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The 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. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
In 1626 Elizabeth Dundas was born to Lothiel Dundas of Dunbar Lord of Session.
On 4th April 1649 William Howard (age 27) and Elizabeth Dundas (age 23) were married. He the son of Thomas Howard 1st Earl Berkshire (age 61) and Elizabeth Cecil Countess Berkshire (age 53).
After 4th April 1649 [her son] Craven Howard was born to [her husband] William Howard (age 27) and Elizabeth Dundas (age 23).
Around 1651 [her daughter] Dorothy Howard Maid of Honour was born to [her husband] William Howard (age 29) and Elizabeth Dundas (age 25).
In 1653 [her daughter] Ann Howard Maid of Honour was born to [her husband] William Howard (age 31) and Elizabeth Dundas (age 27).
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 4th March 1669. Up, and a while at the office, but thinking to have Mr. Povy's (age 55) business to-day at the Committee for Tangier, I left the Board and away to White Hall, where in the first court I did meet Sir Jeremy Smith, who did tell me that Sir W. Coventry (age 41) was just now sent to the Tower, about the business of his challenging the Duke of Buckingham (age 41), and so was also Harry Saville (age 27) to the Gate-house; which, as [he is] a gentleman, and of the Duke of York's (age 35) bedchamber, I heard afterwards that the Duke of York is mightily incensed at, and do appear very high to the King (age 38) that he might not be sent thither, but to the Tower [Map], this being done only in contempt to him. This news of Sir W. Coventry did strike me to the heart, and with reason, for by this and my Lord of Ormond's (age 58) business, I do doubt that the Duke of Buckingham will be so flushed, that he will not stop at any thing, but be forced to do any thing now, as thinking it not safe to end here; and, Sir W. Coventry being gone, the King will have never a good counsellor, nor the Duke of York any sure friend to stick to him; nor any good man will be left to advise what is good. This, therefore, do heartily trouble me as any thing that ever I heard. So up into the House, and met with several people; but the Committee did not meet; and the whole House I find full of this business of Sir W. Coventry's, and most men very sensible of the cause and effects of it. So, meeting with my Lord Bellassis (age 54), he told me the particulars of this matter; that it arises about a quarrel which Sir W. Coventry had with the Duke of Buckingham about a design between the Duke and Sir Robert Howard, to bring him into a play at the King's house, which W. Coventry not enduring, did by H. Saville send a letter to the Duke of Buckingham, that he had a desire to speak with him. Upon which, the Duke of Buckingham did bid Holmes (age 47), his champion ever since my Lord Shrewsbury's business1, go to him to know the business; but H. Saville would not tell it to any but himself, and therefore did go presently to the Duke of Buckingham, and told him that his uncle Coventry was a person of honour, and was sensible of his Grace's liberty taken of abusing him, and that he had a desire of satisfaction, and would fight with him. But that here they were interrupted by my Lord Chamberlain's (age 67) coming in, who was commanded to go to bid the Duke of Buckingham to come to the King, Holmes having discovered it. He told me that the King did last night, at the Council, ask the Duke of Buckingham, upon his honour, whether he had received any challenge from W. Coventry? which he confessed that he had; and then the King asking W. Coventry, he told him that he did not owne what the Duke of Buckingham had said, though it was not fit for him to give him a direct contradiction. But, being by the King put upon declaring, upon his honour, the matter, he answered that he had understood that many hard questions had upon this business been moved to some lawyers, and that therefore he was unwilling to declare any thing that might, from his own mouth, render him obnoxious to his Majesty's displeasure, and, therefore, prayed to be excused: which the King did think fit to interpret to be a confession, and so gave warrant that night for his commitment to the Tower. Being very much troubled at this, I away by coach homewards, and directly to the Tower, where I find him in one Mr. Bennet's house, son to Major Bayly, one of the Officers of the Ordnance, in the Bricke Tower [Map]2 where I find him busy with my Lord Halifax (age 35) and his brother (age 50); so I would not stay to interrupt them, but only to give him comfort, and offer my service to him, which he kindly and cheerfully received, only owning his being troubled for the King his master's displeasure, which, I suppose, is the ordinary form and will of persons in this condition. And so I parted, with great content, that I had so earlily seen him there; and so going out, did meet Sir Jer. Smith going to meet me, who had newly been with Sir W. Coventry. And so he and I by water to Redriffe [Map], and so walked to Deptford, Kent [Map], where I have not been, I think, these twelve months: and there to the Treasurer's house, where the Duke of York is, and his Duchess (age 31); and there we find them at dinner in the great room, unhung; and there was with them my Lady Duchess of Monmouth, the Countess of Falmouth (age 24), Castlemayne (age 28), Henrietta Hide (age 23) (my Lady Hinchingbroke's (age 24) sister), and my Lady Peterborough (age 47). And after dinner Sir Jer. Smith and I were invited down to dinner with some of the Maids of Honour, namely, [her future daughter-in-law] Mrs. Ogle (age 17), Blake (age 16), and [her daughter] Howard (age 18), which did me good to have the honour to dine with, and look on; and the Mother of the Maids, and Mrs. Howard (age 43), the mother of the Maid of Honour of that name, and the Duke's housekeeper here. Here was also Monsieur Blancfort (age 28), Sir Richard Powell, Colonel Villers (age 48), Sir Jonathan Trelawny (age 46), and others. And here drank most excellent, and great variety, and plenty of wines, more than I have drank, at once, these seven years, but yet did me no great hurt. Having dined and very merry, and understanding by Blancfort how angry the Duke of York was, about their offering to send Saville to the Gate-house, among the rogues; and then, observing how this company, both the ladies and all, are of a gang, and did drink a health to the union of the two brothers, and talking of others as their enemies, they parted, and so we up; and there I did find the Duke of York and Duchess, with all the great ladies, sitting upon a carpet, on the ground, there being no chairs, playing at "I love my love with an A, because he is so and so: and I hate him with an A, because of this and that:" and some of them, but particularly the Duchess herself, and my Baroness Castlemayne, were very witty. This done, they took barge, and I with Sir J. Smith to Captain Cox's; and there to talk, and left them and other company to drink; while I slunk out to Bagwell's; and there saw her, and her mother, and our late maid Nell, who cried for joy to see me, but I had no time for pleasure then nor could stay, but after drinking I back to the yard, having a month's mind para have had a bout with Nell, which I believe I could have had, and may another time.
Note 1. Charles II wrote to his sister (age 24) (Henrietta, Duchess of Orléans), on March 7th, 1669: "I am not sorry that Sir Will. Coventry has given me this good occasion by sending my Lord of Buckingham a challenge to turne him out of the Councill. I do intend to turn him allso out of the Treasury. The truth of it is, he has been a troublesome man in both places and I am well rid of him" (Julia Cartwright's "Madame", 1894, p. 283).
Note 2. The Brick Tower [Map] stands on the northern wall, a little to the west of Martin tower, with which it communicates by a secret passage. It was the residence of the Master of the Ordnance, and Raleigh was lodged here for a time.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 30th June 1669. my wife (age 34) went a journey of pleasure down the river as far as the sea, with Mrs. Howard (age 43) and her [her daughter] daughter (age 18), the Maid of Honor, and others, among whom that excellent creature, Mrs. Blagg (age 16).
John Evelyn's Diary. 8th July 1675. I went with Mrs. Howard (age 49) and her two daughters toward Northampton Assizes, about a trial at law, in which I was concerned for them as a trustee. We lay this night at Henley-on-the-Thames [Map], at our attorney, Mr. Stephens's, who entertained us very handsomely. Next day, dining at Shotover, Oxfordshire, at Sir Timothy Tyrill's (age 58), a sweet place, we lay at Oxford, where it was the time of the Act. Mr. Robert Spencer (age 46), uncle to the Earl of Sunderland (age 33), and my old acquaintance in France, entertained us at his apartment in Christ Church with exceeding generosity.
John Evelyn's Diary. 15th July 1675. This was a journey of adventures and knight-errantry. One of the lady's servants being as desperately in love with Mrs. Howard's (age 49) woman, as [her future son-in-law] Mr. Graham (age 26) was with her [her daughter] daughter (age 24), and she riding on horseback behind his rival, the amorous and jealous youth having a little drink in his pate, had here killed himself had he not been prevented; for, alighting from his horse, and drawing his sword, he endeavored twice or thrice to fall on it, but was interrupted by our coachman, and a stranger passing by. After this, running to his rival, and snatching his sword from his side (for we had beaten his own out of his hand), and on the sudden pulling down his mistress, would have run both of them through; we parted them, not without some blood. This miserable creature poisoned himself for her not many days after they came to London.
John Evelyn's Diary. 15th July 1675. Our cause was pleaded in behalf of the mother, Mrs. Howard (age 49) and her daughters, before Baron Thurland (age 68), who had formerly been steward of Courts for me; we carried our cause, as there was reason, for here was an impudent as well as disobedient [her son] son (age 26) against his mother, by instigation, doubtless, of his wife, one [her daughter-in-law] Mrs. Ogle (age 23) (an ancient maid), whom he had clandestinely married, and who brought him no fortune, he being heir-apparent to the Earl of Berkshire (age 60) [Note. The reference to heir apparent is incorrect insofar as Charles Howard 2nd Earl Berkshire having a younger brother Thomas Howard 3rd Earl Berkshire (age 55) who did inherit the Earldom]. Craven in line to inherit in the event the 2nd or 3rd Earl didn't have issue which proved to be the case but Craven had died by that time so his son [her grandson] Henry Bowes Howard 4th Earl Berkshire 11th Earl Suffolk became the 4th Earl. We lay at Brickhill, Bedfordshire, in Bedfordshire, and came late the next day to our journey's end.
John Evelyn's Diary. 11th November 1677. I was all this week composing matters between old Mrs. Howard (age 51) and [her future son-in-law] Sir Gabriel Sylvius, upon his long and earnest addresses to [her daughter] Mrs. Anne (age 24), her second daughter, maid of honor to the Queen (age 38). My friend, Mrs. Godolphin (age 25) (who exceedingly loved the young lady) was most industrious in it, out of pity to the languishing knight; so as though there were great differences in their years, it was at last effected, and they were married the 13th, in Henry VII.'s Chapel [Map], by the Bishop of Rochester (age 52), there being besides my wife (age 42) and [her daughter] Mrs. Graham (age 26), her sister, Mrs. Godolphin, and very few more. We dined at the old lady's, and supped at [her son-in-law] Mr. Graham's (age 28) at St. James's.
In 1698 [her husband] William Howard (age 76) died.