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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Bishop James Gardiner 1637-1705

In 1637 Bishop James Gardiner was born to Adrian Gardiner of Nottingham.

In 1649 Bishop James Gardiner [aged 12] entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, being awarded B.A. 1652–3, M.A. 1656, and D.D. 1669.

Before June 1685 Bishop James Gardiner [aged 48] and Susan Unknown were married.

In June 1685 [his daughter] Jane Gardiner was born to Bishop James Gardiner [aged 48] and [his wife] Susan Unknown.

1694. Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 60] (possibly). Portrait of Bishop James Gardiner [aged 57].

On 10th March 1695 Bishop James Gardiner [aged 58] was consecrated Bishop of Lincoln by Archbishop Thomas Tenison [aged 58] [who had formerly been Bishop of Lincoln before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury].

Before 1st March 1705 [his wife] Susan Unknown died.

On 1st March 1705 Bishop James Gardiner [aged 68] died. He was buried at Lincoln Cathedral [Map].