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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Darwin
On 18th April 1796 Robert Darwin [aged 29] and Susannah Wedgwood [aged 31] were married. She brought £25,000 which she had inherited from her father Josiah Wedgwood who had died the previous year. They has six children.
On 12th February 1809 Charles Darwin was born to [his father] Robert Darwin [aged 42] and [his mother] Susannah Wedgwood [aged 44].
On 15th July 1817 [his mother] Susannah Wedgwood [aged 52] died.
On 27th December 1831 Charles Darwin [aged 22] set sail on the HMS Beagle for his five year voyage of discovery.
On 24th January 1839 Charles Darwin [aged 29] was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
On 29th January 1839 Charles Darwin [aged 29] and Emma Wedgwood [aged 30] were married. They were first cousins.
On 13th November 1848 [his father] Robert Darwin [aged 82] died.
In 1859 Charles Darwin [aged 49] published "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".
1868. Julia Margaret Cameron nee Pattle [aged 52]. Photograph of Charles Darwin [aged 58].
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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1875. Walter William Ouless [aged 26]. Portrait of Charles Darwin [aged 65].
1881. John Collier [aged 30]. (Copy of) Portrait of Charles Darwin [aged 71].
On 19th April 1882 Charles Darwin [aged 73] died.
On 2nd October 1896 [his former wife] Emma Wedgwood [aged 88] died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Darwin of Elston
GrandFather: Erasmus Darwin
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hill
Father: Robert Darwin
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Howard of Lichfield
GrandMother: Mary aka Polly Howard
GrandFather: Josiah Wedgwood
Mother: Susannah Wedgwood