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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Croydon, Surrey is in Surrey.
Close Rolls Edward II 1307-1313. 9th February 1308 King Edward II of England [aged 23]. Dover, Kent [Map]. To Alice, late wife of Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk and Marshall of England. Order to meet the king at Dover, Kent [Map] on his return from France with his consort about Sunday next after the Feast of the Purification of St Mary. Witnessed by Piers Gaveston 1st Earl Cornwall [aged 24].
The like to:
Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford and Essex [aged 25].
Henry de Lancastre [aged 27].
Robert de Monte Alto.
Almaric de Sancto Amando[Ibid].
To R Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 63]. Order to attend the king's coronaion on Sunday next after the feast of St Valentine [14 Feb] at Westminster [Map], to execute what pertains to his office.
To the Sheriff of Surrey. Order to proclaim in market towns, etc., that no knight, esquire, or other shall, under pain of forfeiture, pressure to tourney or make jousts or bordices (torneare, justos seu burdseicas facere), or otherwise go armed at Croydon, Surrey [Map] or elsewhere before the king's coronation.
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Diary of Edward VI. 24th May 1551. An earthquake was at Croidon [Map] and Blechingliee [Map], and in the most part of Surrey, but no harme was donne.
On 2nd September 1600 William aka Francis Howard [aged 60] died at Croydon, Surrey [Map].
On 10th November 1631 Daniel Harvey was born to Daniel Harvey [aged 44] at Croydon, Surrey [Map]. He married 1651 Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of Edward Montagu 2nd Baron Montagu and Anne Winwood, and had issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 29th September 1695. Very cold weather. Sir Purbeck Temple, uncle to my son Draper, died suddenly. A great funeral at Addiscombe. His lady being own aunt to my son Draper, he hopes for a good fortune, there being no heir. There had been a new meeting of the commissioners about Greenwich Hospital [Map], on the new commission, where the Lord Mayor, etc. appeared, but I was prevented by indisposition from attending. The weather very sharp, winter approaching apace. The King [aged 44] went a progress into the north, to show himself to the people against the elections, and was everywhere complimented, except at Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map], where it was not as he expected, so that he hardly stopped an hour there, and having seen the theater, did not receive the banquet proposed. I dined with Dr. Gale [aged 60] at St. Paul's school, who showed me many curious passages out of some ancient Platonists' MSS. concerning the Trinity, which this great and learned person would publish, with many other rare things, if he was encouraged, and eased of the burden of teaching.
John Evelyn's Diary. 13th March 1700. I was at the funeral of my Lady Temple, who was buried at Islington [Map], brought from Addiscombe, near Croydon. She left my son-in-law Draper (her nephew) the mansion house of Addiscombe, very nobly and completely furnished, with the estate about it, with plate and jewels, to the value in all of about £20,000. She was a very prudent lady, gave many great legacies, with £500 to the poor of Islington [Map], where her husband, Sir Purbeck Temple, was buried, both dying without issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 27th June 1702. I went to Wotton, Surrey [Map] with my family for the rest of the summer, and my son-in-law, Draper, with his family, came to stay with us, his house at Addiscombe being new-building, so that my family was above thirty. Most of the new Parliament were chosen of Church of England principles, against the peevish party. The Queen [aged 37] was magnificently entertained at Oxford and all the towns she passed through on her way to Bath, Somerset [Map].
John Evelyn's Diary. 11th July 1703. I went to Addiscombe, sixteen miles from Wotton, to see my son-in-law's new house, the outside, to the coving, being such excellent brickwork, based with Portland stone, with the pilasters, windows, and within, that I pronounced it in all the points of good and solid architecture to be one of the very best gentlemen's houses in Surrey, when finished. I returned to Wotton in the evening, though weary.
Croydon Minster is also in Minsters in England.
On 23rd March 1757 Archbishop Thomas Herring [aged 64] died. He was buried in Croydon Minster [Map].
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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On 25th November 1718 Elizabeth Tulse [aged 57] died at Croydon Palace.
On 21st October 1585 Francis Howard was born to William aka Francis Howard [aged 45] and Frances Gouldwell [aged 32] at Halling House. He married 4th July 1604 Jane Monson and had issue.