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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In 1580 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness was born.
On 5th August 1600. The Gowrie Conspiracy was an attempt by John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie [aged 23] and his brother Alexander Ruthven [aged 20] to kill King James I [aged 34]. He, King James, had had their father William Ruthven 1st Earl Gowrie executed for his part in the Raid of Ruthven eighteen years earlier.
The attempt was botched. John Ruthven 3rd Earl Gowrie and Alexander Ruthven were killed, the former by John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness [aged 20].
William Ruthven fled to France.
Patrick Ruthven was imprisoned for nineteen years at the Tower of London [Map].
On 11th June 1606 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness [aged 26] was created 1st Viscount Haddington.
On 9th February 1608 John Ramsay, Viscount Haddington [aged 28] and Elizabeth Radclyffe were married at Whitehall Palace [Map]. She by marriage Viscountess Haddington. She the daughter of Robert Radclyffe 5th Earl of Sussex [aged 34] and Bridget Morrison Countess Sussex.
James I [aged 41] gave the bride away and sent the bride a gold cup containing a grant of lands worth an income of £600 per year, also paid off Ramsay's debts of £10,000.
The marriage was celebrated with the Masque of The Hue and Cry After Cupid in the evening at the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map] written by Ben Johnson [aged 36].
The principal masquers, nobles and gentlemen of the Court, appeared in the guise of the twelve signs of the Zodiac; the men, five English and seven Scottish courtiers, were:
Ludovic Stewart 2nd Duke Lennox 1st Duke Richmond [aged 33].
Thomas Howard 14th or 21st Earl of Arundel 4th Earl of Surrey 1st Earl Norfolk [aged 22].
Philip Herbert 4th Earl Pembroke 1st Earl Montgomery [aged 23].
William Herbert 3rd Earl Pembroke [aged 27].
Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox [aged 29].
Theophilus Howard 2nd Earl Suffolk [aged 25].
James Hay 1st Earl Carlisle [aged 28].
Robert Crichton 8th Lord Sanquhar.
John Kennedy, Master of Mar.
Robert Rich 2nd Earl Warwick [aged 20].
Mr Erskine.
Calendar of State Papers James I 1608. Feb. 11. [1608] London. 26. John Chamberlain to Dud. Carleton. Domestic affairs. Tobie Matthew ordered to depart the realm. Harry Constable [aged 46] and Rich. Carey committed to prison. A marriage and masque at Court, and presents to the bride [[his wife] Lady Eliz. Ratcliffe]. The King gave them a pension of £600 a year, and wished the bridegroom [Visct. Haddington [aged 28]] as much happiness as he himself had, the day he delivered him from the Gowrie conspiracy. Progress of the treaty of peace between Flanders and Holland. The Pope has commanded Sir Rob. Dudley [aged 33] to forsake his mistress [aged 24], &c.
On 6th December 1618 [his wife] Elizabeth Radclyffe Viscountess Haddington died of smallpox. She was buried at New Hall, Essex.
On 22nd January 1621 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness [aged 41] was created 1st Earl Holderness by King James I [aged 54].
Autobiography Simon D'Ewes. 25th August 1622. On Sunday, the 25th day of this month, preached one Mr. Claydon, (minister of Hackney, near London,) at St. Paul's Cross [Map]; and cited a story out of our Chronicles, of a Spanish sheep, brought into England in Edward the First's time, which infected most of the sheep of England with a murrain, and prayed God no more such sheep might be brought over from thence hither; at which many of his bearers cried out "Amen." So much generally did all men fear that Prince Charles should marry1 the King of Spain's [aged 17] sister [aged 16], as they ever hated that nation. He lay awhile in prison for his sermon, but was soon after set at liberty by the mediation of Sir John Ramsey [aged 42], Knt., a Scotchman, Earl of Holderness, whose chaplain he was.
Note 1. In MS. Egerton 783, is a curious paper, entitled "A Private Consideration of the intended Marriage between Charles, Prince of Woles, and Mary of Austria, Daughter of the late Phillip the Third king of Spain."It commences as follows: - "The House of Parliament should once have been blown up, and now is supposed to be broken up for the averseness of the Commons to the Spanish match, for expressing their fears of danger and loss to the kingdom, both daily confirmed and increased by the acquires of the King of Spain, and prooeedings of the Spanish action; by our treative complements with Spain, and for protesting to preserve their rights and privileges." The proposed articles of marriage are given in the same volume.
Around 1624 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness [aged 44] and Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Holderness. The difference in their ages was 25 years. She the daughter of William Cockayne [aged 63] and Mary Morris Countess Dover [aged 59].
In January 1626 John Ramsay 1st Earl Holderness [aged 46] died. Earl Holderness and Viscount Haddington extinct.
On 18th April 1627 Montagu Bertie 2nd Earl Lindsey [aged 19] and [his former wife] Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness [aged 22] were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] William Cockayne and [his former mother-in-law] Mary Morris Countess Dover [aged 62]. He the son of Robert Bertie 1st Earl Lindsey [aged 44] and Elizabeth Montagu Countess Lindsey.
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 format.
In July 1641 [his former wife] Martha Cockayne Countess Holderness [aged 36] died.