Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Wriothesley's Chronicle 1551 is in Wriothesley's Chronicle.
2nd November 1551. The 2 of November, beinge Monday, the sayd Quene came by water from the Kinges pallace of Hampton Court [Map], and landed at Pawles Wharfe [Map] in the aftemone, and so rode from thence to the Bishopes place, accompanied with divers noblemen and ladyes of England [sent] to receive her, where at her entry the Cities provision was ready with a bill of the same, and presented by the Chamberlaine of London.
4th November 1551. The 4 of November the sayd Quene [aged 35] rode from the sayd place to the Kinges pallace at Whitehall by Westminster in hir charyot, accompanyed with diuers knightes and gentlemen, carles and lordes, the Lady Margaret Dowglas [aged 36], the Duches of Richmond [aged 32], the Duches of Suffolke [aged 32], the Duches of Northumberland [aged 42], with diuers other noble women of England and ladyes of Scotland followinge after them; the Dukes of Northumberland [aged 47] and Suffolke and the Lord Treasurer [aged 68] receivinge her within the Court gate, all the guard standinge on euery syde of the Court; and at her entringe in at the hall the Kinges Maiestie [aged 14] stode in the upper ende of the hall, the Earle of Warwicke [aged 24] [Note. assumed to be referring to the subsiduary title of the Duke of Northumberland] houldinge the sworde afore the Kinge; she kneelinge downe, the Kinges Maiestie tooke her up and, kissinge her, he tooke her by the hand, she comminge with him, he led her up into the chamber of presence, and so from thence to the Queues chamber of presence, where he kissed all the ladyes of Scotland, and so departed for a while; and that daye she dyned on the Quenes syde with the Kinges Maiestie, the Kinges service and hers comminge both togeather, richely serued in gylt plate; the Kinges seruice on the right hand of the table, and the Quenes on the left hand, she sittinge by the Kinge apart by his cloth of estate; the goodly cupbord of plate of gould and gylte that day there occupyed, with the rich hanginges and costly meates, was wondrous to see. All the ladyes of England and Scotland dyned in the Quenes great chamber, and were serued in siluer all theyr meates; dinner ended, the Kinges Maiestie shewed her his galleries and gardens, with other commodityes of that place; and about foure of the clocke he brought her downe againe by the hand into the hall, where he received her and there kissed hir, and so she departed to the Bishops house againe to Pawles in lyke manner as she went thither.
6th November 1551. The 6 of November the sayd Scottishe Quene departed toward Scotland, and rode from Pawles through all the high streates London and out at Bishops-gate [Map], accompanyed with diuers noble Scotland, men and women, to bringe her through the Citye to Shordich Church; the Duke of Northumberlande [aged 47] havinge standinge of horsemen in Cheapsyde with jauelinges, iC [Note. One hundred] persons, wherof xl [Note. 40] gentlemen were apparayled in black velvet and white feathers, and chaines of gold about their neckes; next them stoode vixx [Note. 120 ie 6x20] horsmen of the Earle of Pembrookes [aged 50], with blacke jauelinges and hattes with feathers; next them stoode ic. [Note. 100] of the Lord Treasurers gentlemen and yeomen with jauelinges allso, which 3 rankes of horsemen compassed from the Crosse in Cheape to Birchin Lane ende. And when the sayd nobles had brought hir to Shordich Church, there they tooke their leaue, and departed home againe. The Sheriffes of London had the conduction of her to Waltham townes ende, where the shires of Middlesex and Essex parteth; and harbingers [were] sent afore into euery shyre to the borders to Scotland, that every sheriffe in euery shyre, accompanyed with the gentlemen of the country, [should] receaue her, and make provision in euery shyre for hir meates, both for hirselfe, familie, and horses, till she come to the borders of Scotland, at the charges of the Kinges Maiestie the shyres that she should passe thorough till she be in Scotland, euery shire for theyr owne precinct; this first night she lodged in Waltham towne.
The Earle of Arundell and the Lord Pagett [aged 45] sent to the Tower [Map].
24th November 1551. The 24 Nouember, at a Court of Aldermen, the warding ^ of the gates of the Gitye of London was discharged for the day tyme.
30th November 1551. The 30 of November, beinge St. Andrewes day the Apostle, at night my Lord Mayor [aged 20] received a letter from the Kinges Maiesties Counsell, Mr. Recorder then being present with the mayor in his house; wherupon my Lord Mayor sent ymmediately to warne the Aldermen and theyr deputyes to be afore him at the Guylde hall [Map] the morowe after, beinge the first daye of December, at vii of the of clocke in the morninge; at which court, on theyr appearance, the sayd letter was read, which was that the Mayor and Aldermen should see to the safegard of the city for that day and night for feare of suspected and lewde persons; that done by the assent of the Court, euery alderman in his ward should ymmediately by himselfe or his deputy cause euery constable in his warde to wame euery householder within his precinct to see to his familie and to keepe his house, and to haue in a readines a man in hames in his owne house, and not goo abroade till they should be called, if need were. And further that that night they should cause a good and substantiall double watche to be kept widi householders in euery warde, which ymmedyately was done.
1st December 1551. The first daye of December, beinge Tuesday, the Duke of Somersett [aged 51] was had from the Tower of London [Map] by water and shott London bridge at v of the clocke in the morninge, and so went to Westminster, where was made ready a great scaffold in Westminster Hall [Map], and there the sayd Duke appeared, afore the Lordes and Peeres of the Realme, the Lord William Pawlet [aged 68], Marques of Winchester and Lord High Treasurer of England, that daye sittinge under the cloath of estate as High Stuard of England; the indytement of the sayd duke beinge read, he was imedyately arraigned on the same for felony and treason, and after tryed by his peeres the nobles there presenta, which did quitt him of the treason but found him guilty of the felonyb, whereupon after their verdite giuen he had iudgment giuen to be had [thence to] the place [he came from] and from thence to the place of execution, there to be hanged till he were dead; but the people in the hall, supposinge that he had bene clerely quitt, when they see the axe of the Tower put downe, made such a shryke and castinge up of caps, that it was hard into the Longe Acre beyonde Charinge Crosse, and allso made the Lordes astonyed, and word likewise sent to London, which the people reioysed at; and about v of the clocke at night the sayd Duke landed at the Crane in the Vintre, and so [was] had thorough Can[dle]wyke Streete to the Tower, the people cryinge God saue him all the way as he wentj thinkinge that he had clerely bene quitt, but they were deceyued, but hoopinge he should haue the Kinges pardon.
Note a. His judges were Northumberland [aged 47], Northampton [aged 39], Pembroke [aged 50], and the other leading members of the government, - the very parties against whom he was said to have conspired, - and the witnesses against him were not produced, bnt only their written depositions read, as was frequently the custom in those days.
Note b. For having designed the killing of the Duke of Northumberland and the others, although on consideration he had determined to abandon it; "yet," adds Edward VI. in his Journal, "he seemed to confess he went about their death."
7th December 1551. The 7 of December there was a mustre before the Kinges Maiestie a muster before the in St. James [field] beyonde Charinge Crosse, the Kinges Maiestie sittinge on horse-backe on a hill by St. James with his Maiesties Privie Gounsell with him; first came all the Kinges Maiesties pencioners rydinge all in compleate hames, 4 trumpetters rydinge afore them and then the Kinges standerd borne amonge them, and euery pencioner had two men folio winge after them with theire speares; then followed ic [Note. 100] of my Lord Treasurers men with a trumpett and a standerd afore them; next them ic [Note. 100] of the Duke of Northumberlandes men with a trumpet and a standerd afore them, xl [Note. 40] of them with veluet coates on their hames; next them the Lord Privie Seales men, ic with a trumpet and a standerd; next after them Lord Marques of Northamptons men, ic with a trumpett and a standerd before them; then the Earle of Rutlandes men, 1 with a trumpet and a standerd afore them, XX of them in blewe veluet cassockes ouer theyr hames; then 1 of the Earle of Huntingtons men with a trompet and a standerd; next them ic of the Earle of Pembrokes men with a trumpet and a standerd afore them; next them 1 of the Lord Darsies, Lord Chamberlaines, men with their trumpet and standerd; next them 1 of the Lord Gobhams men with theyr trumpet and standerd afore them; last of all ic of the Lord Wardens men of the Cinck Portes with a trumpet and a standerd afore them, which were all goodly horsed. The sayd Lordes semantes were set in aray in Hide Parke, and in the afternone at 2 of the clock they came thence and so rode about twise afore the Kinge v in a ranke, all in complete harnes and well horsed and euery man his speare in his hand, and then brake of euery lordes company to theyr places, which was a goodly sight.
12th December 1551. The 12 of December at the sessions of the gayle delivery holden at Newgate, Nicholas Ballard [aged 41], gentleman, which in August last past was punished for an adulterer with one Middletons wyfe, and after sent to Newegate for a rape, and after was bayled with sureties from tyme to tyme till nowe, was this day araigned for the sayd rape, which was indyted for the same, and by a jury this day found guilty of the rape, havinge great witnes for the proofe of the same rape; and after verdyte giuen against him he asked the benefyte of his booke [Note. Benefit of the Clergy], and read, and so was burnt this daye in the hand and had to the bishops convicte prison [Map].
20th December 1551. The 20 of December, beinge Sonday, in the afternone Doctor Dunstall [aged 77], Bishop of Durham, which had lyen longe at his place by Coldharber, in Thames Streete, was had to the Tower of London [Map].
21st December 1551. The 21 of December, beinge St. Thomas th' Apostles day. Lord Riche [aged 54] beinge Lord Channcellor of England, the Kinges Maiesties great seale was taken from him by the Duke of Northumberland [aged 47] and the Earl of Pembroke [aged 50] in the afternoone. And the morrowe after Doctor Goodricke, Bishop of Elye, had the keepinge of the great seale, as custos, by the counselles commandement, which bishop was one of the Privie Counsell to the Kinges Maiestie.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Before 25th December 1551. This year before Christmas, the Lord Clinton [aged 39], Lord High Admirall of England, went into Fraunce to be the Kinges Maiesties deputye to christen the French Kinges [aged 32] sonne, which bare the Kinges name [Note. The French king's], where he was highly received and feasted of the French Kinge, and had great gyftes giuen him, and was proclaymed by the French harrouldes after the christninge, Edwardus Alexander Dux Anguilonia.[Note. Angoulême]
22nd January 1552. Fryday, the 22 of January, 1551-[2], Edward Seimer [aged 52], Duke of Somersett, was beheaded at the Tower Hill [Map], afore ix of the clocke in the forenone, which tooke his death very patiently, but there was such a feare and disturbance amonge the people sodainely before he suffred, that some tombled downe the ditch, and some ranne toward the houses thereby and fell, that it was marveile to see and hear; but howe the cause was, God knoweth.
23rd January 1552. Saterday, the 23 of January, beinge the first day of Hilary Tearme, and allso the first day of the Session of the Parliament at Westminster, Doctor Goodricke, Bishopp of Ely and custos of the Kinges great seale of England, was sworne in the Chauncery Lord Chauncellor of England, the Lord Treasurer of England giuinge him his oath.
27th January 1552. The 27 of January Sir Raphe Vane, knight, was arraigned at Westminster, and condempned for felony, and had judgment to be hanged.
28th January 1552. The 28 of January Sir Thomas Arundell [aged 50], knight, was arraigned at Westminster, and condempned for fellonie, and had judgment to be hanged.
5th February 1552. The 5 of February, Sir Myles Patriche, knight, was arraigned at Westminster and condempned for fellonie, and had judgment to be hanged.