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 format.
Paternal Family Tree: Boothby
In or before 1638 [his father] Henry Boothby 1st Baronet (age 45) and [his mother] Mary Hayes (age 24) were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years.
Around 1638 William Boothby 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Henry Boothby 1st Baronet (age 46) and [his mother] Mary Hayes (age 24).
On 5th November 1644 [his father] Henry Boothby 1st Baronet (age 52) was created 1st Baronet Boothby of Clater Cote although the letters patent did not pass the Great Seal before he died.
On 3rd September 1648 [his father] Henry Boothby 1st Baronet (age 56) died. Baronet Boothby of Clater Cote extinct.
After 1649 [his mother] Mary Hayes (deceased) died.
After 13th August 1653 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 15) and Frances Milward were married.
Around 1654 [his son] Francis Boothby was born to William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 16) and [his wife] Frances Milward.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 6th April 1657 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 19) and Hill Brooke (age 21) were married at Chiswick.
On 13th July 1660 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 22) was created 1st Baronet Boothby of Broadlow Ash in Derbyshire.
In 1661 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 23) was appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire.
Before 1st January 1664 the date he was baptised at Tamworth, Staffordshire [Map], [his son] William Boothby 3rd Baronet was born to William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 26) and [his wife] Hill Brooke (age 28). He married before 1695 Frances Williams, daughter of Trevor Williams 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Morgan Lady Williams, and had issue.
On 8th January 1670 [his son] Brooke Boothby was born to William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 32) and [his wife] Hill Brooke (age 34).
In 1671 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 33) purchased Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map] from Aston Cockayne 1st Baronet (age 62).
In 1684 [his son] Francis Boothby (age 30) died.
Before 1695 [his son] William Boothby 3rd Baronet (age 30) and [his daughter-in-law] Frances Williams (age 46) were married.
On 14th May 1704 [his wife] Hill Brooke (age 68) died.
On 24th March 1707 William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 69) died at Ashbourne Hall, Derbyshire [Map]. His grandson Henry (age 25) succeeded 2nd Baronet Boothby of Broadlow Ash in Derbyshire.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 24th March 1707. St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne [Map]. Monument to William Boothby 1st Baronet (age 69) and [his former wife] Hill Brooke.
Hill Brooke: Around 1636 she was born to William Brooke and Pembroke Lennard. On 6th April 1657 William Boothby 1st Baronet and she were married at Chiswick. On 14th May 1704 Hill Brooke died.
GrandFather: William Boothby
Father: Henry Boothby 1st Baronet
GrandFather: Thomas Hayes
Mother: Mary Hayes