The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Worshipful Companies is in Societies.
In 1654 John Frederick (age 52) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons.
In 1658 John Frederick (age 56) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons.
In 1654 Richard Hill of Lime Street was appointed Alderman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
In 1655 Richard Hill of Lime Street was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
On 10th July 1621 Edward Barkham (age 51) was translated to the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
From 1622 to 1623 Edward Barkham (age 52) was Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
After 1623 Thomas Lawley 1st Baronet (age 42) joined as Worshipful Company of Drapers.
In 1642 Thomas Lawley 1st Baronet (age 61) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
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.
John Evelyn's Diary. 7th August 1679. Dined at the Sheriff's, when, the Company of Drapers and their wives being invited, there was a sumptuous entertainment, according to the forms of the city, with music, etc., comparable to any prince's service in Europe.
In 1668 William Warren was elected Master of the Drapers Company.
Before 1617 John Gayer (age 32) became a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.
In 1442 Matthew Philip was appointed Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
On 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 25) became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
After 15th December 1588 Thomas Vyner 1st Baronet became a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
In 1555 John White was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In 1560 John White was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In 1679 Alderman William Hooker (age 67) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
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.
Before 1693 John Cutler 1st Baronet (age 89) was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers four times.
In 1710 Samuel Garrard 4th Baronet (age 60) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In 1580 Thomas Smythe (age 22) was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1661 Thomas Vernon (age 29) was elected Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
In 1665 Arthur Ingram (age 48) was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
In 1685 Thomas Vernon (age 53) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
On 19th June 1716 John Eyles 2nd Baronet (age 33) was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and Alderman of Vintry.
In 1717 Joseph Eyles (age 27) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers which position he held until 1721.
In 1604 Thomas Cambell (age 68) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1613 Thomas Cambell (age 77) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 6th August 1663. At noon I to the 'Change [Map], and meeting with Sir W. Warren, to a coffee-house, and there finished a contract with him for the office, and so parted, and I to my cozen Mary Joyce's at a gossiping, where much company and good cheer. There was the King's Falconer, that lives by Paul's, and his wife, an ugly pusse, but brought him money. He speaking of the strength of hawkes, which will strike a fowle to the ground with that force that shall make the fowle rebound a great way from ground, which no force of man or art can do, but it was very pleasant to hear what reasons he and another, one Ballard, a rich man of the same Company of Leathersellers of which the Joyces are, did give for this. Ballard's wife, a pretty and a very well-bred woman, I took occasion to kiss several times, and she to carve, drink, and show me great respect.
In 1702 Edward Stanton (age 21) was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Masons.
In 1709 Thomas Stayner (age 44) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
In 1719 Edward Stanton (age 38) was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
On 17th September 1499 William Holles (age 28) admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1507 Richard Gresham (age 22) admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1507 John Gresham (age 12) admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
In 1547 John Thynne (age 32) was appointed Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Before 1656 John Dethick was appointed a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1656 Alderman William Barker was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
John Evelyn's Diary. 14th August 1662. I sat on the commission for Charitable Uses, the Lord Mayor and others of the Mercers' Company being summoned, to answer some complaints of the Professors, grounded on a clause in the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder.
In 1672 Alderman William Barker was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Thomas Edwards was appointed Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Before 1637 Jacob Garrard 1st Baronet (age 50) joined the Worshipful Company of Salters.
On 27th February 1599 John Milton (age 37) registered with the Worshipful Company of Scriveners.
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.
In 1635 Robert Abbott Scrivener (age 25) became a member of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners. He established his own shop, the Flying Horse, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill.
In 1580 Thomas Smythe (age 22) was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1582 Robert Myddelton (age 19) was apprenticed to Eramus Harby 2nd Baronet of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
Around 1590 Robert Bateman (age 28) was elected Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1620 Robert Bateman (age 58) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1658 Anthony Bateman (age 42) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1662 Alderman William Crow Upholster (age 45) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1877 Richard Knight Causton 1st Baron Southwark (age 33) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1921 Richard Knight Causton 1st Baron Southwark (age 77) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
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.
Stephen Slaney joined as Worshipful Company of Skinners.
On 7th July 1606 William Larkin (age 24) became a Freeman of Worshipful Company of Stainers under the patronage of Arabella Stewart (age 31) and Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford (age 67).
On 7th July 1606 William Larkin (age 24) became a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Stainers.
On 12th October 1670 Thomas Rawlinson (age 23) was admitted a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.
In 1687 Thomas Rawlinson (age 39) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.
In 1696 Thomas Rawlinson (age 48) was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.