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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Aspatria, Allerdale, Cumberland is in Allerdale, Cumberland.
On 21st April 1908 George Howard 9th Earl Carlisle (age 64) unveiled a memorial to Wilfrid Lawson 2nd Baronet, designed by Louis Frederick Roslyn, in the form of a drinking fountain surmounted by a bronze group of St. George and the dragon, at Aspatria, Allerdale, Cumberland. The fourth panel bears the following inscription:
Remember
Wilfrid Lawson
2nd Baronet of Brayton & Isel
In whose honour this fountain is erected by his many friends and admirers. Beloved for the integrity of his life and the height of his ideals. An example for all time for one who gave himself for others, believing in the brotherhood of man. A lover of truth and mercy, a brave and strenuous advocate of temperance, which sacred cause he championed in the House of Commons for forty years with gay wisdom and perseverance.
On 1st November 1870 Caroline Graham Lady Lawson (age 77) died at her residence at Arkelby Hall Aspatria.
Before 13th December 1688 Wilfrid Lawson 1st Baronet (age 78) puchased Brayton Hall, Aspatria from the three co-heiresses of the Salkeld family.
On 21st June 1806, whilst visiting Buxton, Derbyshire [Map], Wilfrid Lawson 10th Baronet (age 42) developed an illness and died unexpectedly. Baronet Lawson of Isel Hall in Cumbria extinct. His estates, including Brayton Hall, Aspatria, were inherited by a Thomas Wybergh aka Lawson (age 12), nephew of his wife Anne Hartley (age 42). He died six years later and the estates were inherited by his brother Wilfrid Wybergh aka Lawson 1st Baronet (age 10) who was subsequently created Baronet Lawson.
On 4th September 1829 Wilfrid Lawson 2nd Baronet was born to Wilfrid Wybergh aka Lawson 1st Baronet (age 33) and Caroline Graham Lady Lawson (age 36) at Brayton Hall, Aspatria. He married 13th November 1860 Mary Pocklington Senhouse and had issue.
On 21st October 1862 Wilfrid Lawson 3rd Baronet was born to Wilfrid Lawson 2nd Baronet (age 33) and Mary Pocklington Senhouse (age 22) at Brayton Hall, Aspatria. He married 28th April 1891 Mary Camilla Macan Lady Lawson.
On 12th June 1867 Wilfrid Wybergh aka Lawson 1st Baronet (age 71) died at Brayton Hall, Aspatria. His son Wilfrid (age 37) succeeded 2nd Baronet Lawson of Brayton House in Cumberland.
On 18th January 1910 Mary Pocklington Senhouse (age 70) died at Brayton Hall, Aspatria.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 1st July 1906 Wilfrid Lawson 2nd Baronet (age 76) died at 18 Ovington Square, Knightsbridge. His funeral was held at St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map] amidst a large gathering of members of Parliament, family members, personal friends, and representatives of public bodies. He was buried at St Kentigern's Church, Aspatria. His son Wilfrid (age 43) succeeded 3rd Baronet Lawson of Brayton House in Cumberland. Mary Camilla Macan Lady Lawson (age 41) by marriage Lady Lawson of Brayton House in Cumberland.
On 6th June 1908 the Lawson family installed a stained glass window dedicated to the memory of their Wilfrid Lawson 2nd Baronet, in the east end of St Kentigern's Church, Aspatria.