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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.
Around 1325 Robert Knollys was born.
Bentleys Miscellany Volume 45. VI. Now turn we to the other side, and let us see what way
Haughty Sir Robert Pembroke chose his comrades for the fray.
Sir Robert Knolles1 he first did take — next Sir Hugh Calverley (age 26)2
With Richard de la Lande — three better might not be.
Hervé de Lexualen came next, Walton and Bélifort.
The last-named giant knight an iron mallet bore,
Its weight was five and twenty pounds — yes, twenty-five and more!
Note 1. Robert Knolles (age 25) was but of mean parentage in the county of Chester, but by his valour advanced from a common soldier in the French wars under Edward III to a great commander. Being sent general of an army into France, in dislike of their power, he drove the people before him like sheep, destroying towns, castles, and cities, in such manner and number, that long after, in memory of this act, the sharp points and gable ends of overthrown houses and minsters were called Knolles's Mitres. After which, to make himself as well- beloved of his country, he built a goodly fair bridge at Rochester, over the Medway, with a chapel and chauntry at the east end thereof. He built much at the Greyfriars, Tondo, and a hospital at Rome for English travellers and pilgrims. He deceased at his manor of Scone Thorpe, in Norfolk—was buried by the Lady Constance his wife, in the Church of Greyfriars, London, 18th August, 1407." —Weerer's Funeral Monuments. Sir Robert was created a Knight of the Garter by Richard II.
Note 2. This distinguished knight ("Cavualay le vaillant, le hardy jourencel," i.e. Cavualay the valiant, the bold young squire, as he is styled in the Lay) was the eldest son of David Calverley (or Calveley), of Yea, in Cheshire. He first appeared as one of the combatants in the noted conflict described in the Lay; next at the Battle of Aurai, 1364; then as a captain of Free Companies in tlic service of Henry of Trastamare; and after other exploits too numerous to particularise, he ended his brilliant and adventurous carcer by founding a college at Bunbury [Map], in his native county. His body was interred in the chancel of his college, where his armed effigy reposes on one of the most sumptuous altar-tombs that his county can boast."— Ormerod's Cheshire . It has been asserted, but not proved, that Sir Hugh Calverley married a queen of Arragon.
On 26th March 1351 the Combat of the Thirty was an arranged joust, or melee, between selected combatants from both sides of the conflict, fought at at Guillac, a site midway between the Breton castles of Josselin and Ploërmel among 30 champions, knights, and squires on each side.
Robert Knollys (age 26) took part.
Hugh Calverley (age 27) fought, was captured and ransomed.
The date of the battle sometimes given as the 27th of March 1351. De la Borderie, History of Brittany, vol. III, p. 514, note 4: Up to now, all historians who have written about the Battle of the Thirty have dated it to March 27, 1351. That is also the date inscribed on the commemorative pyramid at Mi-Voie. However, this date is one day off. According to a contemporary poem, the battle was fought on a Saturday, the eve of Laetare Sunday (Jerusalem), that is, the fourth Sunday of Lent. In 1351, Easter fell on April 17, so Laetare Sunday was March 27. Therefore, the eve of that Sunday—the day of the Battle of the Thirty—was not March 27, but March 26. See the title and conclusion of the poem, ed. Crapelet, pp. 13 and 35, and stanza 34, Crapelet p. 30.
On 4th December 1370 the Battle of Pontvallain was a French army under Bertrand du Guesclin heavily defeated an English force at Pontvallain which had broken away from an army commanded by Robert Knollys (age 45).
Thomas Grandison 4th Baron Grandison (age 31) commanded.
Philip Courtenay (age 15) and Hugh Despencer (age 32) were captured.
Alan Buxhull (age 47) fought.
Chronicle of Gregory. 1407. And that year deyd Syr Robert Knollys (age 82), and is byryd at the Whytte Freers at London.
On 15th August 1407 Robert Knollys (age 82) died. He was buried at Whitefriars.