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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Elstub Hundred, Wiltshire, South-West England, British Isles

East Chisenbury, Wiltshire Enford, Wiltshire Everleigh, Wiltshire Fifield, Wiltshire Fittleton, Wiltshire Lidbury Camp, Wiltshire Netheravon, Wiltshire Patney, Wiltshire Weather Hill Long Barrow West Everleigh Down Barrows

Elstub Hundred, Wiltshire is in Wiltshire.

East Chisenbury, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Enford, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Everleigh, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles

In 1371 Thomas Astley was born to Thomas Astley (age 28) in Everleigh, Wiltshire.

In 1501 Thomas Astley was born to Richard Astley (age 26) in Everleigh, Wiltshire. He married in or before 1530 his fifth cousin once removed Mary Talbot and had issue.

Fifield, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Fittleton, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Lidbury Camp, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Lidbury Camp, Wiltshire is also in Iron Age Hill Forts Wiltshire.

Lidbury Camp, Wiltshire [Map]. From Historic England: The monument comprises a possible barrow together with Iron Age and Romano-British occupation associated with Lidbury Camp and its related trackways.

Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses

Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.

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Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1885 V22 Pages 234-238. "The manoeuvres of the day being interrupted by the heavy fall of earth, I left Marden and ascended the chalk hills. The eye is caught by the remains of an ancient earthen work on the summit of the hill overlooking this fine vale. It is called Broadbury, Brodbury, &c., &c. It has been much mutilated by chalk pits. It is single ditched — similar square excavations (containing fragments of the oldest pottery) to those on Cotley Hill, near Warminster, have been found here.

"These works are situated very near the great Ridgeway — see my map of Wilts. Turned off on the left, and continued my ride along it to Casterley Camp [Map]. Casterley much changed in its appearance, having been lately ploughed up. Nunc seges est ubi Troja fuit [Now the harvest is where Troy was]. Thence crossed the vale of Avon at Chisenbury, once the site of a priory. My trackway led me straight to the perfect little square work called Sidbury [Map]. Great British excavations in its neighbourhood. Saw on my right the beautiful twin barrows — before drawn and noticed. One remains to be opened. 'Par nobile fratrum [A noble pair of brothers].' Returned to Everley gratified and benefitted, as usual, by my ride amongst the Britons.

Netheravon, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Patney, Wiltshire, Elstub Hundred, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

The River Avon West, Wiltshire rises around All Cannings, Wiltshire [Map] in the Vale of Pewsey being formed from many streams from where it flows past Patney, Wiltshire [Map], around Marden Henge aka Hatfield Earthworks [Map] and Wilsford Henge [Map], Rushall, Wiltshire [Map] where it joins the River Avon East, Wiltshire to form the Wiltshire River Avon.

Weather Hill Long Barrow, Elstub Hundred, Wiltshire, South-West England, British Isles [Map]

Weather Hill Long Barrow is also in South England Neolithic Burials.

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine 1913 V38 Pages 379-414. Fittleton.1 5. [Weather Hill Long Barrow [Map]] On Weather Hill, S. of Everley and W of the old Marlborough — Salisbury Road. Length about 150ft. N.E. and S.W. Opened by Thurnam, who does not seem to have published any account of the excavations beyond that in the summary list in Arch. xlii. The following entry, however, appears in the MS. Cat.: — "255. Ancient British. Part of a very dolichocephalic calvarium obtained from the north broad end of a long barrow on Fittleton Down, near Chidbury Camp, Oct. 6, 1866. The barrow had been previously disturbed. There were indications of one skull only, and that apparently a female. Remains of bos longifrons and horns of Cervus elaphus? scattered."

The barrow stands on an uncultivated down in good condition with well defined ditches. It shows where it has been dug into, no doubt by Thurnam. This barrow is referred to by Thurnam as "Fittleton."2 O.M. 48 N W.; A. W. I. Map of Everley Station; Arch. xlii. 180; MS. Cat. No. 255.

For Long Barrows in Fittleton parish now destroyed see end of this list.

Note 1. This is not the barrow opened by Wm. Cunnington in 1851, referred to in W.A.M. xxviii. 172. For that see below, List of barrows now destroyed, under Fittleton.

Note 2. Hoare shows two Long Barrows lying near each other on Weather Hill but there is no trace of the second barrow to be found now, and only one is shown on the O.M. As the down does not appear to have been under recent cultivation this was possibly an error of Hoare's.