Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Bishop of London is in Bishop.
In 604 Bishop Mellitus was appointed Bishop of London.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 604. This year Augustine (age 64) consecrated two bishops, Mellitus and Justus. Mellitus he sent to preach baptism to the East-Saxons. Their king was called Seabert, the son of Ricola, Ethelbert's (age 54) sister, whom Ethelbert placed there as king. Ethelbert also gave Mellitus the bishopric of London; and to Justus he gave the bishopric of Rochester, which is twenty-four miles from Canterbury, Kent [Map].
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 616. This year died Ethelbert (age 66), king of Kent, the first of English kings that received baptism: he was the son of Ermenric. He reigned fifty-six winters, and was succeeded by his son Eadbald. And in this same year had elapsed from the beginning of the world five thousand six hundred and eighteen winters. This Eadbald renounced his baptism, and lived in a heathen manner; so that he took to wife the relict of his father. Then Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent, meant to depart southward over sea, and abandon everything. But there came to him in the night the apostle Peter, and severely chastised him19, because he would so desert the flock of God. And he charged him to go to the king, and teach him the right belief. And he did so; and the king returned to the right belief. In this king's days the same Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent after Augustine, departed this life on the second of February, and was buried near Augustine. The holy Augustine in his lifetime invested him bishop, to the end that the church of Christ, which yet was new in England, should at no time after his decease be without an archbishop. After him Mellitus, who was first Bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric. The people of London, where Mellitus was before, were then heathens: and within five winters of this time, during the reign of Eadbald, Mellitus died. To him succeeded Justus, who was Bishop of Rochester, whereto he consecrated Romanus bishop.
Note 19. Literally, "swinged, or scourged him." Both Bede and Alfred begin by recording the matter as a vision, or a dream; whence the transition is easy to a matter of fact, as here stated by the Norman interpolators of the "Saxon Annals".
In 666 Bishop Wine of London was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 675 Bishop Earconwald was appointed Bishop of London.
In 693 Bishop Waldhere was consecrated Bishop of London.
Between 705 and 716 Bishop Ingwald was appointed Bishop of London.
Between 867 and 896 Bishop Heahstan was appointed Bishop of London.
In 958 Archbishop Dunstan (age 49) was appointed Bishop of London.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 959. This year died King Edwy, on the calends of October; and Edgar (age 16) his brother took to the government of the West-Saxons, Mercians, and Northumbrians. He was then sixteen years old. It was in this year he sent after St. Dunstan (age 50), and gave him the bishopric of Worcester; and afterwards the bishopric of London. In his days it prosper'd well; and God him gave, that he dwelt in peace the while that he lived. Whate'er he did, whate'er he plan'd, he earn'd his thrift. He also rear'd God's glory wide, and God's law lov'd, with peace to man, above the kings that went before in man's remembrance. God so him sped, that kings and earls to all his claims submissive bow'd; and to his will without a blow he wielded all as pleased himself. Esteem'd he was both far and wide in distant lands; because he prized the name of God, and God's law traced, God's glory rear'd, both far and wide, on every side. Wisely he sought in council oft his people's good, before his God, before the world. One misdeed he did, too much however, that foreign tastes he loved too much; and heathen modes into this land he brought too fast; outlandish men hither enticed; and to this earth attracted crowds of vicious men. But God him grant, that his good deeds be weightier far than his misdeeds, to his soul's redemption on the judgment-day.
In 1051 Bishop William of Normandy was consecrated Bishop of London.
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.
On 25th December 1085 Bishop Maurice was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1108 Bishop Richard de Belmeis was appointed Bishop of London.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 22nd February 1128. A man of worth and advanced years, who was a canon of the church of Lyons, was elected bishop of London; for Richard, bishop of that city, was dead, and this person, named Gilbert, and surnamed The Universal1, was appointed in his stead by king Henry and archbishop William, with the assent of the clergy and people. He was consecrated by the archbishop himself, in the mother church of Canterbury, on Sunday, the eleventh of the calends of February (22nd January). Sigefrid, bishop of Chichester, and John, bishop of Rochester, assisted and took part in the ceremony, in the presence of the abbots, and other great and noble persons, assembled at Canterbury on the occasion; his profession having been first made in the same way his predecessors had done, by which he promised canonical submission and obedience in all things to the archbishop and his successors. Urban (age 52), bishop of Glamorgan or Llandaff, considering that he had not been justly dealt with in regard to certain questions with Bernard, bishop of St. David's, which he had litigated in the council of the preceding year, crossed the sea, after the feast of the Purification of St. Mary [2nd February], and proceeding to Rome, laid the cause of his journey, supported by clear attestations from his own diocese, before the apostolical pope. The pope lent a favourable ear to his pretensions and statements, and addressed letters to king Henry and archbishop William, and the other bishops of England, enjoining them by his apostolical authority to suffer no opposition from any one to Urban's just demands.
Note 1. Gilbert the Universal, so called from his extensive learning. See his character shortly drawn in Henry of Huntingdon's caustic style. "Letter to Walter," p.310 of his works in the Antiq. Lib.
On 6th March 1163 Bishop Gilbert Foliot was translated to Bishop of London.
On 28th April 1163 Bishop Gilbert Foliot was enthroned as Bishop of London.
On 15th September 1189 King Richard "Lionheart" I of England (age 32) held a Council meeting at Pipewell [Map] at which he appointed a number of Bishops:
Bishop William Longchamp was elected Bishop of Ely.
Bishop Godfrey Lucy was elected Bishop of Winchester.
Bishop Richard Fitzneal (age 59) was elected Bishop of London.
Archbishop Hubert Walter (age 29) was elected Bishop of Salisbury.
On 31st December 1189 two of Richard I's new bishops were consecrated...
Bishop William Longchamp was consecrated Bishop of Ely.
Bishop Richard Fitzneal (age 59) was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 1228 Bishop Roger Niger was appointed Bishop of London.
On 10th June 1229 Bishop Roger Niger was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 1241 Bishop Fulk Basset (age 52) was elected Bishop of London; an election confirmed by King Henry III of England (age 33) in January 1242.
On 9th October 1244 Bishop Fulk Basset (age 55) was consecrated Bishop of London with King Henry III of England (age 37) making a sizeable contribution to his consecration feast. The delay in his consecration was due to a vacancy in the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 11th August 1280 Bishop Richard of Gravesend was consecrated Bishop of London.
On 30th January 1306 Bishop Ralph Baldock was consecrated Bishop of London.
On 17th August 1313 Bishop Gilbert Segrave (age 47) was elected Bishop of London.
On 25th November 1313 Bishop Gilbert Segrave (age 47) was consecrated as Bishop of London by Bishop Henry Woodlock.
On 1st September 1318 Bishop Stephen of Gravesend was elected Bishop of London.
On 3rd May 1338 Bishop Richard de Wentworth was elected Bishop of London.
On 12th March 1340 Bishop Ralph Stratford (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of London.
On 22nd October 1361 Archbishop Simon Sudbury (age 45) was appointed Bishop of London.
On 12th September 1375 Archbishop William Courtenay (age 33) was translated to Bishop of London.
On 5th January 1382 Bishop Robert Braybrooke was appointed Bishop of London.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 10th November 1405 Archbishop Roger Walden was elected Bishop of London.
On 22nd June 1407 Bishop Richard Clifford was translated to Bishop of London.
On 20th July 1425 Bishop William Grey aka Gray was appointed Bishop of London.
On 26th May 1426 Bishop William Grey aka Gray was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 1431 Bishop Robert Fitzhugh was appointed Bishop of London.
Chronicle of Gregory. 16th September 1433. And that same year a-non aftyr the xij day, the xxix day of Janyver was the Lord Fehewe (age 34) is brothyr a was stallyd Byschoppe of London.
On 8th February 1450 Bishop Thomas Kempe (age 60) was consecrated as Bishop of London.
On 21st August 1489 Bishop Richard Hill was elected Bishop of London, Dean Chapel Royal.
On 15th November 1489 Bishop Richard Hill was consecrated Bishop of London.
On 20th October 1501 Archbishop William Warham (age 51) was appointed Bishop of London.
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.
In 1504 Bishop William Barnes was appointed Bishop of London.
Around 5th June 1506 Bishop Richard Fitzjames was translated to Bishop of London.
Before 1514 Bishop John Young (age 50) was appointed as suffragan Bishop of London.
In 1522 Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall (age 48) was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1530 Bishop John Stokesley (age 55) was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1539 Bishop Edmund "Bloody" Bonner of London (age 39) was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1553 Bishop Edmund "Bloody" Bonner of London (age 53) was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1559 five new Bishops were consecrated including:
Archbishop Edwin Sandes (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of Worcester.
Bishop William Barlow (age 61) was consecrated Bishop of Chichester.
Archbishop Edmund Grindal (age 40) was consecrated Bishop of London.
After July 1559 Archbishop Edmund Grindal (age 40) was elected Bishop of London.
In 1570 Archbishop Edwin Sandes (age 51) was consecrated Bishop of London.
On 10th January 1595 Bishop Richard Fletcher (age 50) was translated to Bishop of London.
On 15th July 1628 Archbishop William Laud (age 54) was appointed Bishop of London.
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.
In October 1633 Archbishop William Juxon (age 51) was appointed Bishop of London.
In 1663 Bishop Humphrey Henchman (age 71) was translated to Bishop of London.
In 1675 Bishop Henry Compton (age 43) was appointed Bishop of London.
John Evelyn's Diary. 3rd September 1676. Dined at Captain Graham's, where I became acquainted with Dr. Compton (age 44) (brother to the Earl of Northampton (age 54)), now Bishop of London, and Mr. North, son to the Lord North, brother to the Lord Chief-Justice and Clerk of the Closet, a most hopeful young man. The Bishop had once been a soldier, had also traveled in Italy, and became a most sober, grave, and excellent prelate.
In 1723 Bishop Edmund Gibson (age 54) was consecrated in Bishop of London.
In 1764 Bishop Richard Terrick (age 54) was elected Bishop of London.
In 1897 Bishop Mandell Crichton (age 53) was consecrated Bishop of London.
In 1945 Bishop John William Wand (age 59) was translated to Bishop of London.