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All About History Books
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.
Fifeshire is in Scotland.
On 16th June 1733 Frances Douglas was born to James Douglas 14th Earl Morton (age 31) and Agatha Halyburton at Aberdour.
On 1st April 1737 David Martin was born at Anstruther Easter.
In 1725 John "Pawky Scott" Scott was born at Balcomie.
In 1506 James Stewart of Beath was born to Andrew Stewart 1st Lord Avondale (age 35) and Margaret Kennedy Lady Avondale (age 33) at Beath.
In 1646 Ralph Dutton (age 71) died at Burnt Island.
On 20th October 1867 Millicent Fanny St Clair-Erskine Duchess of Sutherland was born to Robert St Clair-Erskine 4th Earl of Rosslyn (age 34) and Blanche Adeliza Fitzroy (age 28) at Dysart House.
Around 1575 Margaret Forrester was born to Thomas Forrester of Strathendry in Fife.
On 12th February 1233 Ermengarde Beaumont Sarthe Queen Consort Scotland (age 63) died. She was buried at Balmerino Abbey. Her brother Raoul (age 61) succeeded I Viscount of Beaumont le Vicomte.
On 14th December 1542 King James V of Scotland (age 30) died at Falkland Palace [Map]. His daughter Mary succeeded I Queen Scotland. She was six days old.
In 16th June 1686 John Campbell 4th Baronet (age 79) died in Falkland Palace [Map].
On 6th August 1332 a Scottish army led by Duncan Fife 4th Earl Fife (age 44) and Robert Bruce Lord of Liddesdale unsuccessfully attempted to oppose the forces of King Edward I of Scotland (age 49) landing near Kinghorn, Fife at a skirmish known as the Battle of Wester Kinghorn. Alexander Seton the Younger (age 42) was killed.
In May 1544 Nicholas Poyntz (age 34) sent by the Edward Seymour 1st Duke of Somerset (age 44) to burn at Kinghorn, Fife.
All About History Books
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.
Tudor Tracts Chapter 4. Tueday the 13th of September [1547]. Certain of our small vessels burnt Kinghorn, and a town or two more standing on the north side of the Frith, against Leith.
In the afternoon, my Lord's Grace rowed up the Frith a six or seven miles westward, as it runneth into the land; and took in his way an island there, called Saint Colms Ins [Inchcolm] which standeth a four mile beyond Leith, and a good way nearer the north shore than the south: yet not within a mile, of the nearest. It is but half a mile about; and hath in it a pretty Abbey (but the monks were gone), fresh water enough, and also conies [rabbits]; and is is so naturally strong as but by one way it can be entered.
My Lord's Grace considering the plot whereof, did quickly cast to have it kept: whereby all traffic of merchandise, all commodities else coming by the Frith into their land; and utterly the whole use of the Frith itself, with all the havens upon it, should quite be taken from them.
In 1774 George Sanders was born at Kinghorn, Fife.
In 1600 John Leslie 6th Earl Rothes was born to James Leslie Master of Rothes (age 51) at Leslie.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 3rd May 1667. Then to the office, and did some business, and then my wife being pretty well, by coach to little Michell's, and there saw my poor Betty and her little child, which slept so soundly we could hardly wake it in an hour's time without hurting it, and they tell me what I did not know, that a child (as this do) will hunt and hunt up and down with its mouth if you touch the cheek of it with your finger's end for a nipple, and fit its mouth for sucking, but this hath not sucked yet, she having no nipples. Here sat a while, and then my wife and I, it being a most curious clear evening, after some rain to-day, took a most excellent tour by coach to Bow, and there drank and back again, and so a little at the office, and home to read a little, and to supper and bed mightily refreshed with this evening's tour, but troubled that it hath hindered my doing some business which I would have done at the office. This day the newes is come that the fleete of the Dutch, of about 20 ships, which come upon our coasts upon design to have intercepted our colliers, but by good luck failed, is gone to the Frith1, and there lies, perhaps to trouble the Scotch privateers, which have galled them of late very much, it may be more than all our last year's fleete.
Note 1. Firth of Forth. See 5th of this month.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 5th May 1667. This day Sir W. Coventry (age 39) tells me the Dutch fleete shot some shot, four or five hundred, into Burnt-Island in the Frith, but without any hurt; and so are gone.
Tudor Tracts Chapter 3. That night, the whole fleet came to an anchor, under the island called Inchkeith [Map], three miles from the haven of Leith. The place where we anchored hath, of long time, been called the English road: the Scots now take the same to be a prophesy of the thing which has now happened.
In 1459 William Sinclair 2nd Earl Caithness was born to William Sinclair 3rd Earl Orkney 1st Earl Caithness (age 49) and Marjory Sutherland Countess Orkney and Caithness at Ravenscraig Castle.
John of Fordun's Chronicle. 110. The Estates of Scotland make their submission to the King of England
The same year, after the whole Estates of Scotland had made their submission to the king of England, John Comyn, then guardian, and all the magnates but William Wallace, little by little, one after another, made their submission unto him; and all their castles and towns - except Strivelyn Castle [Map], and the warden thereof - were surrendered unto him. That year, the king kept Lent at Saint Andrews [Map], where he called together all the great men of the kingdom, and held his parliament; and he made such decrees as he would, according to the state of the country - which, as he thought, had been gotten and won for him and his successors for ever - as well as about the dwellers therein.
Queen Mary's House, 4 South Street [Map] was built originally in 1523, and considerably reconstructed in the 17th century. It is believed that Queen Mary lived in this house when she visited St Andrews.
From 4th July 1650 to the 6th, the future King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 20) stayed at Queen Mary's House, 4 South Street [Map].
All About History Books
The 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.
The Dundee Evening Telegraph 17/07/1900:
SCOTTISH RESIDENTS IN PEKIN.
As has previously been mentioned, Mr Nigel Oliphant and Mr David Oliphant, sons of Mr T. T. Oliphant, Queen Mary's, Andrews, were amongst the residents in Pekin. Both are natives of St Andrews, having been born at St. Mary's, an ancient house at the east end of South Street [Queen Mary's House, 4 South Street [Map]], where the unfortunate Queen is believed to have lodged during one or more of her visits to St Andrews, and which her grandson Charles II, occupied when he was there in July 1650.
Mr Nigel Oliphant was born in December 1874 and at one time intended to adopt the medical profession, but eventually in the spring of last year, having been offered an appointment in the Chinese postal Department by Sir Robert Hart, he proceeded to Tientsin. Here he remained until the end of May this year, when he was appointed to a post in the Imperial Bank of China at Pekin and went there only a few days before the place was isolated.
Mr David Oliphant (deceased) was born in July 1876 and after leaving school spent two winter sessions at the University of St Andrews and the summers in France and Germany. In 1895 he went to reside with Principal Gurney, of the Durham College of Science at Newcastle upon Tyne under whose able tuition he was prepared for open competitive examinations for student interpreterships in the Far East, and Her Majesty's Consular Service in China, Japan and Siam being supplied in this way. In March 1896 he went in for the examination and came out fifth on the list and was offered one of the vacancies in Siam, but declined it and went in again at the next examination in November and came out second on the list of a large number of candidate and only a few marks behind the first. Having chosen China for his future career, he proceeded to Pekin early in 1897 and had since greatly distinguished himself in acquiring the most difficult of all languages. At the end of his first year he took the prize of £50 open to the students of his year and that of £100 at the end of the second year. In ordinary course he would then have gone as a Consular Assistant at one of the treaty ports but Sir Claude Macdonald decided to keep him in Pekin do that he might continue his studies in Chinese. He was accordingly appointed to an assistantship in the chancery of the Legation, and when Sir Claude was at home on sick leave last year Mr David Oliphant acted as Private Secretary to Mr Bax Ironside, the Charge D'Affaires in Sir Claude's place. While thus acting he accompanied Mr Ironside on an official visit to Wei-Hai-Wei, where the Admiral, Sir Edward Seymour, then was with a great part of the Chinese Squadron. Early in the present year Mr Oliphant was, on the special recommendation of Sir Claude Macdonald, promoted to be a full second class assistant in the Consular service but was kept on in the chancery office of the Legation.
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Before 18th May 1425 Murdoch Stewart 2nd Duke Albany (age 63) and his younger son Alexander Stewart were arrested and confined in St Andrew's Castle then moved to Caerlaverock Castle [Map]. His wife was arrested at the family's home of Doune Castle and imprisoned at Tantallon Castle.
Murdoch's son James "Fat aka Seamas Mòr" Stewart led the men of Lennox and Argyll in open rebellion against the crown. He attacked and burned the burgh of Dumbarton with much loss of life.
In July 1679 David Wemyss 2nd Earl of Wemyss (age 68) died at Wemyss Castle. His daughter Margaret (age 20) succeeded 3rd Countess Wemyss. James Wemyss 1st Lord Burntisland (age 22) by marriage Earl Wemyss.
On 12th August 1721 David Wemyss de jure 6th Earl of Wemyss was born to James Wemyss 5th Earl of Wemyss (age 21) and Janet Charteris at Wemyss Castle.
On 21st October 1723 Francis Charteris de jure 7th Earl of Wemyss was born to James Wemyss 5th Earl of Wemyss (age 24) and Janet Charteris at Wemyss Castle.
