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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Canterbury Cathedral is in Canterbury, Kent [Map], Cathedrals in England.
616 Death of Æthelberht King of Kent
1052 Coronation of William the Conqueror
1162 Thomas Becket appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
1170 Murder of Thomas a Becket
1220 Translation of Thomas a Becket
1236 Marriage of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence
1299 Marriage of King Edward I and Margaret of France
1360 Release of King John II of France
1376 Death of the Black Prince
1413 Death of King Henry IV Accession of Henry V
1457 John Neville married Isabel Ingaldsthorpe
See: , Chapel of St Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral, Corona, Canterbury Cathedral, Dean's Chapel Canterbury Cathedral, Guest House Canterbury Cathedral, Lady Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral, North Transept, Canterbury Cathedral, St Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
Around 604 Archbishop Laurence was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 616. This year died Ethelbert [aged 66], king of Kent, the first of English kings that received baptism: he was the son of Ermenric. He reigned fifty-six winters, and was succeeded by his son Eadbald. And in this same year had elapsed from the beginning of the world five thousand six hundred and eighteen winters. This Eadbald renounced his baptism, and lived in a heathen manner; so that he took to wife the relict of his father. Then Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent, meant to depart southward over sea, and abandon everything. But there came to him in the night the apostle Peter, and severely chastised him19, because he would so desert the flock of God. And he charged him to go to the king, and teach him the right belief. And he did so; and the king returned to the right belief. In this king's days the same Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent after Augustine, departed this life on the second of February, and was buried near Augustine. The holy Augustine in his lifetime invested him bishop, to the end that the church of Christ, which yet was new in England, should at no time after his decease be without an archbishop. After him Mellitus, who was first Bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric. The people of London, where Mellitus was before, were then heathens: and within five winters of this time, during the reign of Eadbald, Mellitus died. To him succeeded Justus, who was Bishop of Rochester, whereto he consecrated Romanus bishop.
Note 19. Literally, "swinged, or scourged him." Both Bede and Alfred begin by recording the matter as a vision, or a dream; whence the transition is easy to a matter of fact, as here stated by the Norman interpolators of the "Saxon Annals".
In 619 Bishop Mellitus was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 624 Archbishop Justus was appointed 4th Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 21st July 625 Archbishop Paulinus of York was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 627. This year was King Edwin [aged 41] baptized at Easter, with all his people, by Paulinus, who also preached baptism in Lindsey [Map], where the first person who believed was a certain rich man, of the name of Bleek, with all his people. At this time Honorius succeeded Boniface in the papacy, and sent hither to Paulinus the pall; and Archbishop Justus having departed this life on the tenth of November, Honorius was consecrated at Lincoln, Lincolnshire [Map] Archbishop of Canterbury by Paulinus; and Pope Honorius sent him the pall. And he sent an injunction to the Scots, that they should return to the right celebration of Easter.
In 627 Archbishop Honorius was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 26th March 655 Archbishop Deusdedit was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury by Bishop Ithamar.
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.
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Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This year Ithamar, Bishop of Rochester, consecrated Deus-dedit to Canterbury, on the twenty-sixth day of March.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 667. This year Oswy [aged 55] and Egbert sent Wighard, a priest, to Rome, that he might be consecrated there Archbishop of Canterbury; but he died as soon as he came thither.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 668. This year Theodore [aged 66] was consecrated archbishop, and sent into Britain.
On 26th March 668 Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus [aged 66] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome, Italy [Map].
Bede. 689. How when Archbishop Theodore died Bertwald succeeded him as archbishop and among many others whom he ordained he made the learned Tobias bishop of the church of Rochester. [690 a.d.]
The year after that in which Caedwalla [aged 30] died at Rome, Italy [Map], that is, 690 after the Incarnation of our Lord, Archbishop Theodore [aged 87], of blessed memory, departed this life, being old and full of days, for he was eighty-eight years of age; which number of years he had been wont long before to foretell to his friends that he should live, the same having been revealed to him in a dream. He held the bishopric twenty-two years, and was buried in St. Peter's church [Map], where all the bodies of the bishops of Canterbury are buried. Of whom, as well as of his fellows of the same degree, it may rightly and truly be said, that their bodies are buried in peace, and their names shall live to all generations. For to say all in few words, the English Churches gained more spiritual increase while he was archbishop, than ever before. His character, life, age, and death, are plainly and manifestly described to all that resort thither, by the epitaph on his tomb, in thirty-four heroic verses. The first whereof are these:
"Here in the tomb rests the body of the holy prelate, called now in the Greek tongue Theodore. Chief pontiff, blest high priest, pure doctrine he set forth to his disciples.".
The last are as follow:
"For September had reached its nineteenth day, when his spirit went forth from the prison-bars of the flesh. Mounting in bliss to the gracious fellowship of the new life, he was united to the angelic citizens in the heights of Heaven.".
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 690. This year Archbishop Theodore [aged 88], who had been bishop twenty-two winters, departed this life22, and was buried within the city of Canterbury [Map]. Bertwald, who before this was abbot of Reculver [Map], on the calends of July succeeded him in the see; which was ere this filled by Romish bishops, but henceforth with English. Then were there two kings in Kent, Wihtred [aged 20] and Webherd.
Note 22. He was a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, the birth-place of St. Paul.
On 10th June 729 Archbishop Tatwine [aged 59] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury by Bishop Daniel of Winchester.
In 735 Archbishop Nothelm was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
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.
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In 740 Archbishop Cuthbert was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 760 Archbishop Bregowine was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 2nd February 765 Archbishop Jænberht was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 792 Archbishop Æthelhard was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury by King Offa of Mercia.
On 21st January 793 Archbishop Æthelhard was enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury in a service presided over by Archbishop Hygeberht.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 803. This year died Hibbald, Bishop of Holy-island, on the twenty-fourth of June, and Egbert was consecrated in his stead, on the thirteenth of June following. Archbishop Ethelherd also died in Kent, and Wulfred was chosen archbishop in his stead. Abbot Forthred, in the course of the same year, departed this life.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This year the army rode over Mercia into East-Anglia, and there fixed their winter-quarters at Thetford [Map]. And in the winter King Edmund fought with them; but the Danes gained the victory, and slew the king [20th November 869]; whereupon they overran all that land, and destroyed all the monasteries to which they came. The names of the leaders who slew the king were Hingwar and Hubba. At the same time came they to Medhamsted [Map], burning and breaking, and slaying abbot and monks, and all that they there found. They made such havoc there, that a monastery [Map], which was before full rich, was now reduced to nothing. The same year died Archbishop Ceolnoth; and Ethered, Bishop of Witshire, was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 870 Archbishop Æthelred was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 890 Archbishop Plegmund was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Around 923 Archbishop Athelm was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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Around 926 Archbishop Wulfhelm was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 941 Archbishop Oda was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 958 a charter of King Edgar I of England [aged 15] describes Penkridge, Staffordshire [Map] as a "famous place". St Michael's Church, Penkridge [Map] was established as a Royal Free Chapel making it a Royal Peculiar. The church was independent of the Bishop of Lichfield and, correspondingly, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 959 Archbishop Dunstan [aged 50] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 961. This year departed Odo, the good archbishop, and St. Dunstan [aged 52] took to the archbishopric. This year also died Elfgar, a relative of the king, in Devonshire; and his body lies at Wilton [Map]: and King Sifferth killed himself; and his body lies at Wimborn [Map]. This year there was a very great pestilence; when the great fever was in London; and St. Paul's minster was consumed with fire, and in the same year was afterwards restored. In this year Athelmod the masspriest, went to Rome, and there died on the eighteenth before the calends of September.
In 988 Archbishop Ethelgar was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 989 Archbishop Sigeric was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 994 Archbishop Ælfric was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 996. This year was Elfric consecrated archbishop at Christ church.49
Note 49. i.e. at Canterbury. He was chosen or nominated before, by King Ethelred [aged 30] and his council, at Amesbury: vid. an. 994. This notice of his consecration, which is confirmed by Florence of Worcester, is now first admitted into the text on the authority of three MSS.
In 1004 Archbishop Ælfheah [aged 51] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1006 Archbishop Ælfheah [aged 53] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1013 Archbishop Ælfstan aka Lyfing was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by King Æthelred II of England [aged 47].
Before 1020 Archbishop Æthelnoth was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1020. This year came King Knute [aged 25] back to England; and there was at Easter a great council at Cirencester, Gloucestershire [Map], where Alderman Ethelward was outlawed, and Edwy, king of the churls. This year went the king to Assingdon; with Earl Thurkyll, and Archbishop Wulfstan, and other bishops, and also abbots, and many monks with them; and he ordered to be built there a minster of stone and lime, for the souls of the men who were there slain, and gave it to his own priest, whose name was Stigand; and they consecrated the minster at Assingdon. And Ethelnoth the monk, who had been dean at Christ's church, was the same year on the ides of November consecrated Bishop of Christ's church by Archbishop Wulfstan.
On 12th June 1020 Archbishop Ælfstan aka Lyfing died. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 13th November 1020 Archbishop Æthelnoth was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury by Archbishop Wulfstan.
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.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1023. This year returned King Knute [aged 28] to England; and Thurkyll and he were reconciled. He committed Denmark and his son to the care of Thurkyll, whilst he took Thurkyll's son with him to England. This year died Archbishop Wulfstan; and Elfric succeeded him; and Archbishop Egelnoth blessed him in Canterbury. This year King Knute in London, in St. Paul's minster [Map], gave full leave60 to Archbishop Ethelnoth, Bishop Britwine, and all God's servants that were with them, that they might take up from the grave the archbishop, Saint Elphege. And they did so, on the sixth day before the ides of June; and the illustrious king, and the archbishop, and the diocesan bishops, and the earls, and very many others, both clergy and laity, carried by ship his holy corpse over the Thames to Southwark [Map]. And there they committed the holy martyr to the archbishop and his companions; and they with worthy pomp and sprightly joy carried him to Rochester. There on the third day came the Lady Emma [aged 38] with her royal son Hardacnute [aged 5]; and they all with much majesty, and bliss, and songs of praise, carried the holy archbishop into Canterbury Cathedral [Map], and so brought him gloriously into the church, on the third day before the ides of June. Afterwards, on the eighth day, the seventeenth before the calends of July, Archbishop Ethelnoth, and Bishop Elfsy, and Bishop Britwine, and all they that were with them, lodged the holy corpse of Saint Elphege on the north side of the altar of Christ; to the praise of God, and to the glory of the holy archbishop, and to the everlasting salvation of all those who there his holy body daily seek with earnest heart and all humility. May God Almighty have mercy on all Christian men through the holy intercession of Elphege!
Note 60. Matthew of Westminster says the king took up the body with his own hands.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1031. This year returned King Knute [aged 36]; and as soon as he came to England he gave to Christ's church in Canterbury [Map] the haven of Sandwich, Kent [Map], and all the rights that arise therefrom, on either side of the haven; so that when the tide is highest and fullest, and there be a ship floating as near the land as possible, and there be a man standing upon the ship with a taper-axe in his hand, whithersoever the large taper-axe might be thrown out of the ship, throughout all that land the ministers of Christ's church should enjoy their rights. This year went King Knute to Rome; and the same year, as soon as he returned home, he went to Scotland; and Malcolm, king of the Scots [aged 77], submitted to him, and became his man, with two other kings, Macbeth and Jehmar; but he held his allegiance a little while only. Robert, Earl of Normandy [aged 30], went this year to Jerusalem [Map], where he died; and William [aged 3], who was afterwards King of England, succeeded to the earldom, though he was a child.
In 1038 Archbishop Eadsige was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1044 Archbishop Robert of Jumièges was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury; the first Norman Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1052 Archbishop Stigand was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury which he held jointly with his Bishopric of Worcester making him very wealthy. Five successive Popes excommunicated Stigand for his holding of both Winchester and Canterbury. His excommunication meant he could ot preside at the Coronation of William the Conqueror.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1067. This year came the king [aged 39] back again to England on St. Nicholas's day; and the same day was burned the church of Christ at Canterbury [Map]. Bishop Wulfwy also died, and is buried at his see in Dorchester [Map].
On 29th August 1070 Archbishop Lanfranc [aged 65] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
Flowers of History. 8th April 1071. A general council of the kingdom of England was held, to discuss the question of the primacy of the church of Canterbury, as superior to the church of York, on the eighth of April. And at last it was decreed that the archbishop of Canterbury had the preeminence, and that the archbishop of York was subordinate to him in everything.
Flowers of History. 24th April 1071. Lanfranc [aged 66], abbot of Caen, was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, on the twenty-fourth of April. And this Lanfranc, when archbishop, established the order of monks according to the rule of Saint Benedict in many of the convents of England. And he did so, first of all, in the church of Canterbury; after that, in the church of Saint Alban [Map], the protomartyr of the English, where also, when the abbot Frederic died, he appointed his [Lanfranc's] nephew Paul as his successor; who, relying on the support of his uncle, restored the church, and reformed the brotherhood, which had fallen into some irregularities.
In 1072 the Accord of Winchester established the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Archbishop of York. It was signed by...
King William "Conqueror" I of England [aged 44] and Matilda Flanders Queen Consort England [aged 41].
Archbishop Ealdred who signed "I concede" whereas other signatories signed "I subscribe".
Bishop Wulfstan [aged 64].
Herfast Bishop Chancellor.
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.
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On 29th December 1079 Robert the Lotharingian was consecrated Bishop of Hereford by Archbishop Lanfranc [aged 74] at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In 1093 Archbishop Anselm [aged 60] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 26th April 1114 Archbishop Ralph d'Escures was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 12th June 1121. After a few days, one named Everard, attached to the king's chapel, was elected bishop of Norwich, and consecrated at Canterbury [Map] by archbishop Ralph on the second of the ides [the 12th] of June; Arnulph, bishop of Rochester, Richard, bishop of Hereford, and Robert, bishop of Coventry, having met for the purpose.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 16th February 1123. William [aged 53], a canon of St. Osythe, at Chiche1, was named to the archbishopric of Canterbury at Gloucester, where the king held his court at the feast of the Purification of St. Mary; and he was consecrated at Canterbury by William, bishop of Winchester, assisted by many other bishops, on the fourteenth of the calends of March [16th February]. With his approval, the bishopric of Lincoln was given to Alexander, archdeacon of Salisbury. Afterwards, archbishop William, in company with Thurstan [aged 53], archbishop of York, Bernard, bishop of St. David's2, Sigefred, abbot Glastonbury, and Anselm, abbot of St. Edmund's, went to Rome to receive the pallium.
Note 1. St. Osythe, in Essex, a priory rebuilt in 1118 for canons of the Augustine order, of which there are considerable remains.
Note 2. Henry of Huntingdon includes Alexander, the new bishop of Lincoln, among the archbishop's companions to Rome, and it is probable that the historian attended his patron. See his character of bishop Alexander, p. 253, of his history in the Antiq. Lib.
In 1139 Archbishop Theobald of Bec [aged 49] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 19th December 1148 Bishop Robert de Chesney was consecrated Bishop of Lincoln by Archbishop Theobald of Bec [aged 58] at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. He had been ordained as a Priest the day before.
On 19th December 1148 Bishop David Fitzgerald [aged 42] was consecrated Bishop of St David's at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] by Archbishop Theobald of Bec [aged 58].
On 23rd May 1162 Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 42] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 29].
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.
On 3rd June 1162 Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 42] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury by Bishop Henry of Blois [aged 64].
On 24th May 1162 Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 42] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Before March 1163 Bishop Geoffrey Ridel was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury.
On 22nd December 1163 Bishop Robert Melun [aged 63] was consecrated Bishop of Hereford by Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 44] at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 29th December 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket [aged 51] was murdered at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] by four knights on behalf of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 37]. Whether Henry ordered the murder, or whether the four knights were acting without orders, is a matter of conjecture. The first use of the well-known phrase "Will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest" appears some five hundred and more years later in Robert Dodsley's 1740 Chronicle of the Kings of England.
On 3rd February 1173 Archbishop Richard of Dover was elected Archbishop of Canterbury although the monks preferred Odo, Prior of Canterbury.
On 3rd June 1173 Archbishop Richard de Dover was elected Archbishop of Canterbury against the wishes of the clergy.Archbishop Richard de Dover when trvaelled to Rome to rebut the charges against him.
On 7th April 1174 Archbishop Richard de Dover was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in Anagni Frosinone Latium by Pope Alexander III.
On 7th April 1174 Archbishop Richard of Dover was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury at Anagni by Pope Alexander III. Richard returned to England at the close of the year bearing his pallium which he had received directly from the pope.
On 6th October 1174 Bishop Geoffrey Ridel was consecrated Bishop of Ely at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
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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On 7th November 1176 Bishop Peter de Leia was consecrated Bishop of St David's at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 16th February 1184 Archbishop Richard of Dover died at Haling, Kent. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In December 1184 Archbishop Baldwin of Forde [aged 59] was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 27th November 1191 Archbishop Reginald Fitz Jocelin was elected Archbishop of Canterbury. The year may have been 1191; it is known he died a month of being elected.
On 29th May 1193 Archbishop Hubert Walter [aged 33] was elected as Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 7th June 1207 Archbishop Stephen Langton [aged 57] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury at Viterbo [Map] by Pope Innocent III [aged 47].
On 7th July 1220 the remains of Archbishop Thomas Becket were translated from the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral [Map] to an elaborate shrine in the newly-constructed apse at the east end of the cathedral. King Henry III of England [aged 12] was in attendance, together with the political and religious great and good, and a new liturgical office was composed for the occasion.
On 19th June 1229 Bishop Hugh of Northwold was consecrated Bishop of Ely at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In 1233 Archbishop Edmund Rich [aged 58] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
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.
On 12th November 1234 Bishop Ralph de Maidstone was consecrated Bishop of Hereford by Archbishop Edmund Rich [aged 59] at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 14th January 1236 King Henry III of England [aged 28] and Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England [aged 13] were married at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] by Archbishop Edmund Rich [aged 61]. She the daughter of Raymond IV Count Provence [aged 38] and Beatrice Savoy Countess Provence [aged 38]. He the son of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême Queen Consort England [aged 48]. They were fourth cousins.
On 15th January 1245 Archbishop Boniface Savoy [aged 38] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury at Lyon, France [Map] by Pope Innocent IV during the First Council of Lyon.
On 11th October 1272 Archbishop Robert Kilwardby was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 26th February 1273 Archbishop Robert Kilwardby was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 25th January 1279 Archbishop John Peckham [aged 49] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 13th February 1293 Archbishop Robert Winchelsey [aged 48] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 12th September 1294 Archbishop Robert Winchelsey [aged 49] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in Aquila by Pope Celestine V.
On 10th September 1299 King Edward I of England [aged 60] and Margaret of France Queen Consort England [aged 20] were married at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort England. The difference in their ages was 39 years. She the daughter of King Philip III of France and Maria of Brabant Queen Consort France [aged 43]. He the son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence Queen Consort England. They were first cousin once removed. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.
Guy Beauchamp 10th Earl Warwick [aged 27] was present.
On 12th November 1299 Archbishop Thomas Corbridge was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 12th June 1300 Bishop John D'Aldreby was consecrated Bishop of Lincoln at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
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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On 30th May 1305 Bishop Henry Woodlock was consecrated Bishop of Winchester at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In 1313 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In January 1314 Archbishop Walter Reynolds was enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 11th December 1327 Simon Mepeham was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 3rd November 1333 John de Straford [aged 58] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 24th September 1348 John de Ufford was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by papal bull. He died eight months later of the plague before he was consecrated.
On 19th July 1349 Archbishop Thomas Bradwardine [aged 49] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. He died a month later of plague.
On 20th December 1349 Archbishop Simon Islip was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 30th June 1360 King John "The Good" II of France [aged 41] left the Tower of London [Map] and proceeded to Eltham Palace, Kent [Map] where Queen Philippa [aged 50] had prepared a great farewell entertainment. Passing the night at Dartford, Kent [Map], he continued towards Dover, Kent [Map], stopping at the Maison Dieu of St Mary at Ospringe, and paying homage at the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury [Map] on 4th July 1360. He dined with the Black Prince [aged 30] at Dover Castle [Map], and reached English-held Calais [Map] on 8th July 1360.
In May 1375 Archbishop Simon Sudbury [aged 59] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 8th June 1376 Edward "Black Prince" [aged 45] died of dysentery at Westminster Palace [Map]. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. His son Richard [aged 9] succeeded as heir to his grandfather King Edward III of England [aged 63] who died a year later.
On 14th June 1381 the mob gained access to the Tower of London [Map] capturing Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales [aged 52], the future King Henry IV of England [aged 14], Joan Holland Duchess York [aged 1] and Archbishop Simon Sudbury [aged 65].
Archbishop Simon Sudbury was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
Lord Treasurer Robert Hales [aged 56], who had only been appointed on the 1st February 1381, was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map].
On 30th July 1381 Archbishop William Courtenay [aged 39] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 31st July 1396 Archbishop William Courtenay [aged 54] died at Maidstone, Kent [Map]. He was buried in the quire of Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 25th September 1396 Archbishop Thomas Fitzalan aka Arundel [aged 43] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 8th November 1397 Archbishop Roger Walden was elected Archbishop of Canterbury as a result of the influence of Archbishop Thomas Fitzalan aka Arundel [aged 44].
Before 13th October 1399 Archbishop Thomas Fitzalan aka Arundel [aged 46] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 17th June 1408 Archbishop Henry Chichele [aged 45] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 20th March 1413 King Henry IV of England [aged 45] died in the Jerusalem Chamber, Cheyneygates, Westminster Abbey [Map] in Westminster Abbey confirming a prophesy that he would die in Jerusalem. His son Henry [aged 26] succeeded V King of England. His sons King Henry V of England and Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester [aged 22] were present. He was buried in the Chancel of Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
After 22nd March 1421 Thomas Lancaster 1st Duke of Clarence [deceased] was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
Chronicle of Gregory. 10th July 1437. And the same year dyde Quene Jane [deceased] a at Averyng at the Bowre [Map], in Esex, in the monythe of Juylle, and she is buryde at Cauntyrbury [Map] whythe her hosbonde, King Harry the iiij the.
On 12th April 1443 Archbishop Henry Chichele [aged 80] died. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In May 1443 Archbishop John Stafford was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury which position he held until his death.
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.
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In July 1452 Cardinal John Kempe [aged 72] was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury.
In April 1454 Cardinal Thomas Bourchier [aged 36] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 25th April 1457 John Neville 1st Marquess Montagu [aged 26] and Isabel Ingaldsthorpe [aged 16] were married by Cardinal Thomas Bourchier [aged 39] at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. She the heir of her father Edmund Ingaldsthorpe who had died the previous year. Eight manors were settled on them in jointure. He the son of Richard Neville Earl Salisbury [aged 57] and Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury [aged 50]. They were second cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.
In 1460 a petition noted "The Nevilles state that Isabel was found to be Ingoldisthorpe's daughter and heir. When they requested livery of the estates from the chancellor in Chancery, he refused on the grounds that the king had granted the marriage and wardship to the queen [aged 29]. The Nevilles disputed this as Isabel was 14, and not a minor at common law. John Neville made recognizances in £1,000 to the queen on the understanding that if it was found that such a grant to the queen was not available, then she would not take any money from Neville. The Nevilles are unable to have a day in their law, and the queen has still levied part of the £1,000, and they are forced to sue a special livery at great expense. They request that the recognizances by annulled, and that women of the age of 14 when their ancestors die should have no problem of obtaining livery of their lands and tenements." See National Archives UK John Nevyll (Neville), knight; Isabel Neville, wife of John Neville, knight. SC 8/28/1398 1460.
On 30th March 1486 Cardinal Thomas Bourchier [aged 68] died at Knole House, Sevenoaks. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 6th October 1486 Cardinal John Morton [aged 66] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1501 Archbishop Henry Deane was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 22nd January 1501 Bishop Thomas Langton was elected Archbishop of Canterbury. He died five days later of the plague.
On 29th November 1503 Archbishop William Warham [aged 53] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
Chronicle of Edward Hall [1496-1548]. 31st May 1522. The same day at afternoon, the two noble princes marched forward to Canterbury, where the Mayor and Aldermen received them without the town, with a solemn oration, to whom the Emperor's Secretary answered ornately. Then the Princes with their swords borne naked before them, and the Emperour [aged 22] on the right hand, entered the city of Canterbury, and so with procession were brought to Christes Church [Map] where the Archbishop [aged 72] and twelve prelates mitred, received them under a canopy, and so they offered to the Sacrament, and the Emperor was brought to the Bishop's palace, where he lay for that night, and the King lodged at St Augustine's [Map].
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.
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In 1526 Edward Bocking became a monk serving as Cellarer of Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
After 1st September 1532 Thomas Cranmer [aged 43], whilst staying in Mantua, received a royal letter dated 1st September 1532 by which he was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury; he was ordered to return to England. Cranmer's appointment, supported, if not arranged, by the Boleyn family who he subsequently supported.
In September 1538 Henry VIII [aged 47] ordered Thomas of Becket's shrine at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] to be destroyed. Both an attack on the Catholic Church, and a means to generate revenue; Thomas' shrine was covered in precious metals and stones. Two huges chests, each requiring six men to carry, were required to remove the treasure.
On 30th March 1553 Archbishop Thomas Cranmer [aged 63] was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury at St Stephen's Chapel, Westminster Palace [Map] by Bishop John Longland, Bishop John Vesey aka Harman [aged 91] and Bishop Henry Standish.
On 1st August 1559 Archbishop Matthew Parker [aged 54] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury. He was helped by his friend Nicholas Bacon [aged 48].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 16th December 1559. The xvj day of Desember was the sam man bered in sant Don stones in the est, master Cottell, that was slayne with (the) falle, and he had a sarmon, and all ys compene in ther clothyng, and a grett dener, for ther was mad mon [moan] for hym, and a dolle.... Parker [aged 55] electyd byshope of Canturbere.
On 17th December 1559 Archbishop Matthew Parker [aged 55] was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace [Map] by Bishop William Barlow [aged 61].
In 1595 Charles Fotherby [aged 46] was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury and Prebendary of Canterbury.
In 1596 Bishop Martin Fortherby [aged 36] was appointed Prebendary of Canterbury.
In November 1604 Archbishop Richard Bancroft [aged 60] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
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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In 1611 Archbishop George Abbott [aged 48] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1615 Charles Fotherby [aged 66] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
On 6th August 1633 Archbishop William Laud [aged 59] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
John Evelyn's Diary. 12th October 1641. From Dover, I that night rode post to Canterbury, Kent [Map]. Here I visited the cathedral [Map], then in great splendour, those famous windows being entire, since demolished by the fanatics. The next morning, by Sittingboume [Map], I came to Rochester [Map], and thence to Gravesend [Map], where a light-horseman (as they call it) taking us in, we spent our tide as far as Greenwich [Map]. From hence, after we had a little refreshed ourselves at the College, (for by reason of the contagion then in London we balked the inns,) we came to London landing at Arundel-stairs [Map]. Here I took leave of his Lordship [aged 56], and retired to my lodgings in the Middle Temple, being about two in the morning, the 14th of October.
On 11th September 1643 Elizabeth aka Mary Fotherby [aged 29] died. She was buried on 20th September 1643 at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
On 3rd January 1644 Dean Thomas Turner [aged 53] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
On 30th October 1651 Thomas Papillon Merchant [aged 28] and Jane Broadnax were married at Canterbury Cathedral [Map].
In 1660 Bishop George Hall [aged 47] was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury.
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.
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In 1660, at the Restoration, Bishop Peter Gunning [aged 46] was appointed Canon Canterbury.
On 13th September 1660 Archbishop William Juxon [aged 78] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1663 Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon [aged 64] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
John Evelyn's Diary. 31st August 1663. I was invited to the translation of Dr. Sheldon [aged 65], Bishop of London, from that see to Canterbury, the ceremony performed at Lambeth Palace [Map]. First, went his Grace's mace bearer, steward, treasurer, comptroller, all in their gowns, and with white staves; next, the bishops in their habits, eight in number; Dr. Sweate, Dean of the Arches, Dr. Exton, Judge of the Admiralty, Sir William Merick, Judge of the Prerogative Court, with divers advocates in scarlet. After divine service in the chapel, performed with music extraordinary, Dr. French and Dr. Stradling (his Grace's chaplains) said prayers. The Archbishop in a private room looking into the chapel, the bishops, who were commissioners, went up to a table placed before the altar, and sat round it in chairs. Then Dr. Chaworth presented the commission under the broad seal to the Bishop of Winchester [aged 65], and it was read by Dr. Sweate. After which, the Vicar-General went to the vestry, and brought his Grace into the chapel, his other officers marching before. He being presented to the Commissioners, was seated in a great armchair at one end of the table, when the definitive sentence was read by the Bishop of Winchester, and subscribed by all the bishops, and proclamation was three times made at the chapel door, which was then set open for any to enter, and give their exceptions; if any they had. This done, we all went to dinner in the great hall to a mighty feast. There were present all the nobility in town, the Lord Mayor of London, Sheriffs, Duke of Albemarle [aged 54], etc. My Lord Archbishop did in particular most civilly welcome me. So going to visit my Lady Needham, who lived at Lambeth, I went over to London.
John Evelyn's Diary. 5th January 1665. I arrived at Canterbury, Kent [Map], and went to the cathedral [Map], exceedingly well repaired since his Majesty's [aged 34] return.
John Evelyn's Diary. 7th March 1666. Dr. Sancroft [aged 49], since Archbishop of Canterbury, preached before the King [aged 35] about the identity and immutability of God, on Psalm cii. 27.
In 1667 Archbishop William Sancroft [aged 49] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury at the express wish of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 36].
In 1670 Bishop Samuel Parker [aged 30] was appointed Archdeacon of Canterbury.
In 1670 Archbishop John Tillotson [aged 39] was appointed Prebendary of Canterbury.
In 1672 Archbishop John Tillotson [aged 41] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1683 Charles Kirkoven 1st Earl Bellomont [aged 39] died. Earl Bellomont and Baron Wotton extinct. He was buried at Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. He willed Boughton aka Bocton Place, Kent [Map] to his nephew, Charles Stanhope aka Wooton [aged 7], son of his half-brother Philip Stanhope 2nd Earl Chesterfield [aged 49].
In 1689 Archbishop John Sharp [aged 43] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
John Evelyn's Diary. 8th March 1689. Dr. Tillotson [aged 58], Dean of Canterbury, made an excellent discourse on Matt. v. 44, exhorting to charity and forgiveness of enemies; I suppose purposely, the new Parliament being furious about impeaching those who were obnoxious, and as their custom has ever been, going on violently, without reserve, or modification, while wise men were of opinion the most notorious offenders being named and excepted, an Act of Amnesty would be more seasonable, to pacify the minds of men in so general a discontent of the nation, especially of those who did not expect to see the government assumed without any regard to the absent King, or proving a spontaneous abdication, or that the birth of the Prince of Wales was an imposture; five of the Bishops also still refusing to take the new oath.
John Evelyn's Diary. 9th December 1694. I had news that my dear and worthy friend, Dr. Tenison [aged 58], Bishop of Lincoln, was made Archbishop of Canterbury, for which I thank God and rejoice, he being most worthy of it, for his learning, piety, and prudence.
In 1695 Archbishop Thomas Tenison [aged 58] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1716 Archbishop William Wake [aged 58] was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1734 Dean John Lynch [aged 36] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
On 21st October 1747 Archbishop Thomas Herring [aged 54] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
Vesta Monumenta. 1755. Plate 2.15 and 2.16. Two images from a twelfth-century manuscript, the Eadwine Psalter. The first is a plan of the monastery precinct at Christ Church, Canterbury, including Canterbury Cathedral [Map] as it stood prior to 1174. The second plate reproduces an author portrait of Eadwine of Canterbury, after whom the entire manuscript is named. Engravings by George Vertue [aged 71] after drawings of the manuscript made at Cambridge in 1753 by an unknown draftsman.
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.
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On 7th October 1762 Charles Abbott 1st Baron Tenterden was born to John Abbott of Centrebury. He was baptised at Canterbury Cathedral [Map] on 26th October 1762. He married 13th July 1795 Mary Lamotte and had issue.
In 1768 Archbishop Frederick Cornwallis [aged 54] was translated to Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 19th September 1771 Archbishop John Moore [aged 41] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.
On 26th April 1783 Archbishop John Moore [aged 53] was preferred Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1790 Bishop William Buller [aged 55] was translated to Dean of Canterbury.
In 1805 Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton [aged 49] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1828 Archbishop William Howley [aged 61] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1848 Archbishop John Bird Sumner [aged 67] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
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.
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In 1862 Archbishop Charles Longley [aged 67] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
In 1883 Archbishop Edward White Benson [aged 53] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 24th June 1884 Bishop Adelbert John Robert Anson [aged 43] was consecrated Bishop of Bishop of Qu'Appelle in Canada by Archbishop of Canterbury at St Mary at Lambeth Church, Surrey [Map].
In 1903 Bishop Randall Davidson [aged 54] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 26th July 1928 Archbishop Cosmo Gordon Lang [aged 63] was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 4th December 1928 Archbishop Cosmo Gordon Lang [aged 64] was enthroned Archbishop of Canterbury.
On 12th January 1945 Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher [aged 57] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.
Bede. But the apostolic pope having consulted about that affair, made diligent inquiry for some one to send to be archbishop of the English churches. There was then in the Niridan monastery, which is not far from the city of Naples [Map] in Campania, an abbot, called Hadrian, by nation an African, well versed in holy writ, experienced in monastical and ecclesiastical discipline, and excellently skilled both in the Greek and Latin tongues. The pope, sending for him, commanded him to accept of the bishopric, and repair into Britain; he answered, that he was unworthy of so great a dignity, but said he could name another, whose learning and age were fitter for the episcopal office. And having proposed to the pope a certain monk, belonging to a neighbouring monastery of virgins, whose name was Andrew, he was by all that knew him judged worthy of a bishopric; but bodily infirmity prevented his being advanced to the episcopal station. Then again Hadrian was pressed to accept of the bishopric; but he desired a respite for a time, to see whether he could find another fit to be ordained bishop.
Calendar of State Papers in the Archives of Venice. On the third day we went to another town of Flanders, not very remarkable, of the same description as Gemona, called Nieuport, 20 miles from Bruges. On the fourth day, passing through two other small towns by the side of certain rivers which form divers harbours, having the sea near at hand, we arrived at Calais, a distance of 30 miles. It is a very strong place, as I will tell on my return, and is very closely guarded by the most serene King of England, who has no other fortress than this one, and another near it. It is on the sea, and is the port of passage to the island. On that same night, two hours before daybreak, we embarked on board a middling-sized vessel, and with a pleasant south-west wind, and a calm sea, crossed from Calais to England in six hours, without trouble or inconvenience of any sort. The distance is 40 Italian miles. The island has the appearance of a fortress, the sea having advanced and given form to the cliff, producing a fine effect. It is difficult to land elsewhere than in the harbours. Having got into port we found a little town called Dover, and I inspected a certain very ancient castle [Dover Castle [Map]] — erected for the custody of the harbour — in which were some suits of armour and spears, and several sorts of weapons, in use 800 and 1,000 years ago—a very ridiculous thing. We were here supplied with horses of marvellous speed, riding post as it were, according to the custom of travellers, so that on the fifth day after my departure from the Imperial Court at Brussels, I reached Canterbury, distant 12 miles from Dover. The place is very famous by reason of the veneration for the glorious Saint Thomas, and there is a superb and magnificent shrine containing his tomb, ornamented with precious stones and sundry jewels, with so much gold that its value is inestimable; this is a singular thing, nor do I expect to see anything handsomer or more costly. From Canterbury we passed to a small town called Gravesend [Map], traversing a most beautiful country, with many hills and very pleasant, seeing many small streams, and the great river Thames which disembogues in the sea; and on the sixth day, which was the 1st of August, having ridden 20 miles, we embarked in a small boat, and came up this large river a distance exceeding 25 Italian miles, to London.
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On 17th November 1558 Cardinal Reginald Pole [aged 58] died at London. He was buried at North Side, Corona, Canterbury Cathedral.
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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On 8th October 1672 Dean Thomas Turner [aged 81] died. He was buried in the Dean's Chapel Canterbury Cathedral.
On 3rd October 1404 Joan Burghesh Baroness Dunster [aged 85] died at Guest House Canterbury Cathedral. She was buried at Canterbury, Kent [Map].
In 1619 Charles Fotherby [aged 70] died. He was buried in the Lady Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral where he has a fine tomb-chest monument.
After 926 the remains of Archbishop Athelm were moved to the Chapel of St Benedict Lady Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral.
After 926 the remains of Archbishop Athelm were moved to the North Transept, Canterbury Cathedral.
On 16th March 1410 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 37] died at Hospital of St Katharine's by the Tower, Tower Hill [Map]. He was buried at St Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. His son Henry [aged 9] succeeded 2nd Earl Somerset.