Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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In 1480 Robert Brudenell [aged 19] entered at Inner Temple.
Around 1484 Nicholas Hare was born to John Hare of Homersfield in Suffolk. He was educated at Gonville College, Cambridge University and admitted to the Inner Temple in 1515. He married 1528 Katherine Bassingbourne.
In 1553 Edmund Colles [aged 25] was admitted as a member to the Inner Temple.
In 1573 Baptist Hicks 1st Viscount Campden [aged 16] admitted at Inner Temple.
In 1577 Francis Newport [aged 22] educated at Inner Temple.
In 1590 Thomas Monck [aged 19] admitted at Inner Temple.
In June 1591 John Bridgeman [aged 54] was admitted to the Inner Temple.
In 1594 Thomas Coventry 1st Baron Coventry [aged 16] admitted at Inner Temple.
In 1596 John Vaughan 1st Earl Carbery [aged 21] admitted at Inner Temple.
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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In 1597 Heneage Finch [aged 17] admitted at Inner Temple.
On 20th February 1613 The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn was performed at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map] as part of the wedding festivities. The masque was sponsored by the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn both of whom spent around £1200.
In 1615 John Bridgeman [aged 78] was appointed a Bencher of the Inner Temple.
In November 1617 Thomas Twisden 1st Baronet [aged 15] was admitted to the Inner Temple.
In 1620 John Curzon 1st Baronet [aged 21] admitted at Inner Temple.
In 1621 John Vaughan of Transgoed [aged 17] entered the Inner Temple. He was called to the bar in 1630 and became a Bencher in 1664.
On 22nd January 1624 John Kelyng [aged 16] was admitted to Inner Temple.
In 1625 John Edisbury [aged 17] entered Inner Temple.
In November 1631 Thomas Salusbury 2nd Baronet [aged 19] educated at Inner Temple.
On 4th February 1634 William Gawdy 1st Baronet [aged 21] was admitted to the Inner Temple.
In 1637 William Borlase [aged 16] was a student at Inner Temple.
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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In 1638 Heneage Finch 1st Earl Nottingham [aged 16] educated at Inner Temple.
In 1656 Roger Palmer 1st Earl Castlemaine [aged 22] admitted at Inner Temple.
John Evelyn's Diary. 4th September 1666. The burning still rages, and it is now gotten as far as the Inner Temple. All Fleet Street [Map], the Old Bailey, Ludgate hill, Warwick lane, Newgate, Paul's chain, Watling street, now flaming, and most of it reduced to ashes; the stones of Paul's [Map] flew like grenados, the melting lead running down the streets in a stream, and the very pavements glowing with fiery redness, so as no horse, nor man, was able to tread on them, and the demolition had stopped all the passages, so that no help could be applied. The eastern wind still more impetuously driving the flames forward. Nothing but the Almighty power of God was able to stop them; for vain was the help of man.
In 1668 William Barnesley [aged 19] was admitted to the Inner Temple. He was called to the bar in 1667 and made a bencher in 1694. In 1707 he was Treasurer.
John Evelyn's Diary. 30th April 1668. We sealed the deeds in Sir Edward Thurland's [aged 61] chambers in the Inner Temple. I pray God bless it to me, it being a dear pennyworth; but the passion Sir R. Browne had for it, and that it was contiguous to our other grounds, engaged me!
In 1669 Orlando Bridgeman 1st Baronet [aged 19] educated at Inner Temple.
In 1673 Heneage Finch 1st Earl Aylesford [aged 24] was appointed Barrister at Inner Temple.
In 1680 Andrew Archer [aged 20] admitted at Inner Temple.
In 1687 Thomas Newport 1st Baron Torrington [aged 32] called to the bar at Inner Temple.
In 1715 Wilfrid Lawson 3rd Baronet [aged 18] was admitted to the Inner Temple.
In 1716 Robert Grosvenor 6th Baronet [aged 20] admitted at Inner Temple.
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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In 1723 Henry Archer [aged 23] educated at Inner Temple.
In 1725 Wriothesley Digby [aged 27] admitted at Inner Temple.
In 1740 John Buller [aged 18] entered Middle Temple and Inner Temple in 1743. He was called to the bar in February 1747.