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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William Hilton is in Painters.
On 3rd June 1786 William Hilton was born to [his father] William Hilton (age 34) at Vicar's Court, Lincoln Cathedral Close. He was baptised at St Mary le Wigford Church, Lincoln.
Before 1820. William Hilton (age 33). Portrait of the poet John Clare.
Before 1821. William Hilton (age 34). Portrait of the poet John Keats (age 25).
Before 1821. William Hilton (age 34). Portrait of the poet John Keats (age 25).
Before 1822. William Hilton (age 35). Portrait of the artist's father [his father] William Hilton (age 69).
William Hilton: In 1752 he was born. In 1822 he died.
In 1822 [his father] William Hilton (age 70) died.
On 26th February 1828 William Hilton (age 41) and Justinia Kent (age 26) were married.
Before 1835. William Hilton (age 48). Portrait of the artist's wife [his wife] Justinia Kent (age 33).
Justinia Kent: On or before 13th September 1801, the day she was baptised at St Mark's Church, Lincoln, she was born to Reverend George Davies Kent and Anne Chaplin. On 26th February 1828 William Hilton and she were married. In 1835 she died.
Before 1835. William Hilton (age 48). Portrait of the artist's wife [his wife] Justinia Kent (age 33).
In 1835 [his wife] Justinia Kent (age 33) died.
Before 1839. William Hilton (age 52). Portrait of the artist's sister [his sister] Harriet Hilton (age 47).
Harriet Hilton: In 1791 she was born to William Hilton. In 1866 she died.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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Before 1839. William Hilton (age 52). Self-Portrait.
Before 1839. William Hilton (age 52). Self-Portrait.
Before 1839. William Hilton (age 52). Portrait of the artist's sister [his sister] Harriet Hilton (age 47).
On 30th December 1839 William Hilton (age 53) died. Monument at Lincoln Cathedral [Map].