Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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Around 1551 Robert "The Elder" Peake was born.
On 30th April 1565 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 14] commenced his training under Laurence Woodham at the Sign of "The Key" Goldsmith's Row Cheapside.
On 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 25] became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
After 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 25] was in the pay of the Master of the Revels.
In 1582 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 31]. Portrait of Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr [aged 26].
Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr: On 19th June 1555 she was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey. On 19th November 1571 Thomas West 2nd Baron De La Warr and she were married. On 30th December 1595 William West 1st Baron De La Warr died. His son Thomas succeeded 2nd Baron De La Warr. She by marriage Baroness De La Warr. On 30th August 1608 Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr died.
1586 to 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 35]. Portrait of Frances Walsingham Countess Essex [aged 19]. Frances was only firmly identified as the sitter in 2023 by Elise Effmann Clifford, a conservator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The original inscription had at some point been replaced with a false one identifying the sitter as Mary Queen of Scots. Once old overpaint and modern varnish had been removed, Elise Effmann Clifford was able to analyse traces of the original lettering and under close examination discovered that the original text read, 'The Ladie Sidney daughter/to Secretarye Walsingham.'
Around 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 39]. Portrait of Elizabeth Oldenburg [aged 16].
Elizabeth Oldenburg: On 25th August 1573 she was born to Frederick II King of Denmark and Sophie Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark. On 19th April 1590 Henry Julius Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and she were married. She the daughter of Frederick II King of Denmark and Sophie Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark. On 19th June 1625 Elizabeth Oldenburg died.
In 1590 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 39]. Portrait of Katherine Carey Countess Nottingham [aged 40].
Around 1597 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 46]. Portrait of Peregrine Bertie 13th Baron Willoughby [aged 41].
In 1605 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 54]. Portrait of Arabella Stewart [aged 30].
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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In 1607 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 56] was appointed Sarjeant Painter to King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland [aged 40] sharing the office with John Critz [aged 56].
In 1608 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 57]. Portrait of Elizabeth D'Oyly née Knightley.
On 14th October 1608 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 57] was paid £7 for "pictures made by His Highness' [aged 14] command".
On 14th July 1609 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 58] was paid £3 "for a picture of His Highness [aged 15] which was given in exchange for the King's picture".
In 1610 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 59]. Portrait of Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia [aged 13].
In 1611 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 60] and Paul Isackson painted the cabins, carvings, and armorials on the ship the Prince Royal.
In 1611 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 60]. Portrait of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [aged 10] in his Garter Robes and Leg Garter.
On 10th July 1613 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 62] was paid £13.6s.8d. by the vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge, "in full satisfaction for Prince Charles [aged 12] his picture", for a full-length portrait which is still in the Cambridge University Library.
In 1615 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 64]. Portrait of Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston [aged 15]. She is wearing a draped mantle-embroidered with seed pearls in a pattern of ostrich plumes-and a matching turban. The mantle knotted on one shoulder was worn in Jacobean court masques.
Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston: In 1600 she was born to Thomas Watson. In 1615 William Pope and she were married. He the son of William Pope 1st Earl Downe and Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth. After 1622 Thomas Penyston 1st Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Penyston of Leigh in Iden in Sussex. In 1624 she died.
In 1616 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 65]. Portrait of (possibly) Frances Cotton [aged 38].
Frances Cotton: In 1578 she was born to Thomas Cotton and Elizabeth Shirley. On 24th February 1612 Edward Montagu 1st Baron Montagu and she were married at Weekley, Northamptonshire. In May 1620 Frances Cotton died.
Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 67]. Portrait of Henry Frederick Stewart Prince of Wales in his Garter Robes and Leg Garter.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 67]. Portrait of Anne Vavasour [aged 58].
Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 67]. Portrait of William Pope 1st Earl Downe [aged 45].
In 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 68]. Portrait of Vere Egerton [aged 23].
Vere Egerton: Around 1596 she was born to Thomas Egerton and Isabella Venables. In 1619 William Booth and she were married. On 5th April 1629 Vere Egerton died. She was buried at Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon [Map] on 4th May 1629.
On 10th October 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 68] made his will.
After 10th October 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake [deceased] died.
On 16th October 1619 the will of Robert "The Elder" Peake [deceased] was proved.