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Published March 2025. The Deeds of King Henry V, or in Latin Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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On 29 Mar 1671 Andrew Clench created M.D. at Cambridge by royal mandate.
On 22 Dec 1677 Andrew Clench was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians.
On 22 Apr 1680 Andrew Clench was appoined Fellow of the Royal Society.
On 23 Dec 1680 Andrew Clench was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians.
John Evelyn's Diary. 27 Jan 1689. His father assured us he never imposed anything to charge his memory by causing him to get things by heart, not even the rules of grammar; but his tutor (who was a Frenchman) read to him, first in French, then in Latin; that he usually played among other boys four or five hours every day, and that he was as earnest at his play as at his study. He was perfect in arithmetic, and now newly entered into Greek. In sum (horresco referens), I had read of divers forward and precocious youths, and some I have known, but I never did either hear or read of anything like to this sweet child, if it be right to call him child who has more knowledge than most men in the world. I counseled his father not to set his heart too much on this jewel, "Immodicis brevis est ætas, et rara senectus", as I myself learned by sad experience in my most dear child Richard (age 36), many years since, who, dying before he was six years old, was both in shape and countenance and pregnancy of learning, next to a prodigy.
John Evelyn's Diary. 27 Jan 1689. I dined at the Admiralty, where was brought in a child not twelve years old, the son of one Dr. Clench, of the most prodigious maturity of knowledge, for I cannot call it altogether memory, but something more extraordinary. Mr. Pepys (age 55) and myself examined him, not in any method, but with promiscuous questions, which required judgment and discernment to answer so readily and pertinently. There was not anything in chronology, history, geography, the several systems of astronomy, courses of the stars, longitude, latitude, doctrine of the spheres, courses and sources of rivers, creeks, harbors, eminent cities, boundaries and bearings of countries, not only in Europe, but in any other part of the earth, which he did not readily resolve and demonstrate his knowledge of, readily drawing out with a pen anything he would describe. He was able not only to repeat the most famous things which are left us in any of the Greek or Roman histories, monarchies, republics, wars, colonies, exploits by sea and land, but all the sacred stories of the Old and New Testament; the succession of all the monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, with all the lower Emperors, Popes, Heresiarchs, and Councils, what they were called about, what they determined, or in the controversy about Easter, the tenets of the Gnostics, Sabellians, Arians, Nestorians; the difference between St. Cyprian and Stephen about re-baptism, the schisms. We leaped from that to other things totally different, to Olympic years, and synchronisms; we asked him questions which could not be resolved without considerable meditation and judgment, nay of some particulars of the Civil Laws, of the Digest and Code. He gave a stupendous account of both natural and moral philosophy, and even in metaphysics.
Having thus exhausted ourselves rather than this wonderful child, or angel rather, for he was as beautiful and lovely in countenance as in knowledge, we concluded with asking him if, in all he had read or heard of, he had ever met with anything which was like this expedition of the Prince of Orange (age 38), with so small a force to obtain three great kingdoms without any contest. After a little thought, he told us that he knew of nothing which did more resemble it than the coming of Constantine the Great out of Britain, through France and Italy, so tedious a march, to meet Maxentius, whom he overthrew at Pons Milvius with very little conflict, and at the very gates of Rome, which he entered and was received with triumph, and obtained the empire, not of three kingdoms only, but of all the then known world. He was perfect in the Latin authors, spoke French naturally, and gave us a description of France, Italy, Savoy, Spain, ancient and modernly divided; as also of ancient Greece, Scythia, and northern countries and tracts: we left questioning further. He did this without any set or formal repetitions, as one who had learned things without book, but as if he minded other things, going about the room, and toying with a parrot there, and as he was at dinner (tanquam aliua agens, as it were) seeming to be full of play, of a lively, sprightly temper, always smiling, and exceedingly pleasant, without the least levity, rudeness, or childishness.
On 04 Jan 1692 Andrew Clench was murdered between nine and eleven o'clock by Henry Harrison to whose mistress Clench had lent money. Harrison was subequently convicted of the murder.
John Evelyn's Diary. 06 Jan 1692. This week a most execrable murder was committed on Dr. Clench, father of that extraordinary learned child whom I have before noticed. Under pretense of carrying him in a coach to see a patient, they strangled him in it; and, sending away the coachman under some pretense, they left his dead body in the coach, and escaped in the dusk of the evening.
Proceedings of the Old Bailey 1692. The Arraignment, Tryal, Conviction and Condemnation of Henry Harrison , Gent. For the Murther of Dr. Andrew Clenche.
On Wednesday, the sixth day of April [1692], in the fourth year of the reign of Lord William and Lady Mary, King and Queen of England, etc.
Judges Present
Lord Chief-Justice Holt, Lord Chief-Baron Atkins, Mr Justice Nevil.
THE Keeper of the Prison of Newgate did, according to Order of the Court being then sate, bring up the Body of Henry Harrison, Gent. to the Sessions-House in the Old-Baily, London, who being at the Bar, was Arraigned upon an Indictment of Felony and Murther, found that Day by the Grand-Jury for the City of London, in manner following:
Clerk of Arraignment.
Henry Harrison, hold up thy Hand [Which he did] You stand Indicted by the Name of Henry Harrison, late of London, Gent. for that you not having the fear of God before your Eyes, but being mov'd and seduc'd by the Instigation of the Devil, the Fourth Day of January , in the Third Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord and Lady, King William and Queen Mary, of England, &c. about Eleven of the Clock in the Night of the same Day, with Force and Arms, &c. at London, viz. in the Parish of St Peter Cornhill, in the Ward of Limestreet in London aforesaid, being in a certain Coach with one Andrew Clenche Doctor of Physick , and a certain Man yet unknown, in and upon the said Andrew Clenche in the Peace of God, and of our Sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen, then and there being Violently, Feloniously and of your Malice before-thought, did make an Assault. And that you the said Henry Harrison, with the Help and Assistance of the said Man unknown, with a Pocket Handkerchief with a Coal in the same, being put, of the value of Two Pence, about the Neck of him the said Andrew Clenche, then and there Feloniously, Voluntarily and of your Malice before-thought did put, fasten and bind; and that you the said Henry Harrison with the said Handkerchief with the Coal aforesaid in it, by you the said Henry Harrison with the Help and Assistance of the aforesaid Man unknown about the Neck of the said Andrew Clenche then as aforesaid, put, fastened and bound him the said Andrew Clenche then and there with Force and Arms, &c. Feloniously, Voluntarily and of your Malice before-thought did choak and strangle, by Reason of which choaking and strangling of the said Andrew Clenche by you the said Henry Harrison, with the Handkerchief aforesaid, with the Coal as aforesaid put in it, he the said Andrew Clenche instantly died : So that you the said Henry Harrison with the Help and Assistance of the said Man unknown, him the said Andrew Clenche the said Fourth Day of January in the Year aforesaid at the Parish and Ward aforesaid in manner and form aforesaid, Feloniously, Voluntarily and of your Malice before-thought did Kill and Murther against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen now, their Crown and Dignity.
On 15 Apr 1692 Henry Harrison was hanged for the murder of Andrew Clench.