Mary Beale aka Cradock. Portrait of Anne Robinson aka Sotheby.
Anne Robinson: Before 1668 James Sotheby of Hackney and Sewardstone and she were married.
Mary Beale aka Cradock. Portrait of Mary Lorymer Lady Sadleir.
Mary Lorymer Lady Sadleir: she was born to John Lorymer. Before 12th October 1684 William Croone and Mary Lorymer were married. After 12th October 1684 Edwyn Sadleir 2nd Baronet and Mary Lorymer were married. She by marriage Lady Sadleir of Temple Disney in Hertfordshire.
Before 26th March 1633, the date she was baptised by her father at Barrow, Suffolk, Mary Beale aka Cradock was born to John Cradock and Dorothy Brunton at The Rectory, Barrow. She was baptised by her father at All Saints Church.
Around 1650 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 16] (attributed). Portrait of Frances Altham Countess Carbery [aged 29] Probably painted posthumously..
Frances Altham Countess Carbery: Around 1621 she was born to James Altham of Oxhey. On 8th August 1637 Richard Vaughan 2nd Earl Carbery and she were married at Acton. She by marriage Countess Carbery. The difference in their ages was 21 years. He the son of John Vaughan 1st Earl Carbery and Margaret Meyrick. On 9th October 1650 Frances Altham Countess Carbery died in childbirth.
On 8th March 1652 Charles Beale [aged 20] and Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 18] were married.
In 1659 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 25] (attributed). Portrait of Anna Maria Brudenell Countess Shrewsbury and Waterford [aged 16].
In 1665 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 31]. Portrait of Thomas Fanshawe 1st Viscount Fanshawe [aged 69].
Around 1666 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 32]. Portrait of her husband Charles Beale [aged 34].
In 1670 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 36]. Portrait of Courtenay Pole 2nd Baronet [aged 51].
Courtenay Pole 2nd Baronet: In 1619 he was born to John Pole 1st Baronet. Before 1649 Courtenay Pole 2nd Baronet and Urith Shapcote Lady Pole were married. On 16th April 1658 John Pole 1st Baronet died. He was buried in St Andrew's Church Colyton, Devon. His son Courtenay succeeded 2nd Baronet Pole of Shute House in Devon. Urith Shapcote Lady Pole by marriage Lady Pole of Shute House in Devon. Before 13th April 1695 Courtenay Pole 2nd Baronet died. He was buried in Shute, Devon. His son John succeeded 3rd Baronet Pole of Shute House in Devon. Anne Morice Lady Pole by marriage Lady Pole of Shute House in Devon.
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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Around 1673 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 39]. Portrait of either Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Bridgewater or Elizabeth Ravenscroft. Tatton Park, Cheshire.
Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Bridgewater: In 1627 she was born to William Cavendish 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne and Elizabeth Bassett Countess Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1641 John Egerton 2nd Earl Bridgewater and she were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish 1st Duke Newcastle upon Tyne and Elizabeth Bassett Countess Newcastle upon Tyne. He the son of John Egerton 1st Earl Bridgewater and Frances Stanley Countess Bridgewater. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry VII of England and Ireland. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Edward IV of England. On 14th June 1663 Elizabeth Cavendish Countess Bridgewater died. She is commemorated on the Great Monument at St Peter and St Paul Church, Little Gaddesden on which is the inscription: "To the sacred memory of the late transcendently vertuous Lady, now glorious Saint, the Right Honourable Elizabeth Countesse of Bridgewater. She was second daughter to the Right Honourable William Marquesse of Newcastte, &c. and wife to the Right Honourable John Earle of Bridgewater, &c. and whose family she hath enriched with a hopeful issue, six sonnes, viz. John Viscount Brackley her eldest, Sir William Egerton second sonne, both Knights of the honourable Order of the Bath, Mr. Thomas Egerton her third, Mr. Charles Egerton her fourth, Mr. Henry Egerton her fifth, Mr. Steward Egerton her sixth sonne, and three daughters, viz. Mrs. Frances Egerton her eldest, the Lady Elizabeth Egerton her second, and the Lady Katherine Egerton her third daughter; of all which children, three, viz. Mr. Henry Egerton her fifth sonne, Mrs. Frances Egerton, her eldest, and the Lady Katherine Egerton her third daughter, lye here interred, dying in their infancy; the rest are still the living pictures of their deceased mother, and the only remaining comforts of their disconsolate father. She was a Lady in whom all the accomplishments both of body and mind did concurre to make her the glory of the present, and example of future ages. Her beauty was so unparallelled, that it is as much beyond the art of the most elegant pen, as it surpassed the skill of several of the most exquisite pencills (that attempted it) to describe, and not to disparage it. She had a winning and attractive behaviour, a charming discourse, a most obliging conversation: she was so courteous and affable to all persons, that she gained their love; yet, not so familiar to expose herselfe to contempt: she was of a noble and generous soule), yet, of so meeke and humble a disposition, that never any woman, of her quality, was greater in the world's opinion, and lesse in her owne: the rich at her table daily tasted her hospitality; the poore at her gate her charity: her devotion was most exemplary, if not inimitable; witnesse (besides several other occasional! meditations and prayers, full of all the holy transports and raptures of a sanctifyed soule), her divine meditations upon every partictular chapter in the Bible, written with her owne hand, and never (till since her death), seene by any eye but her owne, and her then dear but now sorrowful husband, to the admiration both, of her eminent piety in composing and of her modesty in concealing them. She was a most affectionate and observant wife to her husband, a most tender and indulgent mother to her children, a most kind and bountifull mistresse to her family. In a word, she was so superlatively good, that language is too narrow to expresse her deserved character: 11er death was as religious as her life was vertuous. On the 14th day of June, in the yeare of our Lord 1663; of her own age the 37th, she exchanged her earthly coronet for an heavenly crowne. Prov. xxxi; 28, 29. Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."
Elizabeth Ravenscroft: Around 1544 she was born to Thomas Ravenscroft of Bretton and Katherine Grosvenor in Bretton. In 1576 Thomas Egerton 1st Viscount Brackley and she were married. In 1588 Elizabeth Ravenscroft died in Dodleston, Cheshire [Map].
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Lady Norwich. Probably Jane Bickerton Duchess Norfolk [aged 32] who married the Duke around 1675 being his mistress prior to their marriage.
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Lady Norwich. Probably Mary Maitland Marchioness Tweddale.
Mary Maitland Marchioness Tweddale: she was born to John Maitland 1st Duke Lauderdale and Anne Home . In 1666 John Hay 2nd Marquess Tweeddale and she were married. She the daughter of John Maitland 1st Duke Lauderdale and Anne Home. He the son of John Hay 1st Marquess Tweeddale and Jean Scott Marchioness Tweddale. On 11th August 1697 John Hay 1st Marquess Tweeddale died at Edinburgh. His son John succeeded 2nd Marquess Tweeddale, 3rd Earl Tweeddale. She by marriage Marchioness Tweeddale.
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Jane Tomlinson Lady Twysden.
Jane Tomlinson Lady Twysden: she was born to John Tomlinson of St Michael's-le-Belfry in York and Eleanor Dosworth. In or before 12th October 1640 Thomas Twisden 1st Baronet and she were married.
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Margaret Twysden [aged 28].
Margaret Twysden: Around 1647 she was born to Thomas Twisden 1st Baronet and Jane Tomlinson Lady Twysden. In or before 1685 Thomas Style 2nd Baronet and she were married. The difference in their ages was 23 years. On 5th December 1718 Margaret Twysden died.
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Bishop Gilbert Burnet [aged 31].
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Portrait of Thomas Coventry 1st Earl Coventry [aged 46].
Around 1675 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 41]. Self-Portrait.
In 1676 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 42] (attributed). Portrait of Henry Cavendish 2nd Duke Newcastle upon Tyne [aged 45] wearing the his Garter Collar.
Around 1678 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 44]. Portrait of George Savile 1st Marquess Halifax [aged 44].
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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Before 17th July 1678 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 45]. Portrait of William Pierrepont of Thoresby [aged 70].
Around 1680 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 46]. Portrait of Elizabeth Percy Duchess Somerset [aged 12] as Madonna and Child.Petworth House.
1680. Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 46]. Portrait of William Croone [aged 46].
Around 1680 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 46]. Portrait of Bishop Edward Stillingfleet [aged 44] when Dean of St Pauls.
Around 1680 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 46]. Portrait of her husband Charles Beale [aged 48].
In 1680 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 46]. Portrait of William Anson [aged 24]. Shugborough Hall.
William Anson: In 1656 he was born. Before August 1720 he and Isabella Carrier were married by which he became the brother-in-law to her sister's husband Thomas Parker 1st Earl Macclesfield. In August 1720 he died.
Between 1683 and 1688. Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 49]. Portrait of Bishop Francis Turner [aged 45].
Before 23rd June 1686 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 53]. Portrait of William Coventry [aged 58].
In 1687 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 53]. Portrait of Edwyn Sadleir 2nd Baronet [aged 31].
Edwyn Sadleir 2nd Baronet: Around 1656 he was born to Edwyn Sadlier 1st Baronet. In 1672 Edwyn Sadlier 1st Baronet died. His son Edwyn succeeded 2nd Baronet Sadleir of Temple Disney in Hertfordshire. On 4th July 1719 he died without issue. Baronet Sadleir of Temple Disney in Hertfordshire extinct.
Before 14th November 1687 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 54]. Portrait of Frances Pierrepont Duchess Newcastle upon Tyne [aged 57].
Before 14th November 1687 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 54] (attributed). Portrait of Nell Gwyn [aged 37].
In 1688 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 54]. Portrait of Thomas Sydenham "Father of English Medicine" [aged 63].
Thomas Sydenham "Father of English Medicine": On 10th September 1624 he was born to William Sydenham of Wynford Eagle in Dorset and Mary Jeffrey in Wynford Eagle, Dorset. On 29th December 1689 he died at his house in Pall Mall [Map]. He was buried in St James' Church, Piccadilly.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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Before 30th August 1689 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 56]. Portrait of John Lake [aged 65] Bishop Sodor and Man.
Before 29th December 1689 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 56]. Portrait of Thomas Sydenham "Father of English Medicine" [aged 65].
Around 1690 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 56] (attributed). Portrait of Bishop Edward Stillingfleet [aged 54].
Around 1690 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 56]. Portrait of Thomas Fanshawe [aged 62].
1694. Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 60] (possibly). Portrait of Bishop James Gardiner [aged 57].
Before 5th April 1695 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 62]. Portrait of William Russell 7th Baronet.
William Russell 7th Baronet: Around 1726 he was born to Francis Russell 6th Baronet. Around 1750 Francis Russell 6th Baronet died. His son William succeeded 7th Baronet Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire. On 16th January 1758 William Russell 7th Baronet died. His second cousin John succeeded 8th Baronet Russell of Chippenham in Wiltshire.
Before 5th April 1695 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 62] (attributed). Portrait of Sophia Mordaunt.
Sophia Mordaunt: she was born to John Mordaunt 1st Earl Peterborough and Elizabeth Howard Countess Peterborough. Before 1707 James Hamilton of Bangor in County Down and she were married. She the daughter of John Mordaunt 1st Earl Peterborough and Elizabeth Howard Countess Peterborough.
Before 5th April 1695 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 62]. Portrait of Christian Hill.
Christian Hill: she was born to Richard Hill. Around 1681 Admiral John Leake and she were married. On 9th December 1709 she died.
Around 5th April 1695 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 62]. Portrait of Mary Morice Lady Carew [aged 24].
Mary Morice Lady Carew: In or before 1671 she was born to William Morice 1st Baronet and Gertrude Bampfylde Lady Morice. On 5th July 1681 John Carew 3rd Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Carew of Antony in Cornwall. The difference in their ages was 35 years. Around June 1698 Mary Morice Lady Carew died.
Before 8th October 1699 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 66]. Portrait of Elizabeth Carey Baroness Savile.
Elizabeth Carey Baroness Savile: In 1570 she was born to Edward Carey and Catherine Knyvet Baroness Geneville Beaudasert. On 20th November 1586 John Savile 1st Baron Savile and she were married. They were half third cousin once removed. On 21st July 1628 John Savile 1st Baron Savile was created 1st Baron Savile of Pomfret. She by marriage Baroness Savile of Pomfret. On 22nd June 1634 Elizabeth Carey Baroness Savile died.
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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Before 8th October 1699 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 66]. Portrait of Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt [aged 36].
Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt: On 29th March 1663 he was born to John Mordaunt 1st Viscount Mordaunt and Elizabeth Carey Viscountess Mordaunt at Parsons Green Farm, Middlesex. On 22nd July 1706 Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt and Margaret Spencer were married. They were fourth cousins. Before 4th January 1720 Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt and Penelope Tipping were married. On 4th January 1720 Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt died.
Before 8th October 1699 Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 66]. Portrait of Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton [aged 77].
Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton: On 6th October 1622 she was born to Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset and Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke. In 1647 James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton and she were married. She by marriage Countess of Northampton. She the daughter of Richard Sackville 3rd Earl Dorset and Anne Clifford Countess Dorset and Pembroke. He the son of Spencer Compton 2nd Earl of Northampton and Mary Beaumont Countess of Northampton. They were half fourth cousins. On 22nd August 1719 Isabella Sackville Countess Northampton died at Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire [Map].
Before 8th October 1699, the date she was buried at St James' Church, Piccadilly under the communion table, Mary Beale aka Cradock [aged 66] died at her house in Pall Mall [Map].
In 1705 [her former husband] Charles Beale [aged 73] died.