Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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On 12th December 1753 William Beechey was born.
1789. William Beechey [aged 35]. Portrait of Paul Sandby [aged 58].
1789. William Beechey [aged 35]. Portrait of Isabella Caroline Howard Baroness Cawdor [aged 18].
Isabella Caroline Howard Baroness Cawdor: In 1771 she was born to Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle and Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle. On 28th July 1789 John Campbell 1st Baron Cawdor and she were married. She the daughter of Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle and Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle. On 21st June 1796 John Campbell 1st Baron Cawdor was created 1st Baron Cawdor of Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire. She by marriage Baroness Cawdor of Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire. In 1848 Isabella Caroline Howard Baroness Cawdor died.
Before 1790. William Beechey [aged 36]. Portrait of George Brudenell aka Montagu 1st Duke Montagu [aged 77] in the Windsor Uniform.
In 1797. William Beechey [aged 43]. Portrait of Princess Amelia Hanover [aged 13].
Princess Amelia Hanover: On 7th August 1783 she was born to King George III of Great Britain and Ireland and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England. On 2nd November 1810 Princess Amelia Hanover died. Before September 1823 Elizabeth Boughton Baroness Templetown was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Princess Amelia Hanover.
In 1797. William Beechey [aged 43]. Portrait of Princess Sophia Hanover [aged 19].
Princess Sophia Hanover: On 3rd November 1777 she was born to King George III of Great Britain and Ireland and Charlotte Mecklenburg Strelitz Queen Consort England. On 27th May 1848 Princess Sophia Hanover died at Vicarage Place Kensington. Princess Augusta Hesse-Kassel Duchess Cambridge and Marie Luise Victoria Saxe Coburg Gotha Duchess Kent and Strathearn were present.
Around 1800. William Beechey [aged 46]. Portrait of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 61].
1800. William Beechey [aged 46]. Self-Portrait.
1803. William Beechey [aged 49]. Portrait of Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth [aged 45].
Around 1815. William Beechey [aged 61]. Portrait of Harriet Mellon Duchess St Albans [aged 37].
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.
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1818. William Beechey [aged 64]. Portrait of Princess Augusta Hesse-Kassel Duchess Cambridge [aged 20].
1826. William Beechey [aged 72]. Portrait of Thomas Assheton-Smith of Ashley in Cheshire [aged 74].
Around 1830. William Beechey [aged 76]. Portrait of King William IV of the United Kingdom [aged 64].
Before 1835 . William Beechey [aged 81]. Portrait of Joseph Nollekens. An autographed replica by Beechey of the work which now hangs in the Tate Britain, London
Before 1839. William Beechey [aged 85]. Portrait of Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin [aged 58].
Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin: In 1780 she was born to William Eden 1st Baron Auckland and Eleanor Elliot. On 31st March 1800 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin and she were married. He the son of Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds and Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. On 14th May 1832 Francis Osborne 1st Baron Godolphin was created 1st Baron Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. She by marriage Baroness Godolphin of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. In 1847 Elizabeth Charlotte Eden Baroness Godolphin died.
Before 28th January 1839. William Beechey [aged 85]. Portrait of Charles Brudenell 1st Marquess Ailesbury [aged 65].
On 28th January 1839 William Beechey [aged 85] died.