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.
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Paternal Family Tree: Fountaine
In or before 1633 [his father] Brigg Fountaine of Salle in Norfolk and [his mother] Joanne Henley were married.
Around 1633 Andrew Fountaine was born to [his father] Brigg Fountaine of Salle in Norfolk and [his mother] Joanne Henley.
In or before 1659 Andrew Fountaine (age 25) and Theophila Stubbe (age 37) were married.
In 1659 [his wife] Theophila Stubbe (age 38) died.
In 1661 [his father] Brigg Fountaine of Salle in Norfolk died.
Around 1664 Andrew Fountaine (age 31) became acquainted with John Coke (age 28) who he apparently saved from drowning. The pair subsequently travelled to the Continent together. Thereafter Andrew Fountaine became steward to John Coke and is reported to have extracted large sums of money from the estate.
On or after 29th April 1672 Andrew Fountaine (age 39) and Sarah Chicheley were married.
In 1676 [his daughter] Elizabeth Fountaine was born to Andrew Fountaine (age 43) and [his wife] Sarah Chicheley. She married in or before 1706 Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire and had issue.
In 1676 [his son] Andrew Fountaine was born to Andrew Fountaine (age 43) and [his wife] Sarah Chicheley at Salle, Norfolk.
In March 1679 Andrew Fountaine (age 46) was elected MP Newton. His wife's brother-in-law Richard Legh (age 44) controlled the Newton constituency and paid for his election expenses.
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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In October 1679 Andrew Fountaine (age 46) was elected MP Newton.
In 1681 Andrew Fountaine (age 48) was elected MP Newton.
In 1694 Andrew Fountaine (age 61) reached a final settlement with the Coke family over the leases given to him by John Coke; all leases and income to be surrendered by Andrew Fountaine in exchange for £10,000. A year later Andrew Fountaine purchased Narford Hall.
In 1701 Andrew Fountaine (age 68), as a consequence of financial difficulties, compelled him to sell his Hertfordshire estates including his newly built house at Bell Bar to John Somers 1st Baron Somers (age 49).
In 1702 Andrew Fountaine (age 69) commissioned the building of Narford Hall. He laid the first stone on 29th June 1702.
In 1703 the daughters of William Barkham 3rd Baronet, Dorothy Barkham, Frances Barkham and Jane Barkham conveyed the manor of South Acre, Norfolk to Andrew Fountaine (age 70).
In or before 1706 [his son-in-law] Colonel Edward Clent of Knightwick in Worcestershire (age 28) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Fountaine (age 29) were married. She brought Narford Hall to the marriage.
On 7th February 1707 Andrew Fountaine (age 74) died. His [his son] son (age 31) inherited Narford Hall. Buried at Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
After 7th February 1707 Monument to Andrew Fountaine (deceased) at Church of St Mary, Narford [Map].
Great x 1 Grandfather: Arthur Fountayne of Salle
GrandFather: John Fountayne of Salle
GrandFather: Andrew Henley of Taunton in Somerset
Mother: Joanne Henley