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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Around 1847 Alice aka Alexa Wilding was born.
1863. Retouched 1873. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 34]. "Die Geliebte" aka "The Beloved" aka "The Bride". Models: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 16], Ellen Smith, Marie Ford Model, Fanny Entwhistle aka Eaton [aged 27] and Keomi aka Keytumas Gray [aged 21].
Two Biblical texts are inscribed on the frame below the painting.
My beloved is mine and I am his. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: For thy love is better than wine. [The Song of Songs by King Solomon]
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins that be her fellows shall bear her company, and shall be brought unto thee.
Between 1864 to 1868. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 35]. Venus Verticordia aka Venus, Changer of the heart. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 17].
Between 1864 to 1868. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 35]. Study for Venus Verticordia aka Venus, Changer of the heart. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 17].
1865. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 36]. Study for Washing Hands. Drawing of Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 18].
1866. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 37]. Monna Vanna aka Vain Woman. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 19]. The fan also appears in the painting Veronica Veronese.
From 1866 to 1870. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 37]. Sibylla Palmifera aka Soul's Beauty. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 19].
1866. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 37]. Regina Cordium aka Queen of Hearts. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 19].
Around 1866. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 37]. Study for Sibylla Palmifera aka Soul's Beauty. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 19].
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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Around 1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. Mary Magdalene. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 20].
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. Rosa Triplex. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 20].
Around 1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. Aspecta Medusa. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 20].
1868. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 39]. Study for La Pia de' Tolomei. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 21].
1868. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 39]. La Pia de' Tolomei. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 21].
1870. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 41]. Study for Dante's Dream. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 23].
1870. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 41]. Study for Dante's Dream. Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 23].
1871. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 42]. "Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice". Models: Beatrice: Jane Morris nee Burden [aged 31], far left Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 24], far right Annie Miller [aged 36].
Between 1872 and 1873. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 43]. Study for Lilith's Head. Model probably Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 25].
1872. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 43]. "The Bower Meadow". Models Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 25] right in green, Marie Spartali aka Stillman [aged 27] left in red.
1872. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 43]. Veronica Veronese. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 25]. Sold to Frederick Richards Leyland in 1872 for £840. In 1923 it was acquired by the estate of Samuel Bancroft which donated it in 1935 to the Delaware Art Museum. The painting depicts an uncaged bird, with camomile in the cage, on the desk primroses and daffodils. The fan at her side also appears in the paintint Monna Vanna. The quote is attributed on the frame to "The Letters of Girolamo Ridolfi,", which may a conceit, Suddenly leaning forward, the Lady Veronica rapidly wrote the first notes on the virgin page. Then she took the bow of her violin to make her dream reality; but before commencing to play the instrument hanging from her hand, she remained quiet a few moments, listening to the inspiring bird, while her left hand strayed over the strings searching for the supreme melody, still elusive. It was the marriage of the voices of nature and the soul—the dawn of a mystic creation. Translation from the French by Rowland Elzea.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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1873. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 44]. "La Ghirlandata" aka "The Garlanded Woman" aka "The Lady of the Wreath". Model: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 26]. Mary "May" Morris [aged 10] modelled for the heads in the corners. A woman playing a harp as two angels surround her, enclosed by vivid flowers – including honeysuckle and roses – and luscious green foliage which melds into the green of her dress.
1874. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 45]. Roman Widow. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 27].
1874. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 45]. Alexa Wilding. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 27].
1874. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 45]. Damsel of the Sanct Grael. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 27].
Between 1875 and 1878. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 46]. The Blessed Damozel. Models centre Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 28], probably left-hand angel Mary "May" Morris [aged 12]. The first four verses of his poem The Blessed Damozel are written on the frame. In the collection of the Lady Lever Art Gallery [Map].
1875. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 46]. La Bella Mano aka The Beautiful Hand. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 28].
1875. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 46]. Study for La Bella Mano aka The Beautiful Hand. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 28].
1877. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 48]. A Sea-Spell. Model Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 30].
1879. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 50]. "Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 32]".
On 25th April 1884 Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 37] died.