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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.
Paternal Family Tree: Wyatt
In 1503 Thomas Wyatt was born to Henry Wyatt (age 43) in Allington, Kent.
In 1520 Thomas Wyatt (age 17) and Elizabeth Brooke (age 17) were married.
In 1521 [his son] Thomas Wyatt was born to Thomas Wyatt (age 18) and [his wife] Elizabeth Brooke (age 18).
Life of Cardinal Wolsey. After that all these troublesome matters of my Lord Percy's were brought to a good stay, and all things finished that were before devised, Mistress Anne Boleyn (age 23) was revoked unto the court3, where she flourished after in great estimation and favour; having always a privy indignation unto the cardinal, for breaking off the precontract made between my Lord Percy and her, supposing that it had been his own device and will, and none other, not yet being privy to the king's secret mind, although that he had a great affection unto her. Howbeit, after she knew the king's pleasure, and the great love that he bare her in the bottom of his stomach, then she began to look very hault and stout, having all manner of jewels, or rich apparel, that might be gotten with money. It was therefore judged by-and-bye through all the court of every man, that she being in such favour, might work masteries with the king, and obtain any suit of him for her friend.
Note 3. The charms of Anne had also attracted Sir Thomas Wyatt (age 21), and some of his poems evidently allude to his passion; he was afterwards closely questioned as to the nature of his intimacy with her. A very curious narrative of some particulars relating to this attachment, from the pen of a descendant of the poet, has fortunately been preserved among the MS. collections of Lewis the antiquary. A few copies of this memoir were printed in 1817, but as it has still almost the rarity of a manuscript, I shall enrich my Appendix by reprinting it as a most curious and valuable document relating to this eventful period of our history.
Around 1536 Hans Holbein The Younger (age 39). Portrait of Thomas Wyatt (age 33).
In May 1536 Thomas Wyatt (age 33) was imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map] for allegedly committing adultery with Anne Boleyn (age 60).
In 1537 [his son] Thomas Wyatt (age 16) and [his daughter-in-law] Jane Haute (age 15) were married. They had six sons and four daughters.
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.
In 1537 [his father] Henry Wyatt (age 77) died.
Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1537. 8th July 1537. 228. Cromwell (age 52) to Sir Thomas Wyat (age 34).
Harl. MS. 282, f. 205. B. M. Nott's Wyatt, 316.
Writes this by George Pery, a gentleman of M. Chappuys, the Emperor's ambassador. Here at Stepney this morning arrived Rougecroix the herald with Wyat's letters dated 24 June. Forwarded them straightway to the King at Oking. Thanks him for his letters written at his first arrival before he had audience and for those now received. Touching communications with the Emperor's ambassadors, of which Cromwell wrote by M. de Vauldray, hopes for a good result. No news since last writing. The traitors have been executed, lord Darcy (deceased) at Tower Hill and lord Hussey (deceased) at Lincoln, Aske (age 37) hanged upon the dungeon of York Castle, Sir Robt. Constable (deceased) hanged at Hull, and the rest at Thyfbourne; so that all the cankered hearts are weeded away.
On 11th October 1542 Thomas Wyatt (age 39) died.
After 11th October 1542 Edward Warner (age 31) and [his former wife] Elizabeth Brooke (age 39) were married.
Around 1550 based on a work of around 1540. Unknown Painter. Portrait of Thomas Wyatt.
In August 1560 [his former wife] Elizabeth Brooke (age 57) died.
Extracts from The Life of Anne Boleyn. Amongst these, two were observed to be of principal mark. The one was Sir Thomas Wiat, the elder2, the other was the king himself. The knight, in the beginning, coming to behold the sudden appearance of this new beauty, came to be holden and surprised somewhat with the sight thereof; after much more with her witty and graceful speech, his ear also had him chained unto her, so as finally his heart seemed to say, I could gladly yield to be tied for ever with the knot of her love, as somewhere in his verses hath been thought his meaning was to express³. She, on the other part, finding him to be then married, and in the knot to have been tied then ten years, rejected all his speech of love; but yet in such sort as whatsoever tended to regard of her honour, she showed not to scorn, for the general favour and good will she per ceived all men to bare him, which might the rather occasion others to turn their looks to that which a man of his worth was brought to gaze at in her, as, indeed, after it happened. The king is held to have taken his first apprehension of this love after such time as upon the doubt in those treaties of marriage with his daughter Mary, first with the Spaniard, then with the French: by some of the learned of his own land he had vehemently in their public sermons, and in his confessions to his ghostly fathers, been prayed to forsake that his incestuous life by accompanying with his brother's wife; and especially after he was moved by the cardinal, then in his greatest trust with the king, both for the better quietness of his conscience, and for more sure settling of the succession to more prosperous issue.
Note 2. See the Earl of Surrey's character of him, in an Elegy on his Death, among his poems.
Note 3. It is presumed that the allusion is here to Sir Thomas Wyatt's verses entitled "A description of such a one as he would love:"
A face that should content me wonderous well,
Should not be faire, but lovely to behold:
Of lively loke, all griefe for to repel With right good grace, so would I that it should
Speak, without words, such words as none can tell;
Her tresse also should be of cresped gold.
With wit and these perchance I might be tide
And knit againe the knot that should not slide.
Songes and Sonettes, 8vo. 1557, p. 35. 2.
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Spanish Chronicle Chapter 31. How Master Wyatt wrote a letter to the King, and how he was pardoned.