Text this colour is a link for Members only. Support us by becoming a Member for only £3 a month by joining our 'Buy Me A Coffee page'; Membership gives you access to all content and removes ads.

Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. 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.



All About History Books

The 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." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Biography of Cooper

Roger Whitley's Diary. 2nd January 1690. Thursday, went to Parliment, sate till past 7; supt with 2 Mainwarings, Hales & Harris at Nag's Head; then went to another roome where was Wood, Titus, Gilmore, Coling, Maxwell, Cooper & Russell, parted past 10.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 5th January 1690. Sonday, was not at church; dined at home with Mainwaring, his brother, my brother & Minshall; in the evening my sonne (age 39) & his wife came to see us; past 6, I went to Woods; went with him to Nag's Head; there was also Mainwaring & Cooper; we parted before 9; came home.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 4th February 1690. Tuesday, Barington came about his bills; I went to Toll about Chester money; I dined at home with Biddolph, Mainwaring, his brother, my 2 sons; brother, Morgan, Thomas &c; about 3, I went to Sir R: Gwynn; he was at dinner with Colt, Owens, Rud, Rawley, & severall others; I dranck a glasse of wine; stayd ½ houer; my daughters called me; went to Sir Robert Cottons; he & daughters & sonne (age 39) were at home; 2 other gentlemen with them, with musick books & instruments on the table; went then to cosen Fairefax; saw him & Lady; then called on Mrs Shakerly; they brought me home; Jones came & settled accounts: I took him in my coach to Nag's Head; there we parted; I went up to Wood, Maxfeild, Cooper & another; then came Biddolph, Mainwaring & Coling; we parted neare 10.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 10th July 1690. Thursday, Sir John Morgan, his lady, & one Mr Price, & Bell dined with us; also Angell & Mr Cooper & 2 sons; they went about 6; cosen John Whitley, & his wife, came about 11 at night when I was in bed.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 12th September 1690. Friday, I sent the Smith with venison to Cooper, Johnson & Deane; after dinner, Bidolph & Mainwaring went a setting; Tomkinson retorned from Dysert; Hardwar came & stayd an houer in the evening;.

All About History Books

The 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. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 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.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 28th October 1690. Tuesday, my sonne (age 39) & I went to Chester; sister Angell with us; lighted at Jacksons; there came Taylor to me; dined at Angells with sonne & Morgan & cosen Collyer; cosen Cooper, & (2 interl cosen came in whilest at dinner; Alderman Anderson came after dinner; then I went to the almeshouses; retorned (with Crosse) to Jacksons; thither came the Governor, Streete, Mainwaring Johnson, Deane, Fernhagh, Murray, Kinaston, Parry, Sparks, Goodhand, Morgan, Mercer, &c. we went homewards about 5; came home past 7, Tomkinson with us.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 30th November 1690. Sonday, dined at home, Mainwaring & Bidolph with us; went in the evening to the club; there was Maxwell, Cooper, Harris, 2 Blunts, Every, Chase, &c. Mainwaring,&c. parted at 10.

Roger Whitley's Diary. 15th December 1690. Monday, dined at home, Bidolph with us; went at night to Wood; then to Lord Maxfeild, saw him, & Lady Gerard; went then to the club; there was Harris, Cooper, Partridge, Maxwell, (Craven interl) & Shard, Mainwaring came in late; we parted past 10.