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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Church of St Andrew, Wickmere is in Wickmere, Norfolk, Churches in Norfolk.
Founded in Saxon times; Saxon round tower. Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map] rebuilt around 1400.
On Sunday after the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, 1453, and proved 8th of April, 1454; Roger Harsick desires to be buried in the chancel of South-acre [Map]; bequeaths to the fraternity of St. Mary at Dunham 6s. 8d. to the churches of Wickmere [Map] and Calthorp, 13s. 4d. to Edmund his brother 5 marks, and to the Lady Margaret Harsyk his sister a legacy.
In 1596 William Dix died. He was buried in the Chancel of the Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map]. Monument kneeling figures. Ionic columns, strapwork around armorials, panels with raised shields.
On 19th November 1698 Henry Spelman of Wickmere [aged 69] died. On 2nd September 1729 Margaret Spelman [aged 50]. Monument and chest tomb in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map].
Henry Spelman of Wickmere: On 14th July 1629 he was born to Clement Spelman.
Margaret Spelman: Around 1648 she was born to Clement Spelman.
After 5th February 1757. Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map]. Graves slabs to Horatio Walpole 1st Baron Walpole [deceased] and William Walpole [aged 1].
William Walpole: Around 1756 he was born to Horatio Walpole 1st Earl Orford and Rachel Cavendish. On 21st December 1764 William Walpole died.
On 9th June 1760 Elizabeth Vanneck [aged 28] died. She was buried in the Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map] on 17th June 1760.
On 18th April 1765 Henry Spelman [aged 46] died in Calcutta, India whilst working for the East India Company. His remains were brought to England by Peter Downes. He was buried in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map].
After 18th April 1765. Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map]. Memorial to Henry Spelman [aged 46].
Henry Spelman: Around 1719 he was born to William Spelman. Something of a guess. Henry is buried in Wickmere suggesting he is descended from Henry Spelman of Wickmere whose heir William Spelman we guess was this Henry's father. On 18th April 1765 Henry Spelman died in Calcutta, India whilst working for the East India Company. His remains were brought to England by Peter Downes. He was buried in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map].
On 15th June 1766 Mary Walpole [aged 41] died. She was buried at the Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map] on 15th June 1766.
Mary Walpole: On 25th February 1725 she was born to Horatio Walpole 1st Baron Walpole and Mary Magdalen Lombard. On 20th June 1764 Captain Maurice Suckling and she were married. She died twenty months later. There was no issue from the marriage.
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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After 1st April 1876. Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map]. Memorial to Frederick Walpole [deceased]. Note the memorial incorrectly describes his father as 7th rather than 3rd Earl Orford.
Frederick Walpole: On 18th September 1822 he was born to Horatio Walpole 3rd Earl Orford and Mary Fawkener Countess Orford at Naples [Map]. Before 10th July 1854 Frederick Walpole and Laura Sophia Frances Walpole were married. He the son of Horatio Walpole 3rd Earl Orford and Mary Fawkener Countess Orford. They were half second cousin once removed. On 1st April 1876 Frederick Walpole died. He was buried at St Andrew's Church Kingsbury.
On 20th May 1893 Horatio Corbin Walpole [aged 2] died. Monument in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map].
Horatio Corbin Walpole: On 9th January 1891 he was born to Robert Walpole 5th Earl Orford.
On 9th April 1918 Lieutenant Horatio Spencer Walpole [aged 36] was killed in action. Memorial in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map]. He was commanding No.1 Company of the Battalion, which was in the front line at Boiry St Martin. A German artillery shell landed in the trench in which he was standing and killed him outright. He is buried in the Bac-Du-Sud Cemetery, France. (2.B.22.)
Walpole, Horatio Spencer, Lieut. 1st Battn. The Coldstream Guards, yr. s. of the late Henry Spencer Vade-Walpole, Barrister-at-Law, by his wife Frances Selina (27, Montpelier Square, S.W.) dau. of the late Thomas Bourke (widow of Capt. Denzil Chamberlayne); and brother to Capt. T. H. B. Vade-Walpole, killed in action near Loos 20 Sept. 1915 [see Vol. II., page 304] b. Teddington, co. Middlesex, 19 July, 1881 educ. Eton, and New College, Oxford: was a Solicitor; joined the Inns of the Court O.T.C. 3 Jan 1916 gazetted 2nd Lieut. the Coldstream Guards 25 March following promoted Lieut Sept 1916, served with the Expeditionary Force in France ind Flanders from Aug. of the same year; was wounded near Les Boeufs in the Guards’ attack on 15 Sept. following, and invalided home; returned to France in Aug 1917 and was Killed in action near Arras 9 April, 1918. Buried in the British Military Cemetery, Bac du Sud near Bailleulmont. His Commanding Officer wrote: "The regiment has lost in him a most excellent officer who could alwavs be relied on in any time of stress or trouble. We can ill afford to lose such as he was. His country owes him a special debt, as he gave up so much to fight for her. His brother officers will miss him badly; he was so keen and ready for anything; his personality was so strong. It made itself felt wherever he went, and evervbody loved him." He was heir-presumptive to the two baronies of Walpol. He m. at St. Stephen's, Gloucester Road, S.W.; 3 July 1906. Dorothea Frances. only dau. of the late Frederick Butler Molvneux Montgomerie, of 1, Cromwell Place, South Kensington, S.W and had two children Robert Henrv Montgomerie b. 25 April 1913, and Pamela Frances, b. 22 Feb. 1908.
Lieutenant Horatio Spencer Walpole: On 19th June 1881 he was born to Henry Spencer Vade-Walpole. On 3rd July 1906 Lieutenant Horatio Spencer Walpole and Dorothea Frances Montgomerie were married at St Stephen's Church, Kensington.
On 27th September 1931 Robert Walpole 5th Earl Orford [aged 77] died. Earl Orford extinct. His half third cousin twice removed Robert [aged 18] succeeded 7th Baron Walpole of Wollerton. Monument in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map] sculpted by Esmond Burton [aged 45]. The stone brought from St Paul's Island in the Pacific where HMS Magaera, in which the Earl of Orford served as a midshipman, was wrecked in 1871. Armorials include 
Walpole Arms impaled 
Barkham Arms. Motto fari quae sentiat. Saracen's Head Crest.
Robert Walpole 5th Earl Orford: On 10th July 1854 he was born to Frederick Walpole and Laura Sophia Frances Walpole. On 7th December 1894 Horatio Walpole 4th Earl Orford died. His nephew Robert succeeded 5th Earl Orford, 6th Baron Walpole of Wollerton.
Robert Walpole 9th and 7th Baron Walpole: On 25th April 1913 he was born to Lieutenant Horatio Spencer Walpole and Dorothea Frances Montgomerie. In 1989 Robert Walpole 9th and 7th Baron Walpole died. His son Robert succeeded 8th Baron Walpole of Wollerton.
William Spelman was born to Henry Spelman of Wickmere. A William Spelman is described as Henry's heir on Henry's memorial in Church of St Andrew, Wickmere [Map].