Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Text this colour are links that disabled for Guests.
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.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Roger Whitley's Diary 1690 September is in Roger Whitley's Diary 1690.
1st September 1690. Monday, after dinner I & my sonne (age 39) went to Chester, alighted at Jacksons; there was Drinkwater, he took a glasse of wine & left me; Crosse came to give me account of the building, stayd not; Danold trimmed me; then came Farington, then the Governor & another with him; then Mercer & the Commissioner about buying wheate (the Governor & his frind left us) then came Fernagh, Kinaston, Rob. Anderson, Alderman Wright; I left them past 6; called at Ephraim Bennets; there was Fletcher the tanner; we had a tankard of ale & went immediately away; came home about 8.
2nd September 1690. Tuesday, about 5 came Hardwar & another (stranger to me) with him; past 6, Mainwaring daughter & children retorned from Peover; I sent Nixon in the morning to visit Sir Robert Cotton & the coachman to Chester.
3rd September 1690. Wednesday, I sent Nixon to welcome Sir John Crew home; Mainwaring,&c. went to visit him in the afternoone; retorned at 8.
4th September 1690. Thursday, Mr Richard Warburton & one Bosier came about 12; they dined with us; also Farington, Morgan & Jackson; they went about 7; Morgan stayd all night.
5th September 1690. Friday, my sonne (age 39), his wife, & Sidney went to Chester about 10; Mainwaring & Morgan went after them; whilest we were at dinner Bidolph & Traverse came from Staffordshire; Crews man came to see us; Hardwar came in the evening, went past 6; Mainwaring sonne, &c. came about 8, from Chester.
6th September 1690. Satorday, Huson went about 10 to Chester; Crew came about 3 (Barker a minister with him) they went about 6.
7th September 1690. Sonday, I was not at church; Traverse dined with us.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
8th September 1690. Monday, I, sonne (age 39), Bidolph, Mainwaring, daughters, sisters, &c. went to Chester, dined at Jacksons; there Danold trimmed me; the yonger Wilbraham came to me about his fathers money; Gleg came after dinner, stayd not long; I & Bidolph went to Angells; I went thence to G.Mainwaring's (age 47) saw Mr Bartley; thence I went to the almeshouses; there was Crosse, Mercer, Rummer Tavern, Morris, Pack, Cotton, Jones, 2 Bostocks, 3 Bricklayers; I gave them a dosen of ale at the widdow's; Mr Browne came to us as we were parting; I & Mercer called on Anderson, dranck a tankerd of ale with him & his wife; went thence to Jacksons, met Taylor in the streete, took him with me, discoursed him awhile in the kitchen; also Wilbraham (who payed Crosse 10 li in part of rent) the Governor, Major, Bidolph, Mainwaring my sonne, Parry, Morgan,&c. were in the parlor & cosen Whitley (who dined with us); the Governor & Major went presently & we soone after; retorned to Peele about 8.
9th September 1690. Tuesday, Huson went to Frodesly; Tomkinson & the carts to Dysert; Morgan (about 11) to Chester; Bolton (& one Smith) from Tatenhall dined with us; went about 3; Sefton of Barrow came abt 5 to recommend a servant: I took phisick; the husbandman & howsekeeper came this evening;.
10th September 1690. Wednesday, Mainwaring went to Edisbury's; Bidolph & sonne (age 39) & Morgan went a setting in afternoone; Traverse came back with them & supt; a man of Whitchurch brought venison from Frodesley.
11th September 1690. Thursday, Bidolph Morgan & sonne (age 39) went a coursing; Traverse came with them home,& dined; after dinner I, sonne, Bidolph & Morgan went to Utkington; there was Crew, Church, Damport, Huxley, another (a stranger),&c. we came at 4, parted at 6; came home; Mainwaring came back after I was in bed; the gardner went to Warburton with venison.
13th September 1690. Satorday, I went to Chester with Bidolph; Nat. Lee went with us; Mainwaring, my sonne (age 39), & Morgan went before; we dined at Wrights; Warburton with us; Danold trimmed me; Vicars came to us; for a while. I went to the Bishop (Farington with me) about 4; met him on the staires going to the Quire; then I went to Jacksons; there was the Governor, the Ajutant, Warburton, Farington, Kinaston, Streete, &c. we parted before 6; Bidolph & I came home; Mainwaring my sonne & Lee came to Peele after supper; I found at Peele brother Peter's sonne & one Jervas, they came from London; were going for Ireland, &c.
14th September 1690. Sonday, I went to church in the afternoone, &c. Cadwallader brought venison, &
15th September 1690. Monday, Mainwaring went to Peover early; Anderson, Edwards & Basnet dined with us, retorned about 5; Basnet from Shotwick, Cheshire, & Lady Calveley's tenant (at Lee) dined in the buttry; after dinner Bolton & one Hodskin came from Tatenhall; Basnet stayd all night; the rest went back; brother Peter's sonne (age 39) & Jarvis went to Chester (about 4) my 2 sisters with them.
16th September 1690. Tuesday, Basnet having agreed with Huson went back betimes & Cadwallader retorned to Frodesly.
17th September 1690. Wednesday, the fast day; we went to church about 12 & retorned past 3; Traverse supt with us. Mainwaring retorned past 8.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
18th September 1690. Thursday, G.Mainwaring (age 47), Deane & Angell dined with us; also Traverse; they retorned in the evening.
20th September 1690. Satorday, Bid0lph went towards Elmehurst past 8; Huson & Tomkinson went thither about 7; MainwarinG. & I before 10; we lighted at Wrights, went to Jacksons; was trimmed by Warminham, dined with the Bishop:(I, Mainwaring,:Mainwaring, his Chaplaine & secretary) went past 3 to the almeshouses, then to Anderson; then to the Sunne; there was 2 Mainswarings, Deane, Johnson, Murray, Mercer, Kinaston, Wright, Vicars, Morgan, Parry,&c: parted about 7, Mainwaring & Morgan with me; went home; William Minshall came & stayd.
21st September 1690. Sonday, Tomkinson went to Staffordshire; Minshall dined, went after dinner to Chester; Mainwaring, Morgan & I to church.
22nd September 1690. Monday, Mainwaring went to Chester after dinner; a man [came] with some plants from Aston; Bolton came from Tatenhall about renewing his lease; about 4 came brother Robinson to see us; stayd all night.
24th September 1690. Wednesday, Mainwaring & I went to Chester (Robinson with us, & soe home) we alighted at Jacksons; went to G.Mainwaring's (age 47) Farington with us; then G.Mainwaring & I went to the Penthouse; Mainwaring came after us; there we found the Mayor, Ince, Anderson, Edwards, Randle Batho, & the officers; I discoursed them about the Election of a new Mayor; & how inconvenient it would be to choose me, &c. then I went with Streete (who came to the Penthouse) to Angells; then to the Sunne; there we dined with 2 Mainwarings, 2 Andersons, Farington, Baroby, Comberbach, Kinaston, Deane, Murray, Randle Batho, &c. after dinner came Hannibal Baskerville, Crosse, &c. then Streete & I went to the almeshouses, Mercer with us; Cotton, Rummer Tavern & Thomas had 3 quarts of ale; then went to Jacksons; there was 2 Mainwarings, Baroby, Hannibal Baskerville, Herle, Cockaine, &c. we parted past 7, came home before 9.
25th September 1690. Thursday, Hardwar came about 11; stayd not; Tomkinson retorned from Staffordshire; Lady Allen, her sister & daughters, Angell & my 3 sisters Crew, Ely, G.Mainwaring (age 47), Streete, Jackson, 2 Griffiths, &c. dined with us; there was also Bradshaw; Chetwood came about 5; they all went before night.
27th September 1690. Satorday, Mainwaring went early towards London; Huson retorned from Alrey; Lee & Morgan went to Chester; I & my sonne (age 39) after them past 10; we alighted at the Talbot; met Streete & others at the doore; he went with me to Danold the barber, who trimmed me; G.Mainwaring (age 47) came to us; I went & dined with him; my sonne & Streete & his wife, sister & daughter dined with us; neare 3 I went to Angells, did not stay, went with G.Mainwaring & Streete to meete the Judges; which we did at the Bridge; went after them to the Castle; there was the Sheriffe, Governor, Cotton, Crew, &c. I made the Governor a visit, there was Lord Chomly, Egerton, Warburton, Bell, &c. we drank a glasse of wine (standing) I & the 2 Aldermen left them; they went with me to Jackson's; there was Minshall, Baroby, Nat. Booth, Hannibal Baskerville, my sonne, Morgan,&c. Ned Morgan came thither as we were parting, my sonne & I went before 6, came home past 7.
28th September 1690. Sonday, I was not at church; no company with us all day.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
29th September 1690. Monday, Huson, Tomkinson, &c. went to Chester to sell cattle, horses, wooll, &c. Ned the postilion & the kitchenmayd went away; one Cooper came from Shrewsbery about a debt of Rogers; came at 11, dined, & went before 2; a carpenter came from Mr Ellis Lloyd to see our cydermill; went againe before dinner; no other company.
30th September 1690. Tuesday, Bolton came about 11 for money for marling; that evening Bidolph came from Elmehurst.