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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 12th August 1854 Alfred Gilbert was born.
Bronze Status of Queen Victoria [Map] commemorating 500 years of Shrievalty i.e. the jurisdiction of a sheriff of Newcastle. The statue was a gift to Newcastle by William Haswell Stephenson who was mayor of the city seven times. He commissioned the sculptor Sir Alfred Gilbert [aged 48] to create it and was finally unveiled on the 24th of April 1903, two years after her death. There are two inscriptions on the pedestal reading "Victoria RI 1837-1901" and "Thine is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty".
On 4th November 1934 Alfred Gilbert [aged 80] died.