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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Winwick, Cheshire is in Cheshire.
Domesday Winwick. 1086. Winwick, Cheshire was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Newton and the county of Cheshire. It had no recorded population (sometimes the case for large towns, as well as abandoned settlements).
In or after 1630 Frances Gerard was born to Thomas Gerard [aged 21] and Susannah Snow [aged 20] at Winwick, Cheshire. The date of her birth based on the date of her parent's marriage. She married 20th March 1676 John Washington.
After 1641. Around 1.5 km north of Winwick Church is St Oswald's Well, Hermitage Green supposedly at the place where King Oswald of Northumberland during the Battle of Maserfield. The well chamber is square and measures 0.7m across and is about 1.9m deep with three steps on the south side leading down to the water. A large stone slab has been placed over the aperture, covering half of the opening and protecting the remains from cattle or human access.
St Oswald's Church, Winwick is also in Churches in Cheshire.
Around 750. Arm of Anglo-Saxon Cross found in the churcyard St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] in 1873.
1350. Stones from an earlier church re-used as foundations for columns in the Nave.
On 4th August 1468 Piers Legh [aged 35] died at Macclesfield, Cheshire [Map]. He was subsequently buried at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
On 27th November 1478 Piers Legh [aged 63] died. He was buried at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
1495. Brass to Peter Gerrard. Beneath the floor is the family vault. This has not been used since the Reformation..
1527. Brass to Peter Leigh [aged 72] and Eleanor Savage [aged 75]. The only example of a brass with a Priest in armour with sword. He became a Priest after his wife died. .
Peter Leigh: Around 1455 he was born to Piers Legh. In or before 1480 Peter Leigh and Eleanor Savage were married. They were sixth cousins. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward I of England. On 11th August 1527 Peter Leigh died.
Eleanor Savage: Around 1452 she was born to John Savage and Katherine Stanley.
Around 19th August 1648 considerable damage was done to St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] by Parliamentary troops following the Battle of Winwick aka Red Bank.
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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After 16th May 1671. Monument to the Reverend John Stanley.
Reverend John Stanley: On or before 6th September 1692, the day he was baptised, he was born to Thomas Horton Stanley 4th Baronet and Elizabeth Patten. On 23rd May 1753 Reverend John Stanley and Sarah Earle were married. The difference in their ages was 25 years. On 16th May 1781 Reverend John Stanley died.
On or before 4th December 1684 Mary Finch was born. She was baptised at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] on 4th December 1684.
After 31st August 1687 Monument to Richard Legh [deceased] and Elizabeth Chicheley. Unsigned; possibly sculpted by Grinling Gibbons [aged 39]. St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
Richard Legh: On 7th May 1634 he was born to Reverend Thomas Legh. On or after 31st December 1660 Richard Legh and Elizabeth Chicheley were married. In March 1679 Andrew Fountaine was elected MP Newton. His wife's brother-in-law Richard Legh controlled the Newton constituency and paid for his election expenses. On 31st August 1687 Richard Legh died.
Elizabeth Chicheley: she was born to Thomas Chicheley of Wimpole and Sarah Russell. In 1728 she died.
After 11th January 1701 Monument to Thomas Brotherton [deceased].
1711. Ceiling of the Legh Chapel at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
In 1720 the South Porch was added to St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
After 8th July 1755 Monument to Benet Legh 1747-1855 died aged eight, son of Peter Legh of Lyme and Martha Benet.
On 25th June 1780 Thomas Gerard 8th Baronet [aged 57] died. He was buried at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] on 7th July 1780. His brother Robert [aged 55] succeeded 9th Baronet Gerard of Bryn in Lancashire. Catherine Anderton Lady Gerard [aged 38] by marriage Lady Gerard of Bryn in Lancashire.
On 7th August 1797 Colonel Thomas Peter Legh [aged 44] died unmarried. He was buried at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map]. He left three illegitimate sons and four illegitimate daughters by seven different ladies. Thomas Legh [aged 4] inherited Lyme Hall, Cheshire [Map].
1800. The Stanley Chapel.
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.'
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1800 The Garrard Chapel.
After 25th February 1800. Monument to Reverend John Lowe.
After 1811. Italian Flag bearing the Arms of Italy under French Control captured at the Battle of Lissa and send home to his father the Reverend G Hornby, Rector of Winwick, by his son Captain Phipps Hornby RN.
After 31st July 1812. Monument to Reverend Geoffrey Hornby.
After 20th March 1825. Monument to Reverend Edward Thomas Stanley.
After 23rd June 1830 Monument to Hester Hornby.
On 27th January 1831 Ellen Turner [deceased] was buried at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map]. The service was performed by Reverend Thomas Hinde. Monument sculpted by Richard James Wyatt [aged 35].
After 20th October 1838 Monument to John Fitchett of Warrington.
After 8th March 1842 Monument to Thomas Claughton.
After 4th April 1843 Monument to Jacob John Hornby.
1848. The Chancel of St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] refurbished by Pugin.
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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Around 1850 the organ at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] was relocated from Powys Castle.
13th January 1887. Marriage Certificate of Edward John Smith and Sarah Eleanor Pennington who were married at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map]. He, twenty-five years later, was Captain of the Titanic who went down with his ship.
After 3rd May 1911. Memorial at St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map] to 2nd Lieutenant Agnew Appleton of the 2/4 West Riding Regiment kille in action at Bullecourt.
After 1918. World War Memorials.
2023. Exterior of St Oswald's Church, Winwick [Map].
