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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.
William of Worcester Itineraries is in Late Medieval Books.
[22nd May 1455] 169. At the journey of St Albans against the Duke of York, near London, about three miliaria away: the King, John Duke of Norfolk, Humphrey of Buckingham (age 52), Edmund Duke of Somerset (age 49), Henry Duke of Exeter (age 24), Earl Warwick Neville (age 26), John Earl of Shrewsbury (age 37), Earl Salisbury (age 55), Viscount Beaumount (age 45).
Apud le jorney de Wenlyngg1 contra ducem Ebor. prope London per iii. miliaria. Rex, Johannes dux Norff, Humfridus dux Bokyngham, Edmundus dux Somerset, Henricus dux Excestre, Comes Warwici Nevyle, Johannes Comes de Shrewysbery, Comes Sarum, Vicont Beaumont.
Note 1. The place-name may be Intended for "Waecthing[ceaster] i.e. St. Albans. I owe this interesting suggestion to Professor Bruce Dickins.
[3rd February 1461] Of the Battle at Mortimer's Cross
Memorandum that at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, 8 miles [16 m.] from Hereford and 3 miles [4 m.] from Wigmore, [fought] on St. Blaise's day on a Tuesday [1460/1]1 and won by Edward Earl of March, there were slain by judgement and beheaded of prisoners taken from the side of King Henry VI, holding against Edward Earl of March; these esquires taken in the battle against Earl Edward were beheaded at Hereford, as is written down:
John Frogmerton esq. of the county of Warwick. [beheaded]
Owen Tudor, aged about 60. [beheaded]
Reginald Gwyneth, chamberlain of the lands of Gwynedd lying near Harlech Castle. [beheaded]
Master Lewis Powis esq., of Powys land. [beheaded]
Hopkyn Davy of Carmarthenshire from South Wales, esquire with the Earl of Pembroke. [beheaded]
Lewis Apprice esq. of Carmarthenshire. [beheaded]
Philip Mancell esq., of the value of 5s marks [£3. 6s. 8d.], from Gower. [beheaded]
Hopkyn Apprice of Gower in the county of Carmarthen2. [beheaded]
Thomas Fitz Herry, lawyer, slain at Hereford. [beheaded]
James Skydmore, slain; son of [Sir] John Skydmore knight. [beheaded]
Sir Henry Skydmore of Herefordshire, son of [Sir] John Skydmore knight. [beheaded in Hereford]
Sir William Skydmore, brother of John Skydmore, knight, died in bed.
Three years ago [Sir] John Skydmore knight, the most valiant of them, died in bed.
On the side of King Henry VI and Queen Margaret were these lords against King Edward, then Earl of March:
The Earl of Pembroke3 who escaped, fleeing from the battle.
The Earl of Wiltshire who fled the field at the start of battle.
Sir John Skydmore [who] had 30 servants.
Sir Thomas Perot of Haverfordwest.
Thomas Apgriffyth and the sons of Gryffyth Nicholas.
Owen Apgriffyth.
And on the side of Edward IV, King of England, present in person:
Lord de Stafford of Southwick in Somerset.
Lord Herbert of Raglan, Earl of Pembroke4.
Lord Fitzwater Radclyff of Norfolk.
Sir Roger Vaughan knight, of South Wales.
Walter Devereux, Lord Ferrers of Chartley in Herefordshire.
Lord Audley of Herefordshire.
Reginald Grey, Baron Bevelle of Herefordshire, alias Lord Grey of Wilton in Herefordshire.
Sir John Lynell knight of the county of Hereford.
Sir Richard [Croft] of Croft Castle of the county of Hereford, knight.
Sir William of Knylle knight of the county of Hereford.
Note 1. The date of the battle is commonly given as 2 Feb., but St. Blaise's day is 3 Feb. and this fell on a Tuesday in 1460/1; but see C. L. Scofield, Life and Reign of Edward IV, 1923, i, p 133 n. 2.
Note 2. Really in Glamorgan.
Note 3. Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke 1453-95.
Note 4. William Herbert, Baron Herbert; Earl of Pembroke 1468-79 during the forfeiture of Jasper Tudor's Lancastrian title.
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Likewise these esquires were with King Edward IV at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross:
William Walwayn.
Richard Haclethes. of war
James Brygges.
Reginald Brygges, [his] father was of war.
John Wellington.
Mr. Harper of Wellington, a man of war.
John Mylewater, son of Mylewater receiver of the Duke of York, a man of the war of France.
Henry Apgryftyth, a man of war.
William Thomas.
Walter Mutton, a man of the war of France.
James de Assh, whose father (Hopkin Assh), was a man of the war of France, a handsome man.
Philip Vaughan of Hay [Delahay], captain of Hay, a man of the war of France, the most noble esquire of lances among all the rest, was slain at the siege of Harlech Castle by a gunshot, and no man of honour was slain there except him.
Byneham.
John Blewet of the city of Hereford.
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Lords and gentlemen dwelling in the county of Hereford in the time of King Henry VI:
Lord De Audley.
Walter Devereux Lord de Ferrers of Chartley.
Sir John Lynell.
Grene Cornewayle, Lord Fownhope, 5 miles [7 m.] this side of Hereford, formerly of the noble Chandos.
Sir Richard de Croft.
Sir John Baskerville.
Sir John Devereux.
Sir James Baskerville, son of Sir John.
Sir Ralph Baskerville.
Sir James Skydmore, slain in a certain manorhouse at Kingchurch for his service to King Henry VI.
Baron de Burford, on Henry's side, died in prison.
Sir Hugh Mortimer.
8 esquires of the cognizance [surname?] of Walwayne.
Byrges—6 esquires.
Hakledes—about 12 esquires.
Oldcastle—about 4 in number.
Greyndours—several of the name.
Delamares—several.
Fitzherryes—several.
Sewagers—several.
Ragons—several.
Pyes—several.
Gwyllyns—several.
Urry of Hay [Urishay], a noble esquire of the county of Hereford.
Mauncells—several.
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Memorandum that the county of Hereford is about 20 miles long and about 20 miles wide1.
Castles on the River Wye:
Hay Castle, 3 miles distant.
Eardisley Castle, —— distant.
Monnington Castle, 6 miles.
Hereford Castle, 4 miles.
Wilton Castle, 8 miles.
Note 1. Herefordshire in the fifteenth century included less on the west side than it does now, and was about 30 statute miles wide; its north-south length has always been slightly over 40 miles.
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Memorandum that John Neville, son and heir of John Neville, Earl of Westmorland, was the son and heir who was slain at the siege of Orléans by a small wound to the head, while his father, the earl, was still living.
And the said John Neville, who was slain, had three sons:
Ralph Neville, Earl [of Westmorland] — an innocent man,
Sir John Neville — a noble knight, slain at the field of Towton ("Totonefeld"),
Thomas Neville the younger, who had custody of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland.
And the said Thomas Neville had two sons:
Humphrey Neville, who was beheaded by the Earl of Warwick at York,
And Charles Neville, his bastard brother, who was likewise beheaded at York about fifteen days after the feast of Saint Peter in Chains (August 1st).
258. Memorandum quod Johannes Nevyle filius et heres J. Nevell comitis de Westmerland fuit filius et heres suus occisus apud obcidium de Orlyance anglice per vnam librillam in capite viuente patre eius comite.
Et dictus Johannes Nevylle occisus habuit filios .3. Radulfum comitem jnnocens homo, ac Johannem Nevylle nobilem militem occisum apud Totonefeld et Thomam Nevyle juniorem qui quidem Thomas habuit custodiam Radulfi Nevyle comitis de Westmerland
Et dictus Thomas Nevylle habuit exitus Humfridum Neville ocisum decapitatum per comitem Warwici apud York
Et Charlys Nevylle fratrem suum bastardum similiter decapitatus apud York circa .15. dies post festum Sancti Petri aduincula
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