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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.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 5th February 1718. It was proposed for the first time by Mr President Norroy (age 57) to engrave a drawing of Richard II's picture in Westminster Abbey taken by Mr Talmans (age 40) direction agreed to.
Mr George Holmes (age 56) is to do [?] to keep the books belonging to the Society till further order.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 12th June 1718. Mr Samuel Gale (age 35) presented to the Society a print of the Ground Plot and Prospect of Hull by Holler, for which their thanks and ordered to be returned to him.
He likewise brought a letter from the Reverend Dr Knight a Member of the Society containing an account of a large skeleton found near Chippenham, Cambs, with massey [?] chains and fetters, dug up near him and some penates dug up at Devizes.
Mr President (age 57) being obliged to be in the country for the summer season was pleased to propose for Vice-President during his absence, Mr George Holmes (age 56) which was unamimously approved of by the Society.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 13th August 1718. Mr Holmes Vice-President (age 56) brought to the Society two curious antique Roman vessels of fine earth.
Mr Rawlinson brought two [?] prints with descriptions being old pictures, one of the Court of Charles V, the other of Joan of Bourbon. Specimens of ancient [?] paintings in one large sheet of paper. Jollain excidit [?].
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 24th December 1718. Mr Vertue (age 34) brought a proof of the Plate of Richard II which had the initial approbation of the Society and their thanks for his Care and Accuracy therein and Mr Treasurer (age 36) was ordered to pay him five Guineas more in part of this Agreement for Engraving.
Mr Vice-President (age 56) by the [?] of the Society ordered Mr Director (age 41) to provide us a Box to lay up the Books in.
Mr Samuel Gale brough several Antique Roman Vessels dug up at Port Mahon, and likewise as Treasurer exhibited where it appears he has [?] in Money upon Amount £29:04:06 and has paid £22:4:4. So remains in his hands £07:00:02.
Minutes of the Society of Antiquaries. 11th March 1719. It was proposed that [?] noblemen and persons of quality as please to be members of the Society may be admitted by Ballot.
Ordered the same day a dividend of one print more of Ulphus's Horn to every member.
Resolved that Mr Vertue (age 35) goe to Kensington Pallace to view the pictures of Holbein, copied there by Remy, the originals being burned in Whitehall.
Resolved that in Mr Samuel Gale's (age 36) dissertation upon Ulphus's Horn be revised by Mr President (age 58), Mr Roger Gale (age 46), Mr Mickleton and Mr Holmes (age 57), or any three of them, and then printed.
NB. Ten members were present when the last resolution was made.
In 1749 George Holmes (age 87) died.
Vesta Monumenta. 1750. Plates 2.3. Portrait from around 1732 of George Holmes, a founding member of the Society of Antiquaries and Deputy Keeper of the Tower of London. The engraving augments the original oil painting by depicting a more mature Holmes surrounded by objects symbolic of his intellectual and professional pursuits. Engraving by George Vertue (age 66) after Richard van Bleeck.