William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
St Matthew's Church, Hayfield is in Hayfield, Derbyshire [Map], Churches in Derbyshire.
In August 1635 John Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Hasselhurst [aged 40]. He was baptised on 9th September 1636 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. Record.
Before 27th January 1638 Ottiwell Waterhouse of Laneside died. He was buried on 27th January 1638 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 17th July 1638 Nicholas Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Hasselhurst [aged 43]. He was baptised on 17th July 1638 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 21st May 1639 Margaret Waterhouse Widow was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 16th May 1640 Margaret Waterhouse was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 2nd June 1641 Martha Waterhouse m Lomas was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Hasselhurst [aged 46]. She was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] on 2nd June 1641. She was a twin with her brother Raphe Waterhouse of Hasselhurst.
On or before 2nd June 1641 Raphe Waterhouse of Hasselhurst was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Hasselhurst [aged 46]. He was baptised on 2nd June 1641 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. He was a twin with his sister Martha Waterhouse m Lomas.
On 8th September 1668 Mary Waterhouse of Hasselhurst was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 27th October 1670 Joshua aka Joseph Marriott and Maria Sheplie were married at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 9th April 1671 John Waterhouse of Highgate Road died. He was buried on 9th April 1671 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 4th May 1677 Martha Waterhouse of Hasselhurst was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 10th August 1679 John Waterhouse of Hayfield was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On or before 4th April 1697 Anne Hurdsfield of Chapel-en-le Frith died. She is believed to be buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
4th April 1697. Ralph Gee of Kinder [aged 81] buried his wife Anne Hurdsfield at St. Mathew's Church [Map] in Hayfield.
On or before 8th April 1698 Ralph Gee was born to Francis Gee [aged 46] and Margaret Booth. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] on 6th April 1698. He married 1736 Sarah Fox and had issue.
Around December 1699. Ralph Gee of Kinder [aged 83] died probably late December 1699, interred January 1700 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 30th December 1699 Ralph Gee of Ashes Farm [aged 83] died. He is believed to be buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
In March 1701 Thomas Gee was born to Francis Gee [aged 49] and Margaret Booth. Baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. He died aged less than one years old.
On 5th June 1701 Thomas Gee died of smallpox. Buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
Around September 1701 Nathaniel aka John Froggatt was born to John Froggatt of Shedyard and Park Hall and Ann Gee [aged 23]. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 11th January 1702 Ann Gee was born to Francis Gee [aged 50] and Margaret Booth. She was baptised 11th January 1702 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. Ann possibly married Edward White of Hope Parish on the 18th May 1727 at St. Mathew's Church in Hayfield. She married 4th November 1729 Thomas Froggatt and had issue.
On or before 30th September 1704 Samuel Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse. He was baptised on 30th September 1704 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On or before 22nd May 1705 William Froggatt was born to John Froggatt of Shedyard and Park Hall and Ann Gee [aged 27]. He was baptised on 22nd May 1705 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
Before 29th June 1705 Thomas Booth of Kinder died. He was buried on 25th July 1705 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. His son John Booth of Kinder inherited Booth Farm, Kinder [Map].
Around December 1705 John Gee was born to Francis Gee [aged 53] and Margaret Booth. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 18th November 1710 Margaret Booth died. She was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 27th September 1711 Mary Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse. She was baptised on 27th September 1711 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
7th October 1714. Robert Slack of Little Hayfield [aged 90]. Chesterfield, Derbyshire [Map]. Will Proved:
In the Name of God Amen This twenty ffourth day of December 1713. I Robert SLACKE the Eldest of Little Heafield [Map] in the Parrish of Glossop and County of Derby Yeom. Being Aged and infirme in Body but of sound and perfect Memory Praised be God for the same, and knowing the Certainty of Death and the uncertainty of the time when In obedience to the command of God and the example of the good King Hezechiah am minded to set my house in order and to settle my affairs in this world and to that end do Constitute make and ordaine this my last Will and Testamt in manner and form following ffirst, and principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator, and to Jesus Christ to receive full pardon of all my Sins and to be made heire of Everlasting Life and an Inheritor of his Heavenly Kingdom, and my Body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be decently interred att, or in the Parochial Chappel at Heyfield [Map] as near unto the place where my late loveing wife Ann SLACKE was interred as will Conveniency may be, And for that Worldly Estate which the Lord in mercy far above my deserts hath bestowed upon my I dispose of the same as ffolloweth.
First my will and mind is that all my Lawfull debts wch of right I owe unto any man, with all my ffuneral Charges and expences shall be ffirst paid and discharged forth of my whole Estate. And whereas by Certaine Articles of Agreemt Indented bearing date on or about the twenty ffifth day of October Anno Domny 1684. made or mentioned to be made By and Between me the said Robert SLACK on the one part and Robert SLACK my late Son now dcd of the other part I the said Robert SLACK for divers Consideracons therein mentioned, Did grant all my Lands at Little Heafield [Map], and Chinley als Mainstonefield [Map], or els where in the said County of Derby unto my said Son his heires and Assignes for ever, part of the Consideracons of which said Grant were and are particularly menconed and expresses in and by the said Articles to be That I the said Robert SLACK should not only have and receive twelve pounds per Annu. during my life, Charged upon Certaine parcels of Land of the said granted premissess, But likewise had power to Charge my said Sonn his heires Executors and Administrators, with the payment of the Sume of ffifty pounds of lawfull Money after my decease to such person or persons, as by my last will and Testament or any other writeing to be by my executed under my hand and Seal I should direct [ ]att and appoint, As by relacon had to the said Articles may more fully and at large appear And whereas the said sume of twelve pounds p Annu. has for severall years Since my said Sons decease been unpaid and is now in Arrear for the space of Seven years or upwards which in the whole amounts to the Sume of ffifty six pound, It is my will and mind and I do therefore by this my last will and Testamt in pursuance of my power and as far as in me lyes give and devise all my right & interest of in & unto such arrearages of the said twelve pounds p Annu. as abovesaid as shall happen at my decease to be in Arrear & unpaid together with the said Sume of ffifty pounds Chargable as aforesaid unto Robert SLACK my Nephew upon Condicon Nevertheless that Hee the said Robert SLACK do and shall well and faithfully pay and discharge forth of the same such Legacys & Sumes of Money as are herein and hereafter mencond (viz) unto Elizabeth MORTON my Daughter the sume of Tenn shillings within the space of one year next after my decease, unto Ann HADFIELD my Daughter the Sume of Tenn pounds, within within (sic) the space of one year next after my decease, And unto Mary CARRINGTON [aged 14] my Daughter the like Sume of Tenn pounds to be paid likewise within the Space of One year next after my decease unto Dorathy SLACK my Daughter in law at Chunall [Map] the Sume of ffive shillings unto Dorathy SLACK my daughter in lw. at little Heafield the Sume of ffive shillings, unto William SLACK my Grandson the Sume of ffive shillings unto John SLACK his Brother the Sume of ffive shillings unto Ann FFOX my Grand daughter the Sume of ffive pounds when she shall have attained the Age of One and twenty years and shall be living at the time of my decease. Likewise unto Mary SLACK my Grand daughter the like Sume of ffive pounds in case she be living at the time of my decease, and shall attain to the like Age of one and twenty years and likewise unto Elizabeth SLACK my Grand daughter the like Sume of ffive pounds, if she shall attaine to the like Age of One and twenty years, and shall be living at the time of my decease Item I do bequeath unto every one of my Grandchildn excepting such as are already menconed the Sume of tenn shillings a piece to be paid within the space of one year next after my decease. Item all the rest residue and remainder of my whole Estate, Goods and Chattels whatsoever, ready Money at Interest and Creditts whatsoever after the aforesaid Sumes & Legacies are discharged I give and Bequeath the same unto my said Nephew Robert SLACK (excepting only one Guiney of Lawfull Money which I give unto my Sonn in law William CARRINGTON whom I desire to be aiding & assisting, to my said Nephew Robert SLACK in the promises) hereby Constituteing Ordaineing & appointing him my said Nephew Robert SLACK my full and Sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, hopeing he will faithfully performe and discharge the trust I have hereby reposed in him revoaking all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made, and do declare this to by my last Will and Testamt In witness whereof I the said Robert SLACK the Testator my hand & seal have hereunto putt the day and year ffirst above written.
Between 23rd February 1718 and 28th May 1719 Joseph Kinder of Highgatehead and Martha Waterhouse were married at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 19th November 1718 Thomas Booth was born to John Booth of Kinder and Helen Froggatt [aged 20]. He was baptised on 19th November 1718 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 3rd November 1720 Elizabeth Booth was born to John Booth of Kinder and Helen Froggatt [aged 22]. She was baptised on 3rd November 1720 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. She died aged less than one years old.
On 21st May 1721 Francis Gee [aged 17] died of smallpox. He was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
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 format.
On 17th August 1721 Marie Booth made her will:
In the name of God Amen, the seventeenth day of August in the year of our Lord God 1721 in the eight year of the reign of our most Sovereign Lord King George the first king of England Scotland France & Ireland king Defender of the faith.
I Mary BOOTH being of sound memory & understanding blessed be God for it knowing my turn to be upon
I commit my soul into the hands of almighty God earth short & uncertaine, I desire if the Lord permit that my body may be interred in the Chappel of Hayfield [Map], to be buried after the Christian burial
Inprimis I give & bequeathe unto my Sister Margaret BOOTH the sum of fourscoure pounds,
Item I give & bequeathe unto my Mother Ann MARRIOTT the sum of forty pounds to bring me out with it & to pay all these Legacies too,
Item I give & bequeath to the school of Hayfield [Map] the sum of four pounds accordingly as Thomas MARRIOTT & Henry BOOTH shall think fit to be pay'd,
Item I give leave & bequeath to my Brother John's Children either of them five shillings
Item I leave Thomas MARRIOTT & Henry BOOTH to be Executors for this my last will & testament In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed
Mary BOOTH her mark & seal
Samll MARRIOTT; John KINDER; Robert LOMMAX
October the 4th: 1721
A true and perfect Inventory of all such goods and debts oweing as Mary BOOTH of Kinder in the parrish of Glossopp and County of Derby spinster dyed possessed of then vallued and apprized by us whose names are here unto subscribed viz.
Before 19th August 1721 John Booth of Kinder died of smallpox. He was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. His son Thomas Booth [aged 2] inherited Booth Farm, Kinder [Map].
On or before 4th October 1724 Mary Beard was born to Robert Beard of Hayfield. She was baptised on 4th October 1724 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 1st September 1728 Elizabeth Beard was born to Robert Beard of Hayfield. She was baptised on 1st September 1728 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
13th December 1735. Mary Gee of Chapel en le Frith married William BENNETT of the Parish of Glossop at St Mathew's Church [Map], Hayfield.
Before 26th June 1742 ffanney Marriott was born to John Marriot of Hayfield. She was baptised on 26th June 1742 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 4th April 1744 Ellen Booth was born to Thomas Booth [aged 25]. She was baptised on 4th April 1772 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. She married before 4th April 1772 Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and had issue.
On or before 4th June 1748 Joseph Kinder was born to John Kinder of Hill House. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] on 4th June 1748.
The Journal of the Reverend John Wesley 1748. 23rd July 1748. On Saturday, the 23d of July last, there fell for about three hours, in and about Hayfield, Derbyshire [Map] in Derbyshire, a very heavy rain, which caused such a flood as had not been seen by any now living in those parts. The rocks were loosened from the mountains: one field was covered with huge stones from side to side. Several water-mills were clean swept away, without leaving any remains. The trees were torn up by the roots, and whirled away like stubble. Two women of a loose character were swept away from their own door and drowned: one of them was found near the place; the other was carried seven or eight miles. Hayfield church-yard [Map] was all torn up, and the dead bodies swept out of their graves. When the flood abated, they were found in several places. Some were hanging on trees; others left in meadows or grounds; some partly eaten by dogs, or wanting one or more of their members.
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On or before 4th April 1772 Ann Waterhouse m Howard was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and Ellen Booth [aged 28]. She was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] on 4th April 1772.
On or before 13th November 1774 Thomas Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and Ellen Booth [aged 30]. He was baptised on 13th November 1774 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 21st January 1780 Ellen Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and Ellen Booth [aged 35]. She was baptised on 21st January 1780 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. She married 17th July 1810 John Marriott.
On or before 11th April 1784 Mary Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and Ellen Booth [aged 40]. She was baptised on 11th April 1784 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 12th November 1786 Leah Waterhouse was born to Thomas Waterhouse of Booth in Kinder and Ellen Booth [aged 42]. She was baptised on 12th November 1786 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. She married (1) 21st September 1806 Joseph Waterhouse (2) 25th January 1825 Thomas Livesly.
On or before 28th September 1803 Robert Slack [aged 84] died. He was buried on 28th September 1803 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 18th February 1806 Thomas Gee was born to John Gee [aged 24] and Mary Carrington. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] on 18th February 1806. He married 1844 Ann Goddard and had issue.
In 1812 William Gee was born to John Gee [aged 30] and Mary Carrington. He was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] in 1812. He married 4th October 1842 Martha Wardle and had issue.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Before 19th July 1864 William Gee [aged 52] died. He was buried at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 12th August 1877 Joseph Waterhouse was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 4th April 1880 Jabez Henry Bond Redfern was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 26th June 1881 John Hadfield [aged 21] and Hannah Redford [aged 21] were married at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] where they were botth resident. He was recorded as a Carder, she as a Card? Hand.
On 9th June 1889 Rifleman Hughtred Hall Robinson was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. His parent's address given as Scotch Row.
On 29th March 1891 Fred Waterhouse was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On or before 18th April 1896 Jabez Waterhouse [aged 80] died. He was buried on 18th April 1896 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 19th October 1896 Albert Roebuck was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map]. His abode is shown as Bank Vale, Hayfield [Map].
On 12th October 1902 Thomas Tyrer [aged 11] was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 21st April 1905 Frank Singleton [aged 5] was baptised at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map].
On 30th July 1910 Edward Henry Redfern [aged 58] died. He was living at 3 Jumble Lane, Hayfield at the time of his death. He was buried on 3rd August 1910 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] where his gravestone is in the churchyard.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 2nd March 1919 Mary Hadfield Waterhouse [aged 71] died. She was buried on 7th March 1919 at St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] with her husband.
6. Cross the road, walk down to the pedestrian crossing, cross the by-pass. The road takes you past the Italian restaurant Colosseo [Map] and St Matthew's Church, Hayfield [Map] and brings you back to the starting point [Map].