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.

Benedictine

Tynemouth Priory Abingdon Abbey Evesham Abbey Bedford Abbey St Neots Priory Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk Sele Priory Waldon Priory and Abbey Hatfield Regis aka Broad Oak Priory Great Malvern Priory

Benedictine is in Religious Buildings by Order.

Around 625 Tynemouth Priory [Map] was founded. It subsequently became a Benedictine house.

Around 675 Abingdon Abbey [Map] was a Benedictine monastery was a Benedictine monastery founded in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Between 700 and 710 Evesham Abbey [Map] was a Benedictine founded by Saint Egwin.

Around 971 Bedford Abbey [Map] was a short lived Benedictine Monastery whose Abbot was Abbot Thurkytel; its only known Abbot.

St Neots Priory [Map] was a Benedictine Priory founded in 974 by Earl Aelric (or Leofric) and his wife Aelfleda (or Ethelfleda) who granted it two hides of land, part of the manor of Eynesbury, later called the manor of St. Neots. It is said that the relics of the Cornish saint, St. Neot, were obtained illicitly from Neotstoke (now St. Neot) in Cornwall and brought to the priory in order that it might have relics to attract pilgrims; hence the name of the town.

Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire [Map] was a Benedictine Nunnery founded around 979 by Aelfthryth Queen Consort England [aged 34].

Wymondham Abbey, Norfolk [Map] was a Benedictine Abbey founded in 1107 by William "Pincerna aka Butler" D'Aubigny [aged 43].

Sele Priory [Map] was a Benedictine Order priory founded before 1126.

Between 1136 and 1143 Geoffrey Mandeville 1st Earl Essex founded Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map] as a Benedictine Monastery.

In 1139 Hatfield Regis aka Broad Oak Priory [Map] was founded as Benedictine Priory. was a daughter house of the Breton monastery of Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine de Rennes in Rennes, and was dedicated to "God, St Mary, and St. Melanius Redonensis". It was thus considered an "alien priory" as it was subordinate to a monastery outside England. It was dissolved in 1536.

Great Malvern Priory [Map] was a Benedictine monastery founded around 1075.