Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Alfred East is in Painters.
On 13th October 1817 [his father] Benjamin East (age 21) and [his mother] Elizabeth Wright (age 18) were married.
On 15th December 1844 Alfred East was born to [his father] Benjamin East (age 48) and [his mother] Elizabeth Wright (age 45) at Lower Street, Kettering. He was their youngest child. Alfred attended the local grammar school and took up his father's occupation as a shoe clicker before becoming a commercial traveller in boots & shoes and was a partner in Charles East & Co., shoe manufacturers at Kettering.
In 1871 Alfred East (age 26) was boarding at 5 Queen Street, St George's, Glasgow and studying at the Glasgow School of Art, later studying at Académie Julian and L'Ecole Des Beaux Arts, under William-Adolphe Bougereau (1825-1905), in Paris.
In 1874 Alfred East (age 29) and Sarah Annie Heath (age 29) were married.
In 1876 [his mother] Elizabeth Wright (age 77) died.
In 1882 [his father] Benjamin East (age 86) died.
. Around 1885. Alfred East (age 40). "An English Farmstead".
. 1897. Alfred East (age 52). "The Sleepy River Somme".
In 1899 Alfred East (age 54) was elected Associate of the Royal Academy.
. Around 1903. Alfred East (age 58). "Château Gaillard [Map]".
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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In 1906 Alfred East (age 61) was elected President of the Royal Society of British Artists, which position he held until his death.
1907. Philip de László (age 37). Portrait of Alfred East (age 62).
In 1910 Alfred East (age 65) was knighted.
. 1912. Alfred East (age 67). Self-portrait.
. Before 1913. Alfred East (age 68). "Kirkstall Abbey, West Yorkshire [Map]".
In 1913 Alfred East (age 68) was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy.
On 28th September 1913 Alfred East (age 68) died at his London residence in Belsize Park.