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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.
Dunstable, Bedfordshire is in Bedfordshire.
Watling Street 1e St Albans to Towcester. From Verulamium, Hertfordshire [Map] aka St Albans Watling Street continues north-west through Redbourn, Hertfordshire [Map], Friars Wash, Hertfordshire [Map], Durocobrivis [Map], Hockcliffe, Bedfordshire [Map], Little Brick Hill, Buckinghamshire [Map], Kelly's Kitchen Roundabout [Map], Magiovinium [Map] aka Dropshort, Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire [Map] and Lactodorum [Map].
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1123. In this year was the King Henry (age 55), at Christmastide at Dunstable, Bedfordshire [Map], and there came to him the ambassadors of the Earl of Anjou (age 34).
Chronicle of Gregory. Ande the xvij day nexte folowynge Kyng Harry (age 39) roode to Synt Albonys [Map], and the Duke of Northefolke (age 45) with hym, the Erle of Warwycke (age 32), the Erle of Arundelle (age 43), the Lord Bouser (age 30), the Lord Bonvyle (age 68), with many grete lordys, knyghtys, and squyers, and commyns of an C [Hundred] Ml men. And there they hadde a grete batayle whythe the Quene (age 30), for she come ever on fro the jornaye of Wackefylde tylle sche come to Synt Albonys, with alle the lordys a fore said; and her mayny and every lord is men bare her lordys leverey, that every man mighte knowe his owne feleschippe by his lyverey. And be-syde alle that, every man and lord bare the Pryncys (age 7) levery, that was a bende of crymesyn and blacke with esteryge is fetherys. The substance that gate that fylde were howseholde men and feyd men. I wene there were not v Mlmen that fought in the Quenys party, for [t]emoste parte of Northeryn men fledde a-way, and some were take and spoylyd out of her harnysse by the way as they fledde. And some of them robbyd evyr as they yede, a petyffulle thynge hit is to hyre hit. But the day before that batayle there was a jornay at Dunstapyl [Map]; but the kyngys mayny lackyd good gydyng, for some were but newe men of warre, for the chevyste captayne was a boucher of the same towne; and there were the kyngys mayny ovyr throughe only by the Northeryn men. And son aftyr the bocher, for schame of his sympylle gydynge and loste of the men, the nombyr of viij C, for very sorowe as it is said, hynge him selfe; and some men said that it was for loste of his goode, but dede he ys-God knowythe the trought.
And in the myddys of the batayle King Harry wente unto his Quene and for-soke alle his lordys, ande truste better to her party thenne unto his owne lordys. And then thoroughe grete labur the Duke of Northefolke and the Erle of Warwycke a schapyd a-waye; the Byschoppe of Exceter (age 29), that tyme Chaunceler of Ingelond, and brother unto the Erle of Warwycke, the Lord Bouser, whythe many othyr knyghtys, squyers, and comyns fledde, and many men slayne in bothe partys. And the Lord Bonevyle was be-heddyd, the common sayynge that his longage causyd him to dye. The Prynce was jugge is owne sylfe. Ande ther was slayne that manly knyght Syr Thomas Keryel (age 65). The nomber of ded men was xxxv C an moo [t]at were slayne. The lordys in Kyng Harrys party pycchyd a fylde and fortefyd it full stronge, and lyke unwyse men brake her raye and fyld and toke a-nothyr, and or that they were alle sette a buskyd to batayle, the Quenys parte was at hond whythe them in towne of Synt Albonys [Map], and then alle [t]yng was to seke and out of ordyr, for her pryckyers come not home to bryng no tydyng howe ny that the Quene was, save one come and sayd that she was ix myle of. And ar the goners and borgeners couthe levylle her gonnys they were besely fyghtyng, and many a gynne of wer was ordaynyd that stode in lytylle a-vayle or nought; for the burgeners hadde suche instrumentys that wolde schute bothe pellettys of ledde and arowys of an elle of lenghthe with vj fetherys, iij in myddys and iij at the othyr ende, with a grete mighty hedde of yryn at the othyr ende, and wylde fyre with alle. Alle thes iij thyngys they might schute welle and esely at onys, but in tyme of nede they couthe not schut not one of thes, but the fyre turnyd backe a-pon them that wold schute this iij thyngys. Also they hadde nettys made of grete cordys of iiij fethem of lengthe and of iiij fote brode, lyke unto an haye, and at every ij knott there was an nayl stondyng uppe ryght, that there couthe no man passe ovyr it by lyckely hode but he shulde be hurte. Alle so they hadde pavysse bore as a dore i-made with a staffe foldynge uppe and downe to sette the pavys where the lykyd, and loupys with schyttyng wyndowys to schute out at, they stondyng by hynde [t]e pavys, and the pavys as full of iijdnayle aftyr ordyr as they might stonde. And whenn her schotte was spende and done they caste the pavysse by-fore hem, then there might noo man come unto them ovyr the pavysse for the naylys that stode up-ryghte, but yf he wolde myschyffe him sylfe. Alle so they hadde a thynge made lyke unto a latysse full of naylys as the net was, but hit wolde be mevyd as a man wolde; a man might bryse it to-gedyr that the lengythe wolde be more then ij yerdys long, and yf he wolde he might hale it a brode, then hit wolde be iiij square. And that servyd to lye at gappys there at horsemen wolde entyr yn, and many a caltrappe. And as the substaunce of men of worschyppe that wylle not glose nor cory favyl for no parcyallyte, they cowthe not undyrstond that alle this ordenaunce dyd any goode or harme but yf it were a mong us in owre parte with Kyng Harry. There fore it is moche lefte, and men take them to mallys of ledde, bowys, swyrdys, gleyvys, and axys. As for speremen they ben good to ryde be-fore the foote men and ete and drynke uppe her vetayle, and many moo suche prety thyngys they doo, holde me excusyd thoughe I say the beste, for in the fote men is alle the tryste.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 15th August 1688. I went to Althorpe [Map], in Northamptonshire, seventy miles. A coach and four horses took up me and my son at Whitehall, and carried us to Dunstable [Map], where we arrived and dined at noon, and from thence another coach and six horses carried us to Althorpe [Map], four miles beyond Northampton, where we arrived by seven o'clock that evening. Both these coaches were hired for me by that noble Countess of Sunderland (age 42), who invited me to her house at Althorpe, where she entertained me and my son with very extraordinary kindness; I stayed till the Thursday.
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd August 1688. I left this noble place and conversation, my lady having provided carriages to convey us back in the same manner as we went, and a dinner being prepared at Dunstable [Map] against our arrival. Northampton, having been lately burned and re-edified, is now become a town that for the beauty of the buildings, especially the church and townhouse, may compare with the neatest in Italy itself.
Crowne Inn Dunstable, Bedfordshire, Home Counties, England, British Isles
Roger Whitley's Diary. 6th February 1690. Thursday, severall people came to take leave of us (Tovey, Kent, Kenrick, brother &c). we took 3 coaches, set out past 8; stayd awhile at the Greene Man in Barnet; dined at Bull in St Albans; lay at the Sugar Loaf (the Crowne being full) at Dunstable.
Dunstable Priory, Bedfordshire, Home Counties, England, British Isles [Map]
Dunstable Priory is also in Priories in England.
Archaeologia Volume 29 Section XIII. This was not the usual route from those parts of the kingdom to London. The ordinary route in those times was from Stamford by Walmesford to Huntingdon, and from thence by Royston, Puckeridge, and Cheshunt. But it was intended that the august procession should pass through a more frequented part of the country, where the Queen was well known. It was also a part of the plan to take some of the greater religious houses by the way, and to have suitable places at which to rest: hence the deviation from the direct line from Stratford to Dunstable, to take in Woburn.
We have two notices of occurrences in this solemnity. One of what passed at Dunstable, the other Walsingham's account of what was done at Saint Alban's.
They enable us to form some idea of what was done at other places where the body rested. In the Annals of Dunstableh. we read that the body rested there one night, and that there was given to the house two rich cloths of Baudekyn and fourscore pounds of wax and more, and that when the procession left Dunstable [Map] the herse remained standing "in medio Fori [in the middle of the Forum]" says the printed copy, a manifest error for "in medio Chori," meaning in the midst of the choir of the Priory-church there. I need not say that by "herse" is meant a temporary frame of wood on which the coffin was placed, covered with black cloth. The Annals further say that the herse remained standing until the Chancellor and other eminent persons came to Dunstable and marked out the place on which the Memorial Cross was to be erected. When the procession approached Saint Alban's [Map], the whole Convent "solemniter revestitus in capis [solemnly clothed on the head]" went out to meet it as far as the church of Saint Michael at the entrance of the town. The body was taken immediately to their church and placed before the high altar, and all night long the whole convent was engaged in divine offices and holy vigils. The words of Walsingham, few and simple as they are, call up a very impressive spectacle. But if this were a proper occasion to introduce any thing for which we have no special evidence, and only know that it must have existed from what we can collect of the usages of the time, and from the common principles of human nature, it would be easy to shew that this funeral procession was one of the most striking spectacles that England ever witnessed.
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.
Annals of Dunstable. 27th November 1290. In the same year, on the 5th day before the Kalends of December [27 Nov 1290], Eleanor (age 49), Queen of England and consort of the king, of Spanish descent, died, who had acquired many and excellent estates. Her body passed through us [Dunstable Priory [Map]], and she rested for one night. And two precious cloths, namely baudekins, were given to us. We received twenty-four pounds and more of wax.
Eodem anno, quinto kalendas Decembris, obit Elianora regina Angliæ et consors regis, Hyspana genere, quæ plura et optima maneria adquisivit. Corpus ipsius per nos transiit, et una nocte quievit. Et dati sunt nobis duo panni pretiosi, scilicet baudekyns. De cera habuimus quater-viginti libras et amplius.
On 11th December 1290 Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England (deceased) body rested at Dunstable Priory [Map]. See Annals of Dunstable.
1805. Samuel Prout (age 21). The Western Front of the Priory Church, Dunstable [Map], Bedfordshire.
Sugar Loaf Inn Dunstable, Bedfordshire, Home Counties, England, British Isles
Roger Whitley's Diary. 6th February 1690. Thursday, severall people came to take leave of us (Tovey, Kent, Kenrick, brother &c). we took 3 coaches, set out past 8; stayd awhile at the Greene Man in Barnet; dined at Bull in St Albans; lay at the Sugar Loaf (the Crowne being full) at Dunstable.