therein, as I shall always do in all which concerns me, since I profess to be, as I am, cousin.
Your very affectionate cousin,
Henrietta Maria R.
Nevers, October 20th, 1644.
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