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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St Peter's Church, Ellastone is in Ellastone, Staffordshire.
St Peter's Church, Ellastone. Memorial to Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville, his wife Harriet de la Bere, their daughter Harriet, died young, and their son Captain John Granville.
Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville: In 1744 he was born to John D'Ewes and Anne Granville. In 1779 Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville and Harriet de la Bere were married.
Harriet de la Bere: In 1754 she was born. On 25th March 1825 she died. She was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Captain John Granville: Around 1779 he was born to Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville and Harriet de la Bere.
1163. A list of properties of Kenilworth Priory confirmed by King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England [aged 29] includes St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 27th October 1400 Ralph Longford was born to Nicholas IV Longford [aged 27] and Sarah Harrington at Colwich, Staffordshire [Map]. He was baptised at St Peter's Church, Ellastone. He married Margaret Melton and had issue.
In 1586 the tower at St Peter's Church, Ellastone was constructed with the inscription "Know Thyself" placed above the north door from Calwich Abbey, Staffordshire [Map].
Between 6th October 1590, when he made his will, and 13th October 1590, when he was buried, John Fleetwood [aged 73] died. He had intended to be buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone where he had a tomb prepared but died in Lancashire and was buried there. The tomb is believed to contain the remains of his son Thomas Fleetwood [aged 30]. His son Thomas Fleetwood inherited Wootton Lodge, Staffordshire [Map].
Thomas Fleetwood: Around 1560 he was born to John Fleetwood. In 1603 he died. His son Richard Fleetwood 1st Baronet inherited Wootton Lodge, Staffordshire [Map].
On 19th June 1598 Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon was born to Robert Sheldon at Stanton Wyvill, Staffordshire. He was baptised at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 23rd December 1735 Rowland Fleetwood [aged 95] died. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Rowland Fleetwood: Around 1640 he was born to Thomas Fleetwood 2nd Baronet.
On 2nd July 1775 Bernard Granville [aged 76] died without issue at Calwich, Staffordshire. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone. His nephew Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville [aged 31] inherited Calwich Abbey, Staffordshire [Map] and changed his surname from D'Ewes to Granville.
Bernard Granville: On or before 25th April 1699, the date he was baptised, he was born to Bernard Granvile. Before 1775 Bernard Granville purchased Calwich Abbey, Staffordshire [Map] from Thomas Fleetwood 6th Baronet. He demolished the priory house and built a new house nearer the stream which he turned into a lake.
On 29th April 1776 James Unwin [aged 59] died. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
James Unwin: Around 1717 he was born.
On 7th July 1800 Captain John Granville [aged 21] died of rapid consumption at Hot Wells, Bristol. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone on 19th July 1800. His nephew Court D'Ewes aka Granville [aged 21] inherited Calwich Abbey, Staffordshire [Map] and changed his surname from D'Ewes to Granville.
Underneath this Stone In the Family Vault Lies Interred the Body of John Granville, only son of John and Harriett Granville of Calwich and late Captain in the Staffordshire Regiment of Militia who was suddenly cut off in the Prime of his Life, to the inexpressible Grief of his Parents and Sorrow of All who knew him July the 7th 1800 in the 21st Year of his Age. In the same vault are deposited the remains of their infant daughter. Also the remains of the above named Harriet Joan Granville Died at Calwich 25th March 1825, aged 71.
Court D'Ewes aka Granville: In 1779 he was born to Bernard D'Ewes. In 1848 Court D'Ewes aka Granville died.
In 1811 Reverend Walter Davenport of Wootton Hall, Staffordshire [aged 23] became Vicar of St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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On 13th December 1813 Lieutenant-Colonel James William Edward Wheeler Unwin [aged 50] died at Marseilles, France. His brother Reverend Edward Unwin [aged 46] inherited Wootton Lodge, Staffordshire [Map]. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone: "Much and deservedly lamented, most of all by those who knowing most of him, best knew how to appreciate his worth, his integrity of heart, humane and benevolent disposition which flowing from Christian principles, ennobled a character justly held in professional esteem and constitutes its best memorial. This tribute of sincere esteem and affection is paid by his nearest surviving relations who find, in the record, a consolation for their loss."
Lieutenant-Colonel James William Edward Wheeler Unwin: Around 1763 he was born to James Unwin and Frances Wheeler.
Reverend Edward Unwin: In 1767 he was born to James Unwin and Frances Wheeler. On 22nd November 1847 he died.
On 18th January 1814 Frances Wheeler [aged 88] died. She was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Frances Wheeler: Around 1726 she was born.
On 3rd November 1822 Abel John Ram of Clonattin, County Wexford [aged 46] died at Calwich Hall [Map]. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Abel John Ram of Clonattin, County Wexford: Around 1776 he was born to Abel Ram. On 11th August 1803 Abel John Ram of Clonattin, County Wexford and Frances Anne Port were married.
On 25th March 1825 Harriet de la Bere [aged 71] died. She was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 14th November 1826 Reverend John D'Ewes aka Granville [aged 82] died. He was buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 3rd August 1829 Mathewana Onslow [aged 21] died from childbirth at Calwich Hall [Map] three months after giving birth to a daughter. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Mathewana Onslow: Around 1808 she was born to Matthew Richard Onslow. On 28th June 1828 Bernard Granville and she were married.
In 1830 the north aisle of St Peter's Church, Ellastone was added.
In 1830 Reverend Walter Davenport of Wootton Hall, Staffordshire [aged 42] resigned as Vicar of St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 20th June 1843 James Wheeler Unwin [aged 29] died from a fall from a horse at Brimington Hall Chesterfield [Map]. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
James Wheeler Unwin: Around 1814 he was born to Reverend Edward Unwin.
In 1848 Reverend Christopher Robert Lighton 6th Baronet [aged 28] was appointed Vicar of St Peter's Church, Ellastone which office he served for twenty-seven years.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 4th November 1860 Frances Anne Port [aged 77] died. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Frances Anne Port: Around 1783 she was born to John Port of Ilam Hall, Staffordshire and Mary Pauline D'Ewes.
St Peter's Church, Ellastone. 1862. Memorial to Reverend Walter Davenport Bromley of Wooton Hall [Map] and Baginton Hall, Warwickshire.
On 12th April 1875 Reverend Christopher Robert Lighton 6th Baronet [aged 55] died. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Reverend Christopher Robert Lighton 6th Baronet: On 28th May 1819 he was born. On 2nd June 1843 he and Mary Anne Elizabeth Ram were married. In 1848 he was appointed Vicar of St Peter's Church, Ellastone which office he served for twenty-seven years.
1903. St Peter's Church, Ellastone. Memorial Window to Joseph Bagshaw, died 1903.
Private A. Collis. Royal Fusiliers. 21st September 1918. Aged 24. He was injured in a gas attack in 1917. Buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
193110 2nd Airman P. G. Rowlinson. Royal Air Force. 21st June 1920. Aged 19. Born in Ashbourne. Died of tuberculosis. Buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
1932. Vicars of St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
St Mary's Church, Uttoxeter [Map]. Memorial to George Henry Tortoishell. Headmaster of England Boys School for 41 years. Died 10th September 1938. Buried at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
War Memorials at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
On 19th April 1950 Captain Edward Unwin [aged 85] died. Memorial at St Peter's Church, Ellastone.
Captain Edward Unwin: On 20th April 1864 he was born to Edward Wilberforce Unwin. In 1922 Mary Unwin died. Captain Edward Unwin inherited Wootton Lodge, Staffordshire [Map]. He then sold it to Brigadier-General Smith Hill Child 2nd Baronet.
