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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
William Blake Richmond is in Painters.
On 29th November 1842 William Blake Richmond was born.
In December 1854 Henry Holiday (age 15) entered the Royal Academy Schools as a probationer. His fellow students included Simeon Solomon (age 14), Albert Moore (age 13), William Blake Richmond (age 12), William De Morgan (age 15), Frederick Walker, and Marcus Stone (age 14).
13th May 1863. William Blake Richmond (age 20). Portrait of the artists' first wife [his future wife] Charlotte Foster (age 22).
Charlotte Foster: In 1841 she was born. In 1864 William Blake Richmond and she were married. On 31st December 1865 she died.
July 1863. William Blake Richmond (age 20). Self-portrait.
In 1864 William Blake Richmond (age 21) and Charlotte Foster (age 23) were married.
On 31st December 1865 [his wife] Charlotte Foster (age 24) died.
In 1867 William Blake Richmond (age 24) and Clara Jane Richards (age 21) were married.
On 15th August 1874 [his son] Ernest Tatham Richmond was born to William Blake Richmond (age 31) and [his wife] Clara Jane Richards (age 28). He married 17th July 1906 Margaret Muriel Lubbock.
Around 1885. William Blake Richmond (age 42). Portrait of William Morris (age 50).
1886. William Blake Richmond (age 43). "The Slave". Model Fanny Entwhistle aka Eaton (age 50).
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
1887. William Blake Richmond (age 44). Portrait of Ermytrude Sackville Russell Lady Malet (age 30).
Ermytrude Sackville Russell Lady Malet: On 9th May 1856 she was born to Francis Russell 9th Duke Bedford and Elizabeth Sackville-West Duchess Bedford. On 19th March 1885 Edward Baldwin Malet 4th Baronet and she were married. She the daughter of Francis Russell 9th Duke Bedford and Elizabeth Sackville-West Duchess Bedford. On 12th January 1904 Henry Malet 3rd Baronet died. His brother Edward succeeded 4th Baronet Malet of Wilbury in Wiltshire. She by marriage Lady Malet of Wilbury in Wiltshire. On 22nd March 1927 Ermytrude Sackville Russell Lady Malet died.
1887. William Blake Richmond (age 44). Portrait of Edward Baldwin Malet 4th Baronet (age 49).
1887. William Blake Richmond (age 44). Portrait of Marianne Dora Spalding Lady Malet (age 77).
Marianne Dora Spalding Lady Malet: In 1810 she was born to John Spalding and Mary Eden Baroness Brougham and Vaux. In 1834 Alexander Malet 2nd Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Malet of Wilbury in Wiltshire. On 2nd January 1891 she died.
1890. William Blake Richmond (age 47). Portrait of Bishop Arthur Hervey (age 81).
Bishop Arthur Hervey: On 20th August 1808 he was born to Frederick William Hervey 1st Marquess of Bristol and Elizabeth Albana Upton. On 18th November 1869 he was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells. On 9th June 1894 Bishop Arthur Hervey died.
1895. William Blake Richmond (age 52). Portrait of Muriel Thetis Wilson (age 19).
Muriel Thetis Wilson: On 24th March 1875 she was born to Arthur Wilson. On 19th October 1964 Muriel Thetis Wilson died.
1902. William Blake Richmond (age 59). "Hera in the House of Hephaistos".
1906. The Gladstone Chapel, Church of St Deniol was designed by William Blake Richmond (age 63). Details ot the Windows; by James Powell and Sons after designs by Sir William Richmond RA.
On 17th July 1906 [his son] Ernest Tatham Richmond (age 31) and [his daughter-in-law] Margaret Muriel Lubbock (age 27) were married. He the son of William Blake Richmond (age 63) and [his wife] Clara Jane Richards (age 60).
In 1915 [his wife] Clara Jane Richards (age 69) died.
Before 1921. William Blake Richmond (age 78). Portrait of Helen Gladstone (age 71).
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 11th February 1921 William Blake Richmond (age 78) died at his home, Beavor Lodge, in Hammersmith.