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All About History Books

The 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.

Chelmsford, Essex, Home Counties, England, British Isles [Map]

Chelmsford, Essex is in Essex.

See: Broomfield [Map], Leez Priory, Essex [Map], Sprinfield Road [Map].

The Great Road left London at Aldgate Gate [Map] after which it crossed the River Lea then continues to Gallows Corner, Essex [Map], through Brentwood, Essex [Map], Ingatestone, Essex [Map], White's Place, Margetting [Map] after which it reaches Caesaromagus aka Chelmsford, Essex [Map].

Diary of Edward VI. 15th April 1551. A conspiracy opened of the Essex men, who within three dayes after minded to declare the comming of straungers, and so to bring peple together to Chemsford [Map], and then to spoile the riche men's houses if they could.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th October 1557. The v day of October was bered at Chemford [Map] in Essex the wyff of master Thomas Myldmay (age 72), sqwyre, and audetor, with ij whytt branchys, and ij dosen of grett stayffe torchys, and iiij dosen of skochyons, and mony mornars in blake.

Note. P. 154. Funeral of mistress Mildmay. Agnes, daughter of - Read and wife of Thomas Mildmay esquire, auditor of the court of augmentations, who shared so largely in the spoil of the monasteries that he greatly enriched his family, and (contrary to the view taken by Spelman "on Sacrilege," &c.) his descendants flourished so much, that in the reign of James I. there were nine families of Mildmay possessed of large estates in Essex. (See Morant, ii. 4). Sir Walter Mildmay of Apthorpe in Northamptonshire, chancellor of the exchequer to queen Elizabeth, founder of Emanuel college Cambridge, and ancestor of the earls of Westmoreland, was the auditor's fourth and youngest son. His eldest son, having married the heiress of the Ratcliffes earls of Sussex, brought the dignity of baron FitzWalter to his descendants, of whom the last in the male line was created earl FitzWalter in 1730, and died s. p. in 1756.

John Evelyn's Diary. 10th July 1656. I returned homeward, passing again through Colchester, Essex [Map]; and, by the way, near the ancient town of Chelmsford, Essex [Map], saw New Hall, built in a park by Henry VII. and VIII., and given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Sussex, who sold it to the late great Duke of Buckingham, and since seized on by Oliver Cromwell (age 57) (pretended Protector). It is a fair old house, built with brick, low, being only of two stories, as the manner then was; the gate-house better; the court, large and pretty; the staircase, of extraordinary wideness, with a piece representing Sir Francis Drake's action in the year 1580, an excellent sea-piece; the galleries are trifling; the hall is noble; the garden a fair plot, and the whole seat well accommodated with water; but, above all, I admired the fair avenue planted with stately lime trees, in four rows, for near a mile in length. It has three descents, which is the only fault, and may be reformed. There is another fair walk of the same at the mall and wilderness, with a tennis-court, and pleasant terrace toward the park, which was well stored with deer and ponds.

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough, a canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: "In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

George Seymour was born to John Seymour and Elizabeth Coker at Chelmsford, Essex [Map].

Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex, Home Counties, England, British Isles [Map]

Leez Priory, Essex, Chelmsford, Home Counties, England, British Isles [Map]

Leez Priory, Essex is also in Priories in England.

Sprinfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, Home Counties, England, British Isles [Map]