Blackheath, Greenwich is in Greenwich, Kent [Map].
Around June 1381 John Ball [aged 43] was released from Maidstone Prison by the Kentish rebels. He then preached to the rebels at Blackheath, Greenwich [Map]: "When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty". When the rebels had dispersed, Ball was taken prisoner at Coventry, Warwickshire [Map], given a trial in which, unlike most, he was permitted to speak.
Chronicle of Gregory. 15th June 1415. Al so the same year the kyng [aged 28] toke his jornay and wagyd10 in to Normandy; and the xv day of Juny the kyng roode thorowe London11 whithe sherevys, aldermen, and alle the comeners brought the King at Blacke Hethe [Map]; and there the mayre ande alle his aldermen with alle the comyns toke there leve of [th]e King, and the kyng bade the mayre goo home and kepe welle his chambyr in his absens, and [yave hym]12 Crystysse blessyng and hys, and he said "Cryste save London."
Note 10. So in MS., but apparently a transcriber's error for "viagyd."
Note 11. So in MS.; but doubtless we should supply here, as the beginning of a new sentence, "And the mayor."
Note 12. Omitted in our MS., but supplied from Vit. A. xvi.
Chronicle of Gregory. April 1450. Ande aftyr that the comyns of Kent a rosse with certayne othyr schyrys, and they chesse them a captayne, the whyche captayne compellyd alle the gentellys to a-rysse why the hem. Ande at the ende of the Parlyment they come whythe a grete might and a strong oste unto the Blackehethe [Map], be syde Grene wyche, the nomber of xlvj M [46000]; and there they made a fylde, dykyd and stakyde welle a-bowt, as it ben in the londe of warre, save only they kept ordyr among them, for als goode was Jacke Robyn as John at the Noke, for alle were as hyghe as pygysfete, unto the tyme that they shulde common and speke with suche statys and massyngerys as were sende unto hem; thenne they put alle her pouer unto the man that namyd him captayne of alle her oste. And there they a-bode certayne days too the comyng of the King [aged 28] fro the Parlymentte at Leyceter. Ande thenne the kyng send unto the captayne dyvers lordys bothe spyrytualle and temporalle, to wytte and to have knowleche of that grette assembelynge and gaderyng of that grete a[n]d mysavysyd feleschyppe. The captayne of them sendyng worde agayne unto the King, that it was for the wele of him our sovereign lorde, and of alle the realme, and for to dystrye the traytours beyng a-boute hym, whythe othyr dyvers poyntys that they wolde see that it were in schorte tyme a-mendyde. Uppon whyche answere that the kyng, a thedyr sent by his lordys, dyd make a crye in the kyngys name of Engelonde that alle the kyngys lege men of Engelonde shulde a-voyde the fylde. And a-pon the nyght aftyr they were alle voydyd and a-goo.
Chronicle of Gregory. 1st July 1450. Ande aftyr that, uppon the first day of Juylle, the same captayne come agayne, as the Kenttysche men said, but it was a-nothyr that namyd hymselfe the captayne, and he come to the Blacke Hethe [Map]. And uppon the morowe he come whythe a grette hoste yn to Sowtheworke [Map], and at the Whythe Herte he toke his loggynge.
On 16th June 1497 the rebel army reached Blackheath, Greenwich [Map] where they expected to be met by an army of Kent rebels. No uprising had taken place in Kent in their support. Contrarily, Kent forces had mobilised for the King under George Grey 2nd Earl Kent [aged 43]. In view of this thousands deserted overnight.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 17th June 1497. This yeare was Blackheath [Map] feild in June.e The Lord Awdley [aged 34] chiefe capteyn with 30,000 Cornishe men. The capteynes put to death,f.
Note e. June 22nd. [This is a mistake. The battle was fought on the 17th June 1497]
Note f. Lord Audley was beheaded at Tower Hill [Map]; Flammock, an attorney, and Michel Joseph, a blacksmith, were hanged at Tyburn [Map]; all the rest were pardoned by proclamation.
Wriothesley's Chronicle [1508-1562]. 29th July 1518. aThis yeare, on a Thursday, the 29th day of Julie, a legat [aged 43]b came from the Pope, and was receaved into London at after-noone. And there receaved him at the Black Heath [Map] the Bishop of Dunham [aged 46], Bishop of Ely, the Duke of Northfolke [aged 45],c with divers other great lordes and knightes, and all the orders of friers, channons, moncks of Stratforde and Tower Hill, with all parsons and priestes of all the parishe churches in London, stoode all in coopes with crosses, candlestickes, and sensors, from St. Georges barre in Southwark to Leaden Hall comer. And ever as the legatt passed by them they sensed him; and so was he receaved thorowe the Cittie; he havinge borne before him 2 pillers of sylver and guylt, and he himselfe ridinge in redd chamlett,d with his cardinalls hatt on his heade, and the Major and Aldermen, with all the crafts of the Cittie, standinge in Cheepe-syde in their best liveries. And when he came before the Major and Aldermen yonge Mr. More [aged 40] made there to him a proposition for the Cittie,e and so he rode thorowe Paules Churche yeard. And when he came at the west dore of Powles the Bishop of London,f with all Powles quier, receaved him with procession in copes of cloth of golde, and a riche canopie of cloth of golde borne over his heade, and so brought him to the highe alter, where he saide his devotions and offered; and that done, he rode to the Bishopp of Bathes place at Temple barre, which was prepared for him, and so there remayned.
Note a. This is the first instance in which onr Chronicler gires a nrach fuller account of the proceedings than is to be found in Arnold's Chronicle, which ends in the jear following.
Note b. Cardinal Campeggio, called also Laurence Campeins.
Note c. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, had the title of Duke of Norfolk restored to him for the great victory gained by him at Flodden, 1513, Sept 9.
Note d. Whilst delaying at Calais for the return of the papal bull Wolsey [aged 45]s had snpplied him with red cloth to clothe his servants, who, at their first coming, were but meanly apparelled. Hall, ed. 1809, p. 692.
Note e. Sir Thomas More made a brief oration to him in the name of the City. — Hall's Chronicle, cd. 1809, p. 693.
Note f. Richard Fitz-James.
On 3rd January 1540 Anne of Cleves [aged 24] arrived at Blackheath, Greenwich [Map]. Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 23] carried the Sword of State. William Holles [aged 69], Charles Brandon 1st Duke of Suffolk [aged 56], Robert Radclyffe 1st Earl of Sussex [aged 57], John de Vere 15th Earl of Oxford [aged 69], John de Vere 16th Earl of Oxford [aged 24], Bishop Robert Parfew aka Warton and Catherine Willoughby Duchess Suffolk [aged 20] were present.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 6th July 1551. The vj day of July the Kynges [aged 13] grace rod thrugh Grenwyche parke [Map] unto Blake heth [Map], and my lord of Darbe [aged 42], and my lord of Warwyke [aged 47], and my lord admerall Clyntun [aged 39], and sir Wylliam Harbard [aged 50], and odur lordes and knyghts and gentyllmen, and trumpeters playhyng, and alle the gardes in ther dobelets and ther hosse, with bowes and arowes and halbards ij and ij to-gether, and the Kynges grace in the myds on horsse-bake, and ther the Kynges grace ran at the ryng on Blake heth with lordes and knyghtes. [The earl of Warwick met the King there with a hundred men of arms, and great horses, and gentlemen] in clothe, and brodered the alffe, and the same night the Kyng suppyd at Depforth [Map] in a shype with my lord Admyral, [and the lords] of the conselle, and with many gentylmen.
Note. The king supped at Deptford. Machyn has dated this event two days too late. It is thus recorded in the king's own diary: "4. I was banketted by the lord Clinton at Detford, where I saw the Primrose and the Marie Willoughby launched."
Henry Machyn's Diary. 12th May 1552. The xij day of May the Kynges [aged 14] grace [rode through] Grenwyche Parke [Map] unto Blake-heth [Map], with ys ga[rd with bows] and arowes, and in ther jerkenes and dobeletes. [The King's] grase ran at the ryng, and odur lordes and kn [yghts.]
Henry Machyn's Diary. 29th January 1554. The xxix day of January master Wyatt [aged 33], master Harper, master Rudston [aged 39], master Knevett [aged 37], and the commons, commyng [marched to] Blake-heth [Map], and so forward toward London with [a great] army commyng.
John Evelyn's Diary. 10th June 1673. Came to visit and dine with me my Lord Viscount Cornbury [aged 11] and his Lady [aged 10]; Lady Frances Hyde, sister to the Duchess of York; and Mrs. Dorothy Howard [aged 22], Maid of Honour [Note. Dorothy Howard and Colonel James Graham [aged 24] were married in 1675 - may be an example of Evelyn writing his diary retrospectively she being referred to as 'Mrs' although possibly the term was used irrecspective of marriage - see John Evelyn's Diary 9th October 1671]. We went, after dinner, to see the formal and formidable camp on Blackheath, Greenwich [Map], raised to invade Holland; or, as others suspected for another design. Thence, to the Italian glass-house at Greenwich, Kent [Map], where glass was blown of finer metal than that of Murano [Map], at Venice.
John Evelyn's Diary. 26th June 1673. Came visitors from Court to dine with me and see the army still remaining encamped on Blackheath, Greenwich [Map].
John Evelyn's Diary. 1st May 1683. I went to Blackheath [Map], to see the new fair, being the first procured by the Lord Dartmouth [aged 36]. This was the first day, pretended for the sale of cattle, but I think in truth to enrich the new tavern at the bowling-green, erected by Snape [aged 39], his Majesty's [aged 52] farrier, a man full of projects. There appeared nothing but an innumerable assembly of drinking people from London, peddlars, etc., and I suppose it too near London to be of any great use to the country.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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John Evelyn's Diary. 18th July 1685. I went to see the muster of the 6 Scotch and English regiments whom the Prince of Orange [aged 34] had lately sent to his Ma* [aged 51] out of Holland upon this rebellion, but which were now returning, there having ben no occasion for their use. They were all excellently clad and well disciplin'd, and were incamped on Blackheath [Map] with their tents: the King and Queene [aged 46] came to see them exercise, and the manner of their incampment, which was very neate and magnificent. By a grosse mistake of the Secretary of his Ma*'s forces, it had ben order'd that they should be quarter'd in private houses, contrary to an Act of Parliament, but on my informing his Ma* timely of it, It was prevented. The two horsemen wch my son and myselfe sent into the county troopes, were now come home, after a moneth's being out to our greate charge.
John Evelyn's Diary. 16th March 1687. I saw a trial of those devilish, murdering, mischief doing engines called bombs, shot out of the mortar piece on Blackheath [Map]. The distance that they are cast, the destruction they make where they fall, is prodigious.
John Evelyn's Diary. 20th July 1690. This afternoon a camp of about 4,000 men was begun to be formed on Blackheath [Map].
John Evelyn's Diary. 15th August 1690. I was desired to be one of the bail of the Earl of Clarendon, for his release from the Tower [Map], with divers noblemen. The Bishop of St. Asaph [aged 62] expounds his prophecies to me and Mr. Pepys [aged 57], etc. The troops from Blackheath [Map] march to Portsmouth [Map]. That sweet and hopeful youth, Sir Charles Tuke [aged 19], died of the wounds he received in the fight of the Boyne, to the great sorrow of all his friends, being (I think) the last male of that family, to which my wife [aged 55] is related. A more virtuous young gentleman I never knew; he was learned for his age, having had the advantage of the choicest breeding abroad, both as to arts and arms; he had traveled much, but was so unhappy as to fall in the side of his unfortunate King [aged 56].
On 9th March 1812 Archdeacon Andrew Burnaby [aged 79] died at Blackheath, Greenwich [Map]. He was buried at the Church of St John the Baptist Hungarton.
On 29th November 1844 Princess Sophia of Gloucester [aged 71] died at Ranger's House Blackheath, Greenwich. She was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle [Map].
On 11th October 1845 James Henry Hamilton-Gordon was born to George John Hamilton-Gordon 5th Earl Aberdeen [aged 29] and Mary Bailie-Hamilton Countess Aberdeen [aged 31] at the Ranger's House Blackheath, Greenwich.