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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Grooms is in Gentlemen.
In 1542 William Sharington [aged 47] was appointed Groom of the Chamber.
In or before 1550 William Pickering [aged 32] was appointed Groom of the Chamber.
Before 1642 Thomas Blagge [aged 28] was appointed Groom of the Chamber.
In 1524 William Brereton was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 32].
by 1526 John Carey [aged 35] was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 34].
Around 1530 Walter Walsh was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber by King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 38].
In 1532 Mark Smeaton [aged 20] was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII of England and Ireland [aged 40].
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. Item, the 12th daie of Maie, 1536, being Fridaie, their were arraygned at Westminster [Map]g Sir Frances Weston [aged 25], knight, Henrie Norrisy [aged 54] esquier, Brerton, and Markes [aged 24], being all fower of the Kinges Privie Chamberh, and their condemned of high treason against the Kinge [aged 44] for using fornication with Queene Anne [aged 35], wife to the Kinge, and also for conspiracie of the Kinges death, and their judged to be hanged, drawen, and quartered, their members cutt of and brent [burned] before theim, their heades cutt of and quartered; my Lord Chauncelor [aged 48] being the highest Commissioner he geving their judgment, with other lordes of the Kinges Counsell being presente at the same tyme.
Note g. They were tried by a Commission of Oyer and Terminer in Westminster Hall, after having been twice indicted. True bills were found by the two grand juries of the counties of Kent and Middlesex, the crimes they were charged with being said to be done in both counties.
Note h. Sir Francis Western and William Brereton, esq. of the King's Privy Chamber. Henry Norris, Groom of the Stole, and one Mark Smeton, a musician.
In 1551 Richard Cooke [aged 21] was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber.
Before 1576 William Killigrew [aged 20] was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber.
In 1584 Richard Drake [aged 49] was appointed Groom of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland [aged 50].
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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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 31st July 1663. Thence to my office doing business, and at noon to my viall maker's, who has begun it and has a good appearance, and so to the Exchange [Map], where I met James Pearce Surgeon, who tells me of his good luck to get to be Groom of the Privy Chamber to the Queen [aged 24], and without my Lord Sandwich's [aged 38] help; but only by his good fortune, meeting a man that hath let him have his right for a small matter, about £60, for which he can every day have £400.
After 1520 Richard Cecil [aged 25] was appointed Groom of the Robes and Constable of Warwick Castle.
In 1540 William Sharington [aged 45] was appointed Groom of the Robes.