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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Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland is in Blanchland, Northumberland [Map], Abbeys in England.
The village of Blanchland [Map] composed of buildings of the Abbey including its Gatehouse.
Medieval Grave Slabs at Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map].
1165. Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map] was founded as a premonstratensian priory in 1165 by Walter de Bolbec II (age 25) as a daughter house of Croxden Abbey, Staffordshire [Map]. It became an abbey in the late 13th century.
Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map].
In 1539 Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map] was dissolved and granted to the Bellow and Broxholm families. It was later acquired by the Radclyffe family from whom it passed by marriage to Nicholas Forster. Part of the abbey church was altered and retained for use as the parish church, and the abbots' former residence became the manor house.
Around 10th August 1607 Jane Radclyffe of Blanchland (age 56) died. Claudius Forster 1st Baronet (age 32) inherited Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map].
Around 1623 Claudius Forster 1st Baronet (age 48) died without issue at Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map]. He was buried at St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh [Map]. Baronet Forster of Bamburgh extinct. His brother John Forster (age 46) inherited his estates including Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map].
Before 1625. Arms of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 58) at Blanchland Abbey, Northumberland [Map].