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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Framlingham, Suffolk is in Suffolk.
On 7th March 1226 Ida Tosny Countess Norfolk [aged 70] died at Framlingham, Suffolk [Map].
The River Ore rises near Dennington, Suffolk [Map] from where it flows past Framlingham, Suffolk [Map], Parham, Suffolk [Map], Marlesford, Suffolk [Map] to Blaxhall, Suffolk [Map] where it joins the River Alde.
Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham is also in Churches in Suffolk.
On 22nd August 1485 King Richard III of England [aged 32] was killed during the Battle of Bosworth. His second cousin once removed Henry Tudor [aged 28] succeeded VII King of England.
Humphrey Cotes [aged 35] died. It isn't clear on which side he was fighting.
Those supporting Henry Tudor included:
John Blount 3rd Baron Mountjoy [aged 35].
John Cheney 1st Baron Cheyne [aged 43].
Richard Guildford [aged 35].
Walter Hungerford [aged 21].
Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby [aged 50].
Edward Woodville Lord Scales [aged 29].
Edward Courtenay 1st Earl Devon [aged 26].
Rhys ap Thomas Deheubarth [aged 36].
Jasper Tudor 1st Duke Bedford [aged 53].
William Beaumont 2nd Viscount Beaumont [aged 47].
Giles Daubeney 1st Baron Daubeney [aged 34].
William Stanley [aged 50].
Roger Kynaston of Myddle and Hordley [aged 52].
Henry Marney 1st Baron Marney [aged 38].
William Brandon [aged 29] was killed.
James Harrington [aged 55] was killed.
John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk [aged 60] was killed and attainted. He was buried firstly at Thetford Priory, Norfolk [Map] and therafter at Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. Duke Norfolk, Baron Mowbray, Baron Segrave, Baron Howard forfeit.
John Sacheverell [aged 85] was killed.
Philibert Chandee 1st Earl Bath
William Norreys [aged 44], Gilbert Talbot [aged 33], John de Vere 13th Earl of Oxford [aged 42] and John Savage [aged 41] commanded,.
Robert Poyntz [aged 35] was knighted.
Those who fought for Richard III included:
John Bourchier 6th Baron Ferrers of Groby [aged 47].
John Conyers [aged 74].
Thomas Dacre 2nd Baron Dacre Gilsland [aged 17].
William Berkeley 1st Marquess Berkeley [aged 59].
Richard Fitzhugh 6th Baron Fitzhugh [aged 28].
John Scrope 5th Baron Scrope of Bolton [aged 48].
Thomas Scrope 6th Baron Scrope of Masham [aged 26].
Henry Grey 4th or 7th Baron Grey of Codnor [aged 50].
Edmund Grey 1st Earl Kent [aged 68].
Ralph Neville 3rd Earl of Westmoreland [aged 29].
John de la Pole Earl Lincoln 1st [aged 23].
Humphrey Stafford [aged 59].
George Talbot 4th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 17].
Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk [aged 42] was wounded, captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map] for three years. He was attainted; Earl Surrey forfeit.
Francis Lovell 1st Viscount Lovell [aged 29] fought and escaped.
John Zouche 7th Baron Zouche Harringworth [aged 26] was captured.
John Babington [aged 62], William Alington [aged 65], Robert Mortimer [aged 43], Robert Brackenbury, Richard Ratclyffe [aged 55] and Richard Bagot [aged 73] were killed
Walter Devereux Baron Ferrers of Chartley [aged 53] was killed.
William Catesby [aged 35] was executed at Leicester, Leicestershire [Map] after the battle.
George Stanley 9th Baron Strange Knockin 5th Baron Mohun Dunster [aged 25] held as a hostage by Richard III before the Battle of Bosworth.
Henry Percy 4th Earl of Northumberland [aged 36] betrayed King Richard III of England by not committing his forces at the Battle of Bosworth.
John Iwardby [aged 35] was killed.
On 21st May 1524 Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk [aged 81] died at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. He was buried at Thetford Priory, Norfolk [Map] and subsequently reburied at the Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 51] succeeded 3rd Duke Norfolk, 2nd Earl Surrey. Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk [aged 27] by marriage Duchess Norfolk.
On 22nd July 1536 or 23rd July 1536 Henry Fitzroy 1st Duke Richmond and Somerset [aged 17] died at St James's Palace [Map]. He the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 45]. He was buried at Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Earl Nottingham extinct.
On 19th January 1547 Henry Howard Earl of Surrey [aged 31] was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]. He was buried at Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. He had foolishly added the arms of Edward the Confessor1 to his own arms. He was charged with treasonably quartering the royal arms. His father survived sentence since the King died the day before it was due to take place.
Note 1. Arguably the arms of King Edmund "Ironside", his 14 x great grandfather rather than Edmund's brother Edward the Confessor.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 18th August 1554. Saterdaye the 18 of August, in the after-noone, the King [aged 27] and Queenes [aged 38] Majesties rode throughe Sowthwerke, over the bridge [Map], and so throughe London; where they were with great provision receaved of the citizens, pageants in places accustomed, the crosse in Cheape [Map] new gilte, &c.
Memorandum: In the moneth of September the Duke of Norfolke [aged 81] died at Framlingham [Map] in Norfolke, and there was honourablye buried [Map] amongst his auncestors.
Allso this moneth the Bishop of London [aged 54] visited all his dioces, and had sermons in everie parishe and place where he satt, and sett owt divers goodlye articles in print for the true religion.
Allso he commaunded that the feast of everie saynte that was patrone of the churche, called Festum loci in everie parishe, should be kept holiedaye in everie parishe throughe his diocesse as a principall feast used in olde tyme, after the custome of the churche.
On 25th August 1554 Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk [aged 81] died at Kenninghall, Norfolk. He was buried at Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. His grandson Thomas [aged 18] succeeded 4th Duke Norfolk, 3rd Earl Surrey.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 2nd October 1554. The ij day of October was bered the nobull duke of Norffok at a plasse callyd Fremyngham chyrche [Map]; and ther was a goodly hersse of wax as I have sene in thes days, with a dosen of banerrolles of ys progene, and xij dosen penselles, xij dosen of kochyons, and with standard, and iij cotes of armes, and a baner of damaske, and iiij banars of emages, and mony mornars, and a gret dolle, and after gret dener. [For the furnishing of which dinner were killed forty great oxen and a hundred sheep, and sixty calves, besides venison, swans, and cranes, capons, rabbits, pigeons, pikes, and other provisions both flesh and fish. There was also great plenty of wine; and of bread and beer as great plenty as ever had been known, both for] ryche and pore: all the co[untry came thither; and] a grett dolle of money ther wher [bestowed upon the poorer sort;] for he was cared from (unfinished).
Note. P. 70. Funeral of the duke of Norfolk. The MS. Harl. 897 says the duke died at Kenyng hall on Monday the 27. of August, and was buried at Fremyngham on Monday the last of September. His funeral is in Coll. Arm, I. 3, f. 103.
On 9th January 1564 Margaret Audley Duchess Norfolk [aged 24] died at Norwich, Norfolk [Map] following the birth of her fourth child. She was initially buried at Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich [Map]. Her remains were moved to the Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map].
Framlingham Castle, Suffolk is also in Castles in Suffolk.
In 1314 John Botetort 1st Baron Botetort [aged 49] was appointed Governor of Framlingham Castle.
On 4th August 1338 Thomas of Brotherton 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 38] died at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. His daughter Margaret succeeded 2nd Countess Norfolk. She also succeeded to the title Earl Marshal, the only woman to have held this office, and inherited Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map].
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.
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On 8th July 1425 Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk [aged 59] died at Wighill. She was buried at St Michael's Church, Hoveringham. Her son John Mowbray 2nd Duke of Norfolk [aged 33] inherited her estates including Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map].
On 10th December 1472 Anne Mowbray 8th Countess Norfolk was born to John Mowbray 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 28] and Elizabeth Talbot Duchess Norfolk [aged 30] at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married 15th January 1478 her second cousin once removed Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York, son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England. She died aged eight in 1481.
On 17th January 1476 John Mowbray 4th Duke of Norfolk [aged 31] died at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. Suspicious since he was only 32? Duke Norfolk, Earl Surrey and Earl Nottingham extinct. His daughter Anne [aged 3] succeeded 8th Countess Norfolk, 11th Baroness Mowbray, 12th Baroness Segrave and inherited the vast Mowbray estates. She was subsequently married to Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York [aged 2] two years later.
On 21st May 1524 Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk [aged 81] died at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk [Map]. He was buried at Thetford Priory, Norfolk [Map] and subsequently reburied at the Church of St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 51] succeeded 3rd Duke Norfolk, 2nd Earl Surrey. Elizabeth Stafford Duchess Norfolk [aged 27] by marriage Duchess Norfolk.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 18th August 1554. Saterdaye the 18 of August, in the after-noone, the King [aged 27] and Queenes [aged 38] Majesties rode throughe Sowthwerke, over the bridge [Map], and so throughe London; where they were with great provision receaved of the citizens, pageants in places accustomed, the crosse in Cheape [Map] new gilte, &c.
Memorandum: In the moneth of September the Duke of Norfolke [aged 81] died at Framlingham [Map] in Norfolke, and there was honourablye buried [Map] amongst his auncestors.
Allso this moneth the Bishop of London [aged 54] visited all his dioces, and had sermons in everie parishe and place where he satt, and sett owt divers goodlye articles in print for the true religion.
Allso he commaunded that the feast of everie saynte that was patrone of the churche, called Festum loci in everie parishe, should be kept holiedaye in everie parishe throughe his diocesse as a principall feast used in olde tyme, after the custome of the churche.