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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Colchester, Essex is in Essex.
Book 6 Nero. To all the disasters and abuses thus caused by the prince there were added certain accidents of fortune; a plague which in a single autumn entered thirty thousand deaths in the accounts of Libitina;123 a disaster in Britain, where two important towns were sacked124 and great numbers of citizens and allies were butchered; a shameful defeat in the Orient, in consequence of which the legions in Armenia were•sent under the yoke and Syria was all but lost. It is surprising and of special note that all this time he bore nothing with more patience than the curses and abuse of the people, and was particularly lenient towards those who assailed him with gibes and lampoons. 2 Of these many were posted or circulated both in Greek and Latin, for example the following:
Nero, Orestes, Alcmeon their mothers slew."
"A calculation new. Nero his mother slew."125
"Who can deny the descent from Aeneas' great line of our Nero? One his mother took off, the other one took off his sire."
"While our ruler his lyre doth twang and the Parthian his bowstring, Paean-singer our prince shall be, and Far-darter our foe."
"Rome is becoming one house; off with you to Veii, Quirites! If that house does not soon seize upon Veii as well."
He made no effort, however, to find the authors; in fact, when some of them were reported to the senate by an informer, he forbade their being very severely punished.
As he was passing along a public street, the Cynic Isidorus loudly taunted him, "because he was a good singer of the ills of Nauplius, but made ill use of his own goods." Datus also, an actor of Atellan farces, in a song beginning:
"Farewell to thee, father; farewell to thee, mother,"
represented drinking and swimming in pantomime, referring of course to the death of Claudius and Agrippina; and in the final tag,
"Orcus guides your steps,"
he indicated the senate by a gesture.126 Nero contented himself with banishing the actor and the philosopher from the city, either because he was impervious p161 to all insults, or to avoid sharpening men's wits by showing his vexation.
Note 123. Venus Libitina, in whose temple funeral outfits and a register of deaths were kept; cf. Hor. Serm. II.6, 19.
Note 124. Camulodunum (Meldon [Map]) and Verulamium (St. Albans [Map]); according to Xiphilinus (61.1) 80,000 perished. The revolt by Boudica Queen of the Iceni.
Note 125. See the reference to the Rh. Mus. in the textual note. The numerical value of the Greek letters in Nero's name (1005) is the same as that of the rest of the sentence; hence we have an equation, Nero = the slayer of one's own mother.
Note 126 Referring to Nero's design mentioned in chap. xxxvii.3.
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The Great Road leaves Chelmsford, Essex [Map] along Sprinfield Road [Map] through Boreham, Essex [Map], Hatfield Peverel, Essex [Map], Witham, Essex [Map], Kelvedon, Essex [Map] aka Canonium, Marks Tey, Essex [Map] where it was joined by Stane Street to Chichester before reaching Colchester, Essex [Map] aka Camulodunum.
Stane Street to Colchester is a Roman Road between Braughing, Hertfordshire [Map] and Colchester, Essex [Map]. It travelled through Little Hadham, Hertfordshire [Map], Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire [Map], Takeley, Essex [Map], Great Dunmow, Essex [Map], Braintree, Essex [Map], Coggeshall, Essex [Map] and Marks Tey, Essex [Map].
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 917. This year, before Easter, King Edward [aged 43] ordered his men to go to the town of Towcester [Map], and to rebuild it. Then again, after that, in the same year, during the gang-days, he ordered the town of Wigmore [Map] to be repaired. The same summer, betwixt Lammas and midsummer, the army broke their parole from Northampton and from Leicester; and went thence northward to Towcester, and fought against the town all day, and thought that they should break into it; but the people that were therein defended it, till more aid came to them; and the enemy then abandoned the town, and went away. Then again, very soon after this, they went out at night for plunder, and came upon men unaware, and seized not a little, both in men and cattle, betwixt Burnham-wood and Aylesbury. At the same time went the army from Huntington and East-Anglia, and constructed that work at Ternsford [Map] which they inhabited and fortified; and abandoned the other at Huntingdon [Map]; and thought that they should thence oft with war and contention recover a good deal of this land. Thence they advanced till they came to Bedford [Map]; where the men who were within came out against them, and fought with them, and put them to flight, and slew a good number of them. Then again, after this, a great army yet collected itself from East-Anglia and from Mercia, and went to the town of Wigmore, Herefordshire [Map]; which they besieged without, and fought against long in the day; and took the cattle about it; but the men defended the town, who were within; and the enemy left the town, and went away. After this, the same summer, a large force collected itself in King Edward's dominions, from the nighest towns that could go thither, and went to Temsford [Map]; and they beset the town, and fought thereon; until they broke into it, and slew the king, and Earl Toglos, and Earl Mann his son, and his brother, and all them that were therein, and who were resolved to defend it; and they took the others, and all that was therein. After this, a great force collected soon in harvest, from Kent, from Surrey, from Essex, and everywhere from the nighest towns; and went to Colchester, Essex [Map], and beset the town, and fought thereon till they took it, and slew all the people, and seized all that was therein; except those men who escaped therefrom over the wall. After this again, this same harvest, a great army collected itself from East-Anglia, both of the land-forces and of the pirates, which they had enticed to their assistance, and thought that they should wreak their vengeance. They went to Maldon, Essex [Map], and beset the town, and fought thereon, until more aid came to the townsmen from without to help. The enemy then abandoned the town, and went from it. And the men went after, out of the town, and also those that came from without to their aid; and put the army to flight, and slew many hundreds of them, both of the pirates and of the others. Soon after this, the same harvest, went King Edward with the West-Saxon army to Passham [Map]; and sat there the while that men fortified the town of Towcester [Map] with a stone wall. And there returned to him Earl Thurferth, and the captains, and all the army that belonged to Northampton northward to the Welland, and sought him for their lord and protector. When this division of the army went home, then went another out, and marched to the town of Huntingdon; and repaired and renewed it, where it was broken down before, by command of King Edward. And all the people of the country that were left submitted to King Edward, and sought his peace and protection. After this, the same year, before Martinmas, went King Edward with the West-Saxon army to Colchester, Essex [Map]; and repaired and renewed the town, where it was broken down before. And much people turned to him, both in East-Anglia and in Essex, that were before under the power of the Danes. And all the army in East-Anglia swore union with him; that they would all that he would, and would protect all that he protected, either by sea or land. And the army that belonged to Cambridge chose him separately for their lord and protector, and confirmed the same with oaths, as he had advised. This year King Edward repaired the town of Gladmouth; and the same year King Sihtric slew Neil his brother.
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Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th October 1559. [The] v day of October cam to [London by Ald]gatt the prynse of Sweythen [aged 25], and [so to Leadenhall], and done [down] Gracyous-strett [Map] corner in a howse stod [the lord] marques of Northamtun [aged 47] and my lord Ambros Dudley [aged 29] [and other gentlemen and] lades; and my lord of Oxford [aged 43] browth (him) from Col[chester] [Map] and my lord Robart Dudley [aged 27], the master of the quen('s) horse; and trumpettes bloyng in dyvers places; and thay had [a great] nombur of gentyllmen ryd with cheynes a-for them, and after them a ij C [200] of yomen rydyng, and so rydyng over the bryge unto the bysshope of Wynchastur plasse [Map], for [it] was rychely hangyd with ryche cloth of arres, wrought with gold and sylver and sylke, and ther he remanyth.
On 28th August 1648 Colchester, Essex [Map] surrendered to Parliament forces after a three month siege.
Charles Lucas [aged 35] and George Lisle surrendered, subjected to a trial and were shot and killed in Colchester Castle, Essex.
John Evelyn's Diary. 30th May 1648. There was a rising now in Kent, my Lord of Norwich [aged 63] being at the head of them. Their first rendezvous was in Broome-field, next my house at Sayes Court, Deptford [Map], whence they went to Maidstone, and so to Colchester, Essex [Map], where was that memorable siege.
John Evelyn's Diary. 8th July 1656. To Colchester, Essex [Map], a fair town, but now wretchedly demolished by the late siege, especially the suburbs, which were all burned, but were then repairing. The town is built on a rising ground, having fair meadows on one side, and a river with a strong ancient castle, said to have been built by King Coilus, father of Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, of whom I find no memory save at the pinnacle of one of their wool-staple houses, where is a statue of Coilus, in wood, wretchedly carved. The walls are exceedingly strong, deeply trenched, and filled with earth. It has six gates, and some watchtowers, and some handsome churches. But what was shown us as a kind of miracle, at the outside of the Castle, the wall where Sir Charles Lucas [aged 43] and Sir George Lisle, those valiant and noble persons who so bravely behaved themselves in the last siege, were barbarously shot, murdered by Ireton in cold blood, after surrendering on articles; having been disappointed of relief from the Scotch army, which had been defeated with the King at Worcester. The place was bare of grass for a large space, all the rest of it abounding with herbage. For the rest, this is a ragged and factious town, now swarming with sectaries. Their trading is in cloth with the Dutch, and baize and says with Spain; it is the only place in England where these stuffs are made unsophisticated. It is also famous for oysters and eringo root, growing hereabout, and candied for sale.
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 [aged 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.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 24th November 1665. So to the 'Change [Map], where very busy with several people, and mightily glad to see the 'Change [Map] so full, and hopes of another abatement still the next week. Off the 'Change [Map] I went home with Sir G. Smith [aged 50] to dinner, sending for one of my barrels of oysters, which were good, though come from Colchester, Essex [Map], where the plague hath been so much. Here a very brave dinner, though no invitation; and, Lord! to see how I am treated, that come from so mean a beginning, is matter of wonder to me. But it is God's great mercy to me, and His blessing upon my taking pains, and being punctual in my dealings.
The River Colne rises near Ridgewell, Suffolk [Map] from where it flows past Great Yeldham, Essex [Map], Sible Hedingham, Essex [Map], Halstead, Essex [Map], Earls Colne, Essex [Map], Wakes Colne, Essex [Map], Aldham, Essex [Map], Fordham Heath, Essex [Map] to Colchester, Essex [Map] then past Wivenhoe, Essex [Map] where it widens before joining the North Sea at Brightlingsea, Essex [Map].
On 28th August 1648 Colchester, Essex [Map] surrendered to Parliament forces after a three month siege.
Charles Lucas [aged 35] and George Lisle surrendered, subjected to a trial and were shot and killed in Colchester Castle, Essex.
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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Vesta Monumenta. 1732. Plate 1.35. The ruins of Colchester Castle and architectural plans of the site. Engravings by George Vertue [aged 48] after "Boul" (probably Cornelis Boel) and Isaac Whood.
1907. John Benjamin Stone [aged 68]. Photograph of Colchester Castle, Essex.
St Botolph's Priory, Colchester is also in Priories in England.
1811. John Sell Cotman [aged 28]. West front of St Botolph's Priory, Colchester [Map], Essex.