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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Around 1657 Jacob Huysmans [aged 24]. Portrait of Mary Bodville.
Mary Bodville: In 1634 Hugh Cholmondeley and she were married.
In 1663 Jacob Huysmans [aged 30]. Portrait of Samuel Barnardiston 1st Baronet [aged 42].
Samuel Barnardiston 1st Baronet: On 23rd June 1620 he was born to Nathaniel Barnardiston and Jane Soame. On 11th May 1663 Samuel Barnardiston 1st Baronet was created 1st Baronet Barnardiston of Brightwell in Suffolk with a special remainder to his brothers Nathaniel Barnardiston and Peletiah Barnardiston. On 8th November 1707 Samuel Barnardiston 1st Baronet died at his house in Bloomsbury Square. His nephew Samuel succeeded 2nd Baronet Barnardiston of Brightwell in Suffolk.
Around 1664 Jacob Huysmans [aged 31]. Portrait of Rear-Admiral John Chicheley [aged 24].
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 26th August 1664. Thence to the Dockyarde, and there saw the new ship in very great forwardness, and so by water to Deptford, Kent [Map] a little, and so home and shifting myself, to the 'Change [Map], and there did business, and thence down by water to White Hall, by the way, at the Three Cranes, putting into an alehouse and eat a bit of bread and cheese. There I could not get into the Parke, and so was fain to stay in the gallery over the gate to look to the passage into the Parke, into which the King [aged 34] hath forbid of late anybody's coming, to watch his coming that had appointed me to come, which he did by and by with his lady and went to Guardener's Lane, and there instead of meeting with one that was handsome and could play well, as they told me, she is the ugliest beast and plays so basely as I never heard anybody, so that I should loathe her being in my house. However, she took us by and by and showed us indeed some pictures at one Hiseman's [aged 31], a picture drawer, a Dutchman, which is said to exceed Lilly [aged 45], and indeed there is both of the Queenes [aged 54] and Mayds of Honour (particularly Mrs. Stewart's [aged 17] in a buff doublet like a soldier) as good pictures, I think, as ever I saw. The Queene is drawn in one like a shepherdess, in the other like St. Katharin, most like and most admirably. I was mightily pleased with this sight indeed, and so back again to their lodgings, where I left them, but before I went this mare that carried me, whose name I know not but that they call him Sir John, a pitiful fellow, whose face I have long known but upon what score I know not, but he could have the confidence to ask me to lay down money for him to renew the lease of his house, which I did give eare to there because I was there receiving a civility from him, but shall not part with my money.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st September 1664. Up, and by coach to Mr. Povy's [aged 50], and there got him to signe the payment of Captain Tayler's bills for the remainder of freight for the Eagle, wherein I shall be gainer about £30, thence with him to Westminster by coach to Houseman's [aged 31] [Huysman] the great picture drawer, and saw again very fine pictures, and have his promise, for Mr. Povy's sake, to take pains in what picture I shall set him about, and I think to have my wife's. But it is a strange thing to observe and fit for me to remember that I am at no time so unwilling to part with money as when I am concerned in the getting of it most, as I thank God of late I have got more in this month, viz. near 250l, than ever I did in half a year before in my life, I think.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 31st May 1665. So weary and sleepy to bed. I endeavoured but missed of seeing Sir Thomas Ingram [aged 50] at Westminster, so went to Houseman's the Painter [aged 32], who I intend shall draw my wife, but he was not within, but I saw several very good pictures.
Before 8th April 1666 Attributed to Jacob Huysmans [aged 33]. Portrait of Thomas Chiffinch [aged 66].
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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Before 1670 Jacob Huysmans [aged 36]. Portrait of Colonel William Legge (copy after original).
Around 1670 Jacob Huysmans [aged 37]. Portrait of (possibly) Mary Langham Countess Warrington [aged 17].
Around 1670 Jacob Huysmans [aged 37]. Portrait of Samuel Barnardiston 1st Baronet [aged 49].
Around 1670 Jacob Huysmans [aged 37]. Portrait of Catherine of Braganza Queen Consort England [aged 31].
Around 1670 Jacob Huysmans [aged 37]. Portrait of John Maitland 1st Duke Lauderdale [aged 53].
Around 1672 Jacob Huysmans [aged 39]. Portrait of Elizabeth Otten.
Elizabeth Otten: In 1604 she was born to Matthias Otten. In 1669 she died.
Before 13th July 1673 Jacob Huysmans [aged 40]. Portrait of Robert Long 1st Baronet [aged 73].
Before 1676 Jacob Huysmans [aged 42]. Portrait of Henry Hamilton 2nd Earl Clanbrassil.
Henry Hamilton 2nd Earl Clanbrassil: In 1647 he was born to James Hamilton 1st Earl Clanbrassil and Anne Carey Countess Clanbrassil. On 20th June 1659 James Hamilton 1st Earl Clanbrassil died. His son Henry succeeded 2nd Earl Clanbrassil. Alice Moore Countess Clanbrassil by marriage Countess Clanbrassil. In May 1667 Henry Hamilton 2nd Earl Clanbrassil and Alice Moore Countess Clanbrassil were married. She the daughter of William Moore and Elizabeth Lennard 3rd Countess Meath. He the son of James Hamilton 1st Earl Clanbrassil and Anne Carey Countess Clanbrassil. On 12th January 1675 Henry Hamilton 2nd Earl Clanbrassil died.
Before 12th December 1676 Jacob Huysmans [aged 43]. Portrait of John Middleton 1st Earl Middleton.
Before 12th December 1676 Jacob Huysmans [aged 43]. Portrait of William Morice [aged 74].
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.
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Before 1680 Jacob Huysmans [aged 46]. Portrait of Alice Strickland [aged 31].
Alice Strickland: In 1648 she was born to Thomas Strickland. Before 1680 Walter Kirkham Blount 3rd Baronet and she were married. In 1680 Alice Strickland died.
In 1680 Jacob Huysmans [aged 47]. Portrait of Barbara Every.
Barbara Every: she was born to John Every. On 1st September 1674 Robert Henley and she were married.
Before 26th July 1680 Jacob Huysmans [aged 47]. Portrait of John Wilmot 2nd Earl Rochester [aged 33].
Before 8th March 1685 Jacob Huysmans [aged 52]. Portrait of Elizabeth Pope Countess Lindsey as Diana.
Before 8th March 1685 Jacob Huysmans [aged 52]. Portrait of Richard Mason [aged 52].
Around 1688 Jacob Huysmans [aged 55]. Portrait of Richard Mason.
Around 1690 Jacob Huysmans [aged 57]. Portrait of Barbara Villiers 1st Duchess of Cleveland [aged 49].
Before 23rd March 1691 Jacob Huysmans [aged 58]. Portrait of Mary Langham Countess Warrington [aged 39].
Before 8th January 1694 Jacob Huysmans [aged 61] (attributed). Described as a Portrait of Thomas Strickland [aged 72].
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Mary Molyneux.
Mary Molyneux: she was born to Richard Molyneux 1st Viscount Molyneux and Mary Caryll Viscountess Molyneux.
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Catherine of Braganza Queen Consort England [aged 57].
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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Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Catherine of Braganza Queen Consort England [aged 57].
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Anne Morice Lady Pole [aged 42].
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Mary Bedingfield [aged 53].
Mary Bedingfield: Around 1642 she was born to Henry Bedingfield 1st Baronet and Margaret Paston. In or before 1688 Thomas Eyre and she were married. On 28th September 1710 Mary Bedingfield died.
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Anna Margaret Long [aged 54].
Anna Margaret Long: Around 1641 she was born to James Long 2nd Baronet. In or before 1667 Richard Mason and she were married. In 1717 Anna Margaret Long died.
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Elizabeth Cornwallis.
Elizabeth Cornwallis: she was born to Charles Cornwallis. On 5th January 1675 Edward Allen and she were married at St Bartholomew the Less.
Before 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 62]. Portrait of Jane Boyle. The date somewhat improbable given Huysmans died in 1696.
Jane Boyle: In 1699 she was born to Charles Boyle 2nd Earl Burlington and Juliana Noel Countess Burlington. In 1780 Jane Boyle died unmarried.
In 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 63] died in Jermyn Street.
In 1696 Jacob Huysmans [aged 63] was buried in St James' Church.
