Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
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Extant Viscountcies of England is in Viscountcies of England.
On 4th December 1951 Hugh Gough 4th Viscount Gough [aged 59] died. His son Shane [aged 10] succeeded 5th Viscount Gough of Goojerat in the Punjab and of the City of Limerick, 5th Baron Gough of Chin-Kang-Foo in China and of Maharajpore and the Sutlej in the East Indies, 5th Baronet Gough of Synone and Drangan in County Tipperary.
On 7th March 1966 William Waldorf Astor 3rd Viscount Astor [aged 58] died. His son William [aged 14] succeeded 4th Viscount Astor, 4th Baron Astor.
In 1970 Pownoll Pellew 9th Viscount Exmouth [aged 62] died. His son Paul [aged 29] succeeded 10th Viscount Exmouth, 10th Baron Exmouth of Canonteign, 10th Baronet Pellew of Treverry in Cornwall. Maria Krystina Garay Viscountess Exmouth by marriage Viscountess Exmouth.
On 15th April 1973 John Grimston 6th Earl of Verulam [aged 60] died. His son John [aged 21] succeeded 7th Earl Verulam, 7th Viscount Grimston, 10th Viscount Grimston, 8th Baron Verulam of Gorhambury in Hertfordshire, 14th Baronet Grimston of Little Waltham in Essex.
On 14th July 1979 Walter Keppel 9th Earl Albermarle [aged 97] died. His grandson Rufus [aged 13] succeeded 10th Earl Albermarle, 10th Viscount Bury in Lancashire, 10th Baron Ashford of Ashford in Kent.
On 19th March 1980 Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood 2nd Earl Halifax [aged 67] died. His son Charles [aged 36] succeeded 3rd Earl Halifax, 4th Viscount Halifax, 7th Baronet Wood of Barnsley in Yorkshire.
On 12th November 1980 John Chetwynd-Talbot 21st Earl of Shrewsbury 6th Earl Talbot [aged 65] died at Switzerland. His son Charles [aged 27] succeeded 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury, 22nd Earl Waterford, 7th Earl Talbot, 7th Viscount Ingestre, 9th Baron Talbot of Hensol in Glamorganshire.
John Chetwynd-Talbot 21st Earl of Shrewsbury 6th Earl Talbot: On 1st December 1914 he was born to Charles Chetwynd-Talbot and Winifred Contance Hester Paget. On 17th May 1921 Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 20th Earl of Shrewsbury 5th Earl Talbot died. On 7th May 1921 His grandson John succeeded 21st Earl of Shrewsbury, 21st Earl Waterford, 6th Earl Talbot, 6th Viscount Ingestre, 8th Baron Talbot of Hensol in Glamorganshire. Before 18th December 1952 John Chetwynd-Talbot 21st Earl of Shrewsbury 6th Earl Talbot and Nina Mortlock Countess Shrewsbury, Waterford and Talbot were married. She by marriage Countess of Shrewsbury, Countess Waterford, Countess Talbot.
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury 7th Earl Talbot: Charles Chetwynd-Talbot 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury 7th Earl Talbot educated Harrow School. On 18th December 1952 he was born to John Chetwynd-Talbot 21st Earl of Shrewsbury 6th Earl Talbot and Nina Mortlock Countess Shrewsbury, Waterford and Talbot.
On 12th August 1981 John Hely-Hutchinson 7th Earl of Donoughmore [aged 78] died. His son Richard [aged 54] succeeded 8th Earl of Donoughmore, 8th Viscount Hutchinson of Knocklofty in Tipperary, 8th Viscount Donoughmore of Knocklofty in Tipperary, 9th Baron Donoughmore of Knocklofty in Tipperary.
On 17th November 1982 Robert Bridgeman 2nd Viscount Bridgeman [aged 86] died. His son Robin [aged 51] succeeded 3rd Viscount Bridgeman of Leigh in Shropshire.
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 22nd March 1983 John Pratt 5th Marquess Camden [aged 83] died. His son David [aged 52] succeeded 6th Marquess Camden, 6th Earl Brecknock, 7th Earl Camden, 7th Viscount Bayham of Bayham Abbey in Kent, 7th Baron Camden of Camden Place in Kent.
On 29th March 1983 Antony Head 1st Viscount Head [aged 76] died. His son Richard [aged 46] succeeded 2nd Viscount Head of Throope in Wiltshire.
On 18th July 1983 William Keith Rous 5th Earl of Stradbroke [aged 76] died. His son Robert [aged 46] succeeded 6th Earl Stradbroke, 6th Viscount Dunwich, 11th Baronet Stradbrooke of Henham in Suffolk.
On 29th May 1984 Edward Curzon 6th Earl Howe [aged 75] died. His second cousin Frederick [aged 33] succeeded 7th Earl Howe, 8th Viscount Curzon of Penn in Buckinghamshire, 9th Baron Howe.
On 9th February 1988 William Sackville 10th Earl De La Warr [aged 66] died. His son William [aged 39] succeeded 11th Earl De La Warr, 11th Viscount Cantalupe, 17th Baron De La Warr 6th Baron Buckhurst of Buckhurst in Sussex.
On 16th March 1991 Rowland Baring 3rd Earl of Cromer [aged 72] died. His son Evelyn [aged 44] succeeded 4th Earl Cromer, 4th Viscount Errington Hexham Northumberland.
On 29th March 1992 John Spencer 8th Earl Spencer [aged 68] died. His son Charles [aged 27] succeeded 9th Earl Spencer, 9th Viscount Althorp, 9th Viscount Spencer, 9th Baron Spencer Althorp.
On 23rd May 1992 Michael Addison 3rd Viscount Addison [aged 78] died. His son William [aged 46] succeeded 4th Viscount Addison of Stallingborough in Lincolnshire, 4th Baron Addison of Stallingborough in Lincolnshire.
On 7th March 1993 Richard Fortescue 7th Earl Fortescue [aged 70] died. His son Charles [aged 41] succeeded 8th Earl Fortescue, 8th Viscount Ebrington of Ebrington in Gloucestershire, 10th Baron Fortescue of Castle Hill.
On 19th January 1995 Weetman John Pearson 3rd Viscount Cowdray [aged 84] died. His son Michael [aged 50] succeeded 4th Viscount Cowdray of Cowdray in Sussex.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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On 23rd March 1995 Rollo Feilding 11th Earl of Denbigh [aged 51] died. His son Alexander [aged 24] succeeded 11th Earl Desmond, 12th Earl Denbigh, 12th Viscount Feilding, 12th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 11th Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 11th Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 11th Baron St Liz.
On 31st October 1996 Granville James Leveson-Gower 5th Earl Granville [aged 77] died. His son Fergus [aged 37] succeeded 6th Earl Granville, 6th Viscount Granville.
On 4th July 1997 William Gerald Charles Cadogan 7th Earl Cadogan [aged 83] died. His son Charles [aged 60] succeeded 8th Earl Cadogan, 8th Viscount Chelsea, 10th Baron Cadogan.
On 22nd December 1997 Hugh Seymour 8th Marquess Hertford [aged 67] died. His son Henry [aged 39] succeeded 9th Marquess Hertford, 9th Earl Hertford, 9th Earl of Yarmouth, 9th Viscount Beauchamp, 10th Baron Conway of Ragley in Warwickshire, 10th Baron Conway of Killultagh in Antrim.
On 1st October 1999 Seymour Egerton 7th Earl Wilton [aged 78] died. His fourth cousin Francis [aged 65] succeeded 8th Earl Wilton, 8th Viscount Grey de Wilton.
On 2nd October 1999 Alexander Lambert Hood 7th Viscount Hood [aged 85] died. His son Henry [aged 41] succeeded 8th Viscount Hood of Whitley in Warwickshire, 8th Baronet Hood of Catherington.
On 15th February 2000 Francis Fitztroy Newdegate 3rd Viscount Daventry [aged 78] died. His son James [aged 39] succeeded 4th Viscount Daventry.
On 21st September 2000 John Sutherland Egerton 6th Duke Sutherland [aged 85] died. His first cousin once removed Francis [aged 60] succeeded 7th Duke Sutherland, 7th Marquess Stafford, 6th Earl Ellesmere, 9th Earl Gower, 6th Viscount Brackley, 10th Baron Gower, 14th Baronet Gower of Stittenham in Yorkshire.
On 20th October 2000 Kenelm Charles Pepys 8th Earl of Cottenham [aged 51] died. His son Mark [aged 17] succeeded 9th Earl of Cottenham, 9th Viscount Crowhurst of Crowhurst in Surrey, 9th Baron Cottenham of Cottenham in Cambridgshire, 11th Baronet Pepys of Wimpole Street, 12th Baronet Pepys of Brook Street.
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.
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On 3rd November 2000 Michael Wellington Stapleton-Cotton 5th Viscount Combermere [aged 71] died. His son Thomas [aged 31] succeeded 6th Viscount Combermere, 6th Baron Combermere, 11th Baronet Cotton of Combermere in Cheshire.
On 11th November 2000 William James Harris 6th Earl Malmesbury [aged 92] died. His son James [aged 54] succeeded 7th Earl Malmesbury, 7th Viscount Fitz-Harris of Hurn Court in Hampshire, 7th Baron Malmesbury.
On 27th December 2002 Wentworth Beaumont 3rd Viscount Allendale [aged 80] died. His son Wentworth [aged 54] succeeded 4th Viscount Allendale of Allendale and Hexham in Northumberland, 5th Baron Allendale of Allendale and Hexham in Northumberland.
In February 2003 Anthony Rowland Clegg-Hill 8th Viscount Hill [aged 71] died without issue. His first cousin Peter [aged 57] succeeded 9th Viscount Hill of Hawkestone and Hardwicke in Shropshire, 9th Baron Hill of Almaraz and of Hawkestone in Shropshire, 11th Baronet Hill of Hawkestone in Shropshire.
On 25th February 2004 Robert Milo Leicester Devereux 18th Viscount Hereford [aged 71] died. His son Charles [aged 28] succeeded 19th Viscount Hereford, 16th Baronet Devereux of Castle Bromwich.
On 11th November 2005 Thomas Patrick John Anson 5th Earl Lichfield [aged 66] died at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. His son Thomas [aged 27] succeeded 6th Earl Lichfield, 7th Viscount Anson of Shugborough and Orgrave in Staffordshire and 7th Baron Soberton of Soberton in Hampshire.
On 13th July 2006 John Lyttelton 11th Viscount Cobham [aged 63] died in Spain. His brother Christopher [aged 58] succeeded 12th Viscount Cobham, 9th Baron Lyttelton of Frankley in Worcestershire, 9th Baron Westcote, 15th Baronet Lyttelton of Frankley.
On 4th January 2008 Anthony Brand 6th Viscount Hampden [aged 70] died. His son Francis [aged 38] succeeded 7th Viscount Hampden.
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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On 10th August 2008 Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie 8th Earl of Radnor [aged 80] died. His son William [aged 53] succeeded 9th Earl Radnor, 10th Viscount Folkestone, 10th Baron Longford, 12th Baronet Bouverie of St Catherine Cree Church in London.
On 8th April 2010 Mark Colville 4th Viscount Colville [aged 76] died. His son Charles [aged 50] succeeded 5th Viscount Colville of Culrossin Perthshire.
On 14th May 2011 Michael Onslow 7th Earl of Onslow [aged 73] died. His son Rupert [aged 43] succeeded 8th Earl Onslow, 8th Viscount Cranley, 11th Baron Onslow, 12th Baronet Onslow of West Clandon in Surrey, 13th Baronet Foote of London.
On 21st May 2011 Henry FitzRoy St John 9th Viscount St John 8th Viscount Bolingbroke [aged 54] died. His brother Nicholas [aged 36] succeeded 10th Viscount St John, 9th Viscount Bolingbroke, 13th Baronet St John Lydiard Tregoze in Wiltshire.
On 2nd August 2012 William Smith 4th Viscount Hambleden [aged 82] died. His son William [aged 56] succeeded 5th Viscount Hambleden of Hambleden in Buckinghamshire.
On 10th September 2013 Richard Fleming Grey 6th Earl Grey [aged 74] died. His brother Philip [aged 73] succeeded 7th Earl Grey, 7th Viscount Grey of Howick in Northumberland, 7th Baron Grey of Howick in Northumberland, 8th Baronet Grey of Howick in Northumberland.
On 11th February 2014 Andrew Hardinge 7th Viscount Hardinge [aged 54] died. His son Thomas [aged 20] succeeded 8th Viscount Hardinge of Lahore and Kings Newton in Derbyshire.
On 20th September 2015 John Parker 6th Earl Morley [aged 92] died. His son Mark [aged 59] succeeded 7th Earl Morley, 7th Viscount Boringdon of North Malton in Devon, 8th Baron Boringdon.
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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On 12th November 2016 Thomas Edmund Byng 8th Earl of Strafford [aged 80] died. His son William [aged 52] succeeded 9th Earl Strafford, 9th Viscount Enfield of Enfield in Middlesex, 9th Baron Strafford of Harmondsworth in Middlesex.
On 30th January 2017 John Scott 5th Earl of Eldon [aged 79] died. His son John [aged 55] succeeded 6th Earl Eldon, 6th Viscount Encoumbe of Encombe in Dorest, 6th Baron Eldon of Eldon in County Durham.
On 7th March 2022 George Hugh Boscawen 9th Viscount Falmouth died. His son Evelyn [aged 66] succeeded 10th Viscount Falmouth, 17th Baron Despencer.
On 25th June 2022 John Manningham-Buller 2nd Viscount Dilhorne [aged 90] died. His son James [aged 66] succeeded 3rd Viscount Dilhorne of Greens Northon in Northamptonshire, 3rd Baron Dilhorne of Towcester in Northamptonshire, 6th Baronet Manningham-Buller of Dilhorne in Staffordshire.
On 5th August 2022 Michael Howard 21st Earl of Suffolk, 14th Earl Berkshire [aged 87] died. His son Alexander [aged 48] succeeded 22nd Earl Suffolk, 15th Earl Berkshire, 14th Viscount Andover in Hampshire, 14th Baron Howard of Charlton in Wiltshire.