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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Before 1659 Richard Spencer (age 54) and Martha Briggs were married.
In 1659 [her daughter] Martha Spencer was born to [her husband] Richard Spencer (age 54) and Martha Briggs. She married 24th February 1680 John The Younger Evelyn, son of John Evelyn and Mary Browne, and had issue.
On 10th October 1668 [her husband] Richard Spencer (age 63) died.
On or after 10th October 1668 John Stonhouse 2nd Baronet (age 29) and Martha Briggs were married. The license was dated 10th October 1668.
Around 1672 [her son] John Stonhouse 3rd Baronet was born to [her husband] John Stonhouse 2nd Baronet (age 33) and Martha Briggs. He married (1) before 28th August 1697 Mary Mellish and had issue (2) in or before 1705 Penelope Dashwood, daughter of Robert Dashwood 1st Baronet and Penelope Chamberlayne Lady Dashwood, and had issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 27th November 1679. I went to see [her husband] Sir John Stonehouse (age 40), with whom I was treating a marriage between my son (age 59) and his [her daughter] daughter-in-law (age 20) [Note. Means step-daughter. Martha Spencer was the daughter of Martha Briggs who re-married John Stonhouse 2nd Baronet after her first husband [her former husband] Richard Spencer died in 1668].
John Evelyn's Diary. 30th December 1679. I went to meet [her husband] Sir John Stonehouse (age 40), and give him a particular of the settlement on my son (age 59), who now made his addresses to the young [her daughter] lady (age 20) his daughter-in-law [Note. Step-daughter], daughter of Lady Stonehouse.
John Evelyn's Diary. 21st February 1680. Shrove-Tuesday. My [her future son-in-law] son (age 25) was married to [her daughter] Mrs. Martha Spencer (age 21), daughter to my Lady Stonehouse by a [her former husband] former gentleman, at St. Andrew's [Map], Holborn, by our Vicar, borrowing the church of Dr. Stillingfleet (age 44), Dean of St. Paul's, the present incumbent. We afterward dined at a house in Holborn; and, after the solemnity and dancing was done, they were bedded at [her husband] Sir John Stonehouse's (age 41) lodgings in Bow Street, Convent Garden.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In 1700 [her husband] John Stonhouse 2nd Baronet (age 61) died. His son [her son] John (age 28) succeeded 3rd Baronet Stonhouse of Radley.
Martha Briggs was born to [her father] Robert Briggs Merchant of St. Paul's Churchyard London.