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.'
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Paternal Family Tree: Farquhar
In 1729 [his father] Robert Farquhar [aged 30] and [his mother] Katherine Turing [aged 17] were married.
In October 1738 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet was born to [his father] Robert Farquhar [aged 39] and [his mother] Katherine Turing [aged 27] at Chapel of Garioch, Aberdeenshire.
Before 27th June 1755 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 16] and Anne Stevenson were married.
In 1760 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 21] joined the 19th Regiment of Foot as a surgeon.
On 27th June 1775 [his son] Thomas Harvie Farquhar 2nd Baronet was born to Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 36].
On 14th October 1776 [his son] Robert Farquhar was born to Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 38] and [his wife] Anne Stevenson. He married 10th January 1809 Maria Frances Geslip de Lautour and had issue.
From 1786 to 1792 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 47] was shown as mortgagee-in-possession of Retreat Pen in St Ann, and from 1785-1790 of Great River in St James. Retreat and Great River were shown in this period as the property of the heirs of William Harvey; the will (proved in 1786) of Elizabeth Harvie, almost certainly the widow of Alexander Harvie the brother of William Harvie, described Walter Farquhar surgeon as her 'brother-in-law' and acknowledged the debt she owed him. Sir Walter Farquhar's wife was Anne Stevenson, from a Barbadian family, whose first husband had been 'Dr Harvie a physician'.
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.
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On 4th February 1787 [his father] Robert Farquhar [aged 88] died. He was buried at Blairdaff and Chapel of Garioch Church [Map] on 9th February 1787.
Caledonian Mercury - Thursday 15 February 1787, p 3: Extract of a letter from Aberdeen, Feb 13. "On Sunday, the 4th instant, died at Manse of chapel of Garioch, the Rev. Mr Robert Farquhar, minister of that parish, in the 88th year of his age and 51st of his ministry."
Around 1790 . Henry Raeburn [aged 33]. Portrait of Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 51].
1792 Retreat Pen, St Ann. Number of enslaved people: 57. Owned by Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 53].
On 23rd September 1793 [his wife] Anne Stevenson died.
Around 1796 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 57] was appointed Physician-in-Ordinary to the Prince of Wales [aged 33].
The London Gazette 13868. Whitehall, February 20 [1796]. The King has been pleased to confer the Dignity of a Baronet of the Kingdom of Great Britain upon Walter Farquhar [aged 57], Esq; of London, Doctor in Physic, and to the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten [Baronet Farquhar of Cadogan House in Middlesex].
On 7th November 1798 [his mother] Katherine Turing [aged 87] died. She was buried at Blairdaff and Chapel of Garioch Church [Map].
Aberdeen Press and Journal - Monday 19 November 1798, p 4: On the 7th current, died here, in the 88th year of her age, Mrs Katherine Turing, widow of the Rev. Mr Robert Farquhar, late minister at Chapel of Garioch.
On 10th January 1809 [his son] Robert Townsend Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 32] and [his daughter-in-law] Maria Frances Geslip de Lautour were married.
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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On 30th March 1819 Walter Farquhar 1st Baronet [aged 80] died. He was buried at St Martin in the Fields Church [Map]. His son Thomas [aged 43] succeeded 2nd Baronet Farquhar of Cadogan House in Middlesex.
Father: Robert Farquhar
GrandFather: Reverend Walter Turing
Mother: Katherine Turing