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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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After 22nd August 1307 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was appointed Lord Treasurer.
On 13th November 1307 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was elected Bishop of Worcester.
On 13th October 1308 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was consecrated Bishop of Worcester.
On 6th July 1310 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor.
On 13th November 1312 King Edward III of England was born to King Edward II of England (age 28) and Isabella of France Queen Consort England (age 17) at Windsor Castle [Map]. He was christened on 17th November 1312 with Archbishop Walter Reynolds being one of his godfathers. Coefficient of inbreeding 2.17%. He married 24th January 1328 his second cousin Philippa of Hainaut Queen Consort England, daughter of William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland and Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut, and had issue.
In 1313 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In January 1314 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 1st February 1327 King Edward III of England (age 14) was crowned III King of England at Westminster Abbey [Map] by Archbishop Walter Reynolds.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. After the glorious King Edward had, as previously stated, resigned the crown of the realm to his firstborn son, Lord Edward of Windsor, and once certain reports of this had spread, the nobles and prelates of the realm gathered in Parliament at London and most eagerly acknowledged this same Edward, son of Edward, then a youth of about fifteen years,1 as successor to the throne, a young man gracious in the sight of God and of all the world. On the first day of February at Westminster, he was crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Walter Reynolds. Many attended this great solemnity, both foreigners and natives, and especially the hired soldiers of Queen Isabella, his mother, whom, as has been said, she had summoned from Hainault and Germany. Thus the new king was adorned with the royal crown, the same which the most blessed confessor Saint Edward, his predecessor, had been accustomed to wear. Though the crown was of great weight and size, he bore it with such manly strength that all who knew the tenderness of his youth, the crown's great size, and its heaviness, were filled with wonder. On the same day, three sons of Roger de Mortimer, along with many others, were honoured with the belt of knighthood.
Postquam gloriosus rex Edwardus regni diadema, ut prescriptum est, suo primogenito, domino Edwardo de Wyndesore, resignaverat, habitis de hoc certis rumouribus, in parliamento Londoniis regni proceres ct prelati ipsum Edwardum Edwardi primogenitum, quindecim circiter annorum adolescentem, Deo et toti mundo graciosum, in patris successorem promtissime admiserunt, atque prima die Februarii, apud Westmonasterium, per archiepiscopum Cantuariensem, Walterum Renald, coronari fecerunt. Tante solemnitati interfuerunt multi tam alienigene quam indigene et precipue stipendiarii Isabelle regine matris sue, quos, ut dictum est, de Hanonia et Germania ipsa invitavit. Novus itaque rex regia corona insignitus, quam beatissimus confessor sanctus Edwardus suus predecessor gestare solebat, quantumcumque gravis ponderis et amplam, tamen ita viriliter ipsam gessit, ut inde mirarentur qui pueri teneritudinem et amplitudinem corone atque ponderositatem experti noverunt. Eodem die IIJ filii Rogeri de Mortuo mari atque multi alii milicie cingulo fuerunt decorati.
Note 1. Edward was just over fourteen years and two months old. The memorandum in the Rymer's Fœdera 2.683, relating to the coronation states that there were present the bishops of Ely, Hereford, Winchester, Chichester, Worcester, Durham, Lincoln, Llandaff, and Norwich; the earls of Norfolk, Kent, Surrey, and Hereford; Roger Mortimer, Henry Beaumont, and others.
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.
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On 16th November 1327 Archbishop Walter Reynolds died at Mortlake, Richmond.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. In this year, in the month of November, Walter,1 Archbishop of Canterbury, died, and he was succeeded by Master Simon de Mepham, a doctor of theology, through a canonical election. In this same year, Master Thomas de Cobham2, Bishop of Worcester, also died; and he was succeeded by papal provision by Adam Orleton, formerly Bishop of Hereford, who had gone to the papal court on behalf of his own affairs and those of the king's mother. Likewise, the pope provided the Church of Hereford with Master Thomas de Charlton, who was then present at the court.
Hoc anno, mense Novembris, obiit Walterus Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, cui successit per eleccionem canonicam magister Symon de Mepham, doctor in theologia. Hoc anno moriebatur magister Thomas de Cobham episcopus Wigorniensis; cui successit per provisionem pape Adam Torltoine, prius episcopus Herefordensis, ad curiam pro negociis propriis et matris regis profectus. Item papa providit ecclesie Herefordensi de magistro Thoma de Charletone, tunc in curia presente.
Note 1. Archbishop Walter Reynolds died on 16th November 1327.
Note 2. Thomas de Cobham, Bishop of Worcester, died on 27th August 1327.