Before 5th December 1623 [his father] John Gape of Fishpool Street, St Albans and [his mother] Joan Marston were married.
On 5th December 1623 John Gape was born to John Gape of Fishpool Street, St Albans and Joan Marston. His father was a tanner.
On 9th April 1646 John Gape [aged 22] and Ann Oxton were married.
In 1655 John Gape [aged 31] was appointed Alderman of St Albans.
In 1658 John Gape [aged 34] was appointed Mayor of St Albans.
In 1676 John Gape [aged 52] purchased Harpsfield Hall. He and his son, known as John Gape the younger, purchased other properties in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, and may be said to have reached the highwater mark of prosperity in the fortunes of the family.
In 1679 John Gape [aged 55] was elected MP St Albans.
On 31st December 1682 [his wife] Ann Oxton died.
In 1684 John Gape [aged 60] was granted arms, contributed to the restoration of the Abbey church and became a governor of the local grammar school.
In 1696 John Gape [aged 72] was appointed High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.
In 1697 John Gape [aged 73] was appointed Justice of the Peace Hertfordshire.
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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St Alban's Shrine, St Albans Cathedral. Ledger stone of John Gape [aged 79], died 20th April 1703, and his wife Ann, died 31st December 1682.
Ann Oxton: she was born to Thomas Oxton of St Albans. On 9th April 1646 John Gape and she were married. On 31st December 1682 she died.
father: John Gape of Fishpool Street, St Albans
Grandfather: Giles Marston of Hillend
mother: Joan Marston