Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Stanley Spencer is in Painters.
On 30th June 1891 Stanley Spencer was born at Cookham, Berkshire. He was the eighth surviving child of William Spencer and Anna Caroline Slack.
From 1908 to 1912 Stanley Spencer (age 16) studied at the Slade School of Art under Henry Tonks. So attached to Cookham most days he would take the train back home in time for tea. It even became his nickname.
1912-13. Stanley Spencer (age 20). Self-portrait.
1914. Stanley Spencer (age 22). Self-portrait.
1915-19. Stanley Spencer (age 23). "Swan Upping at Cookham".
On 23rd February 1925 Stanley Spencer (age 33) and Hilda Anne Carline (age 35) were married.
Around 1931. Stanley Spencer (age 39). "Turk's Boatyard Cookham".
Around 1932. Stanley Spencer (age 40). "Terry's Lane, Cookham".
1933. Stanley Spencer (age 41). Portrait of [his future wife] Patricia Preece (age 38).
Patricia Preece: On 22nd January 1894 she was born. In May 1937 Stanley Spencer and Hilda Anne Carline were divorced. A week later he married Patricia Preece. On 19th May 1966 she died.
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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1937. Stanley Spencer (age 45). "Greenhouse and Garden".
Around 1937. Stanley Spencer (age 45). "Family Group: [his wife] Hilda (age 47), Unity and Dolls". Hilda being the artist's wife and Unity their child.
In May 1937 Stanley Spencer (age 45) and Hilda Anne Carline (age 47) were divorced. A week later he married Patricia Preece (age 43).
In May 1937 Stanley Spencer (age 45) and Patricia Preece (age 43) were married in Maidenhead a week atter his divorce from Hilda Anne Carline (age 47). Her lover Dorothy Hepworth was present at the wedding (left in photo). She and Hepworth then went to St. Ives for the "honeymoon" while Spencer remained in Cookham to complete a painting. He, apparently, in his wife's absence slept with his former wife Hilda Anne Carline. Preece, as a consequence, refused to have sexual relations with him. He signed over his house to Preece. Preece and Hepworth evicted him from the house in 1938.
Around 1939 Stanley Spencer (age 47) and Daphne Gribble began an affair after the breakdown of his second marriage
1939. Stanley Spencer (age 47). "The Woolshop". Model Daphne Gribble.
1939. Stanley Spencer (age 47). "Zacharias and Elizabeth".
1940. Stanley Spencer (age 48). "Daphne".
1940. Stanley Spencer (age 48). "Farm Pond, Leonard Stanley".
1941. Stanley Spencer (age 49). "Shipbuilding on the Clyde: Burners".
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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1941. Stanley Spencer (age 49). Portrait of Daphne Gribble.
1945. Stanley Spencer (age 53). "The Resurrection: The Reunion of Families".
On 1st November 1950 [his former wife] Hilda Anne Carline (age 60) died. She was buried at Holy Trinity Church, Cookham [Map].
1951. Stanley Spencer (age 59). Portrait of the artist's niece Daphne Spencer.
1953. Stanley Spencer (age 61). Portrait of Daphne Gribble.
1956-57. Stanley Spencer (age 64). "Dinner on the Hotel Lawn".
1958. Stanley Spencer (age 66). "Miss Ashwanden in Cookham". The artist's last completed painting of his dying neighbour aged seventeen.
12th July 1959-16th. Stanley Spencer (age 68). Self-portrait. Painted over five days from July 12 to July 16; his final self-portrait.
On 14th December 1959 Stanley Spencer (age 68) died at the Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital on the Cliveden estate. His ashes were buried at Holy Trinity Church, Cookham [Map] in the same grave as his first wife [his former wife] Hilda Anne Carline: "To the memory of Stanley Spencer Kt. CBE RA, 1891–1959, and his wife Hilda, buried in Cookham cemetery 1950. Everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God: He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."
On 19th May 1966 [his former wife] Patricia Preece (age 72) died.