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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.

Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles [Map]

Sevenoaks, Kent is in Kent.

1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion

1554 Wyatt's Rebellion

1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion

Chronicle of Gregory. 7th June 1450. And yn the fowarde, as they wolde have folowyde the captayne, was slayn Syr Umfray Stafforde (age 50) and Wylliam Stafford (age 30), squyer, one the mannylste man of alle this realme of Engelonde, whythe many moo othyr of mene personys at Sevenocke [Map], in Kentt, in her oute ragyng fro her oste of our sovereign lordys the kyng, Harry the vj te. And the kyng (age 28) loggyd that nyght at Grenewyche [Map], and son aftyr every lord whythe his retynewe rood home in to her contraye. [Note. The date sometimes given as the 8th June 1450 and 18th June 1850]

On 5th February 1732 William Amherst was born to Jeffrey Amherst (age 55) in Sevenoaks, Kent [Map].

Letters of Horace Walpole. 5th August 1752. From Sevenoaks [Map] we went to Knowle. The park is sweet, with much old beech, and an immense sycamore before the great gate, that makes me more in love than ever with sycamores. The house is not near so extensive as I expected:330 the outward court has a beautiful decent simplicity that charms one. The apartments are many, but not large. The furniture throughout, ancient magnificence; loads of portraits, not good nor curious; ebony cabinets, embossed silver in vases, dishes, etc. embroidered beds, stiff chairs, and sweet bags lying on velvet tables, richly worked in silk and gold. There are two galleries, one very small; an old hall, and a spacious great drawing-room. There is never a good staircase. The first little room you enter has sundry portraits of the times; but they seem to have been bespoke by the yard, and drawn all by the same painter; One should be happy if they were authentic; for among them there is Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, Gardiner of Winchester, the Earl of Surry, the poet, when a boy, and a Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, but I don't know which. The only fine picture is of Lord Goring and Endymion Porter by Vandyke. There is a good head of the Queen of Bohemia, a whole-length of Duc d'Espernon, and another good head of the Clifford, Countess of Dorset, who wrote that admirable haughty letter to Secretary Williamson, when he recommended a person to her for member for Appleby: "I have been bullied by an usurper, I have been neglected by a court, but I won't be dictated to by a subject: your man shan't stand. Ann Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery." In the chapel is a piece of ancient tapestry: Saint Luke in his first profession is holding an urinal. Below stairs is a chamber of poets and players, which is proper enough in that house; for the first Earl wrote a play331, and the last Earl was a poet332, and I think married a player333 Major Mohun and Betterton are curious among the latter, Cartwright and Flatman among the former. The arcade is newly enclosed, painted in fresco, and with modern glass of all the family matches. In the gallery is a whole-length of the unfortunate Earl of Surry, with his device, a broken column, and the motto Sat superest. My father had one of them, but larger, and with more emblems, which the Duke of Norfolk bought at my brother's sale. There is one good head of henry VIII, and divers of Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex, the citizen who came to be lord treasurer, and was very near coming to be hanged.334 His Countess, a bouncing kind of lady-mayoress, looks pure awkward amongst so much good company. A visto cut through the wood has a delightful effect from the front: but there are some trumpery fragments of gardens that spoil the view from the state apartments.

Note 329. Only son of Dr. Richard Bentley, the celebrated Divine and classical scholar. He was educated at Trinity College, under his father. Cumberland, who was his nephew, describes him as a man of various and considerable accomplishments; possessing a fine genius, great wit, and a brilliant imagination; "but there was," he adds, "a certain eccentricity and want of prudence in his character, that involved him in distresses, and reduced him to situations uncongenial with his feelings, and unpropitious to the cultivation and encouragement of his talents."-E.

Note 330. Evelyn in his Diary for July 25, 1673, says, "In my way I visited my Lord of Dorset's house at Knowle, near Sevenoaks, a greate old-fashion'd house."-E.

Note 331. Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, while a student in the Temple, wrote his tragedy of Gordobuc, which was played before Queen Elizabeth, at Whitehall, in 1561. He was created Earl of Dorset by James the First, in 1604.-E.

Note 332. Charles Sackville, sixth Earl of Dorset. On the day previous to the naval engagement with the Dutch, in 1665, he is said to have composed his celebrated song, "to all you Ladies now on Land."-E.

Note 333. On the contrary, he married the Lady Frances, daughter of the Earl of Middlesex, who survived him.-E. [Note. This appears to be a mistake insofar as Richard Sackville 5th Earl Dorset married Frances Cranfield Countess Dorset who was the daughter of Lionel Cranfield 1st Earl Middlesex. Charles Sackville 6th Earl Dorset 1st Earl Middlesex married firstly Mary Bagot Countess Falmouth and Dorset and secondly Mary Compton Countess Dorset and Middlesex. There, however, references to his marrying an actress Alice Lee with whom he appear to have had a daughter Mary Sackville Countess Orrery.]

Note 334. Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex, married two wives: the first was the daughter of a London citizen; the second, the daughter of James Brett, Esq. and half-sister of Mary Beaumont, created Countess of Buckingham. To this last alliance, Lord Middlesex owed his extraordinary advancement.-E.

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Chevening, Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles

On 18th January 1402 William Fiennes (age 44) died at Chevening, Sevenoaks.

In July 1554 John Lennard (age 75) died in Chevening, Sevenoaks.

On 1st August 1572 Anne Lennard was born to Samson Lennard Baron Dacre Gilsland (age 28) and Margaret Fiennes 11th Baroness Dacre of Gilsland (age 31) at Chevening, Sevenoaks.

On 22nd October 1574 Mary Lennard was born to Samson Lennard Baron Dacre Gilsland (age 30) and Margaret Fiennes 11th Baroness Dacre of Gilsland (age 33) at Chevening, Sevenoaks.

On 12th March 1590 John Lennard (age 84) died in Chevening, Sevenoaks.

Before 19th February 1622 Elizabeth Throckmorton Baroness Dacre of Gilsland died. On 19th February 1622 she was buried at Chevening, Sevenoaks.

On 12th May 1662 Francis Lennard 14th Baron Dacre Gilsland (age 43) died. He was buried at Chevening, Sevenoaks. His son Thomas (age 7) succeeded 15th Baron Dacre Gilsland, 15th Baron Multon of Gilsland. Anne Fitzroy Countess Sussex (age 1) by marriage Baroness Dacre Gilsland.

On 12th March 1776 Hester Lucy Stanhope was born to Charles Stanhope 3rd Earl Stanhope (age 22) and Hester Pitt (age 20) at Chevening, Sevenoaks.

Hartley Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles

On 28th January 1554 the Battle of Hartley was fought at Hartley Sevenoaks, Kent between a rebel force of Wyatt's Rebellion led by Henry Isley (age 54) and a loyal royalist force led by Henry Neville 6th and 4th Baron Abergavenny (age 24) and Robert Southwell (age 48). The rebels were defeated. Rebel Anthony Knyvet (age 37) fought and was captured.

Montreal Park, Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles

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.

On 26th March 1886 William Amherst 2nd Earl Amherst (age 80) died at Montreal Park, Sevenoaks. His son William (age 50) succeeded 3rd Earl Amherst, 4th Baron Amherst of Montreal in Kent. Julia Mann Countess Amherst by marriage Countess Amherst.

On 14th August 1910 William Archer Amherst 3rd Earl Amherst (age 74) died without issue as a result of an operation he received three months prior for a throat infection at Montreal Park, Sevenoaks. His brother Hugh (age 54) succeeded 4th Earl Amherst, 5th Baron Amherst of Montreal in Kent.

Sunridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles

Coombe Bank Sunridge, Sevenoaks, Kent, South-East England, British Isles

On 25th January 1807 Mary Meredith Countess Ferrers burned to death at Coombe Bank Sunridge, Sevenoaks.