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.
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Chief Justice of the King's Bench is in King's Bench.
In 1338 Richard Willoughby [aged 48] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 24th July 1340 Robert Parning was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1372 John Cavendish [aged 26] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1381 Robert Tresilian was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 31st January 1388 Walter Clopton was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench which position he held for life.
On 15th November 1400 William Gascoigne [aged 50] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1413 William Hankford [aged 63] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
Around 13th April 1440 John Hody was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench by patent dated 13 April 1440.
After 13th May 1461 John Markham was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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On 23rd January 1468 Thomas Billing was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 7th May 1481 William Hussey [aged 38] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 24th November 1495 John Fineux aka Fyneux [aged 54] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1539 Edward Montagu [aged 54] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1552 Roger Cholmeley [aged 57] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench which position he held until 1553.
In 1554 William Portman was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 8th November 1574 Christopher Wray [aged 50] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1616 Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester [aged 53] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
The Manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Rutland 1640. 4th January 1640. Savoy.
F. Lord Willoughby to his uncle, the Earl of Rutland [aged 60], at Belvoir Castle [Map].
When we ate your venison my wife and I drank your health and my Lady's and did not forget little Mr. George, whom, I am glad to hear, grows towards a man. "There hath beene a marriage at the court betweene one of my Lord of Corcke [aged 73] sonnse [aged 21] and my Lady Elizabeth Feelding, about which there is a greate stur, for it seemes he did not prove eoe rite as a man should be to goo about such a business. For the report goese that his manly part had lost something in his former serviocesse, and beside that he was soe full of severall disceases ... as that it was tould the Queene [aged 30], whoe sent for my Lady Elizabeth, and tould her that she must desier her not to lett her husband lye with her that night, whoe put of, modilestly making little answere, but she seemed so lothe to understand the Queene, as that she tould her she must command her not to come in a pair of sheets with him, and tould her the reasons; soe as that he is gone out of the way some say into France, others thinks he is in London under cower. It was discovered by his sister [aged 30] Mr. Goring's [aged 31] wife, to whom he had imparted his grevancess, and she had plotted it soe, to make an excuse for him, that he should falie downe stares that day, and she would come and take him up, and soe he should complane how he had breused himselfe and strained his back with the fale, that he should be soe ill he was not fitt to goe to bed to his wife that night. But could not keepe her counsel but must tell her husband Jorge Goring, and he presently ran and tould the Queene, and soe it was discovered and then it was presently in every buddy's mouth.".
My Lord Keeper is so ill that the physicians think he cannot recover. My Lord Chief Justice Bramstone is talked of to be Lord Keeper, and Bishop Wren [aged 54]. It is known to be between those two. My Lord Finch [aged 12] will be Chief Justice of the King's Bench and the Attorney General to be Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Signet.
On 21st November 1665 John Kelynge [aged 58] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
On 21st November 1665 John Kelyng [aged 58] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
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 18th May 1671 Matthew Hale [aged 61] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
In 1818 Charles Abbott 1st Baron Tenterden [aged 55] was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench.