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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.
Sometime before 1745 James Cecil 6th Earl of Salisbury (age 31) began a relationship with Mary Grave of Baldock. He continued the relationship following his marriage.
Around 1750 James Cecil 6th Earl of Salisbury (age 36) separated from his wife Elizabeth Keet Countess of Salisbury (age 29) and lived with Mary Grave of Baldock for the remaining thirty years of his life at his house Quickswood, Clothall. Some unknown person gave him the eponym "The Wicked Earl" in consequence.
In 1760 Mary Grave of Baldock purchased The Manor House, Baldock and expanded the grounds by buying land through to Clothall Road.
On 19th September 1780 James Cecil 6th Earl of Salisbury (age 66) died. His son James (age 32) succeeded 7th Earl Salisbury. Mary Amelia Hill Marchioness Salisbury (age 30) by marriage Countess Salisbury. Mary Grave of Baldock received over £50,000 in his Will, besides jewellery, silver and furniture. In addition, the Earl bequeathed £43,000 to his seven children by her.
On 2nd December 1789 Mary Grave of Baldock died. The Gentleman's Magazine: "GRAVE. At Baldock, after a lingering illness, Mrs Grave, the well known favourite of the late Lord Salisbury and mother of the late rector[s] of Hatfield and Clothall".
Around 1790 James Cecil 1st Marquess Salisbury (age 41) commissioned the demolition of Quickswood, Clothall following th death of Mary Grave of Baldock.