Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Colebrooke
On 14th June 1729 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet was born to [his father] James Colebrooke (age 49) at Chilham, Kent [Map].
On 18th November 1752 [his father] James Colebrooke (age 72) died.
In 1754 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 24) and Mary Gaynor were married. She bought significant wealth to the marriage being the heiress of her father Peter aka Patrick Gaynor who had considerable slave-holdings.
In 1754 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 24) was elected MP Arundel which seat he controlled. He held the seat until 1774.
On 12th October 1759 [his brother] James Colebrooke 1st Baronet (age 37) was created 1st Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey with a special remainder to his brother George (age 30) since James only had daughters.
In 1761 [his son] James Edward Colebrooke 3rd Baronet was born to George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 31) and [his wife] Mary Gaynor.
On 10th May 1761 [his brother] James Colebrooke 1st Baronet (age 38) died. His brother George (age 31) succeeded 2nd Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey. George was left in sole charge of the family bank in Threadneedle Street. He invested some of his wealth in buying control of the borough of Arundel where the family lived. Arundel was not a classic pocket borough, where the power to return MPs was literally tied to property rights that could be freely bought and sold, but a thoroughly corrupt one where bribery was routine and where maintaining influence of the elections required constant expenditure.
Around 1764 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 34) purchased plantations in Antigua (where his wife already had interests), Grenada and Dominica and was a slave-owner.
On 15th June 1765 [his son] Henry Thomas Colebrooke was born to George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 36) and [his wife] Mary Gaynor.
In 1767 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 37) was appointed Director of the East India Company.
In 1777 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 47) moved to Boulogne sur Mer [Map] where he relied on an East India Company pension.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 21st January 1777 the bank owned by George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 47) was declaredd bankrupt with losses including £190,000 in speculation on hemp.
In 1789 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 59), during the French Revolution, returned to England and managed eventually to pay his creditors in full so that some inheritance was left for his descendants.
On 5th August 1809 George Colebrooke 2nd Baronet (age 80) died. His son James (age 48) succeeded 3rd Baronet Colebrooke of Gatton in Surrey.