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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On 12th December 1693 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp was born to [his father] Archbishop John Sharp (age 48).
On 2nd February 1714 [his father] Archbishop John Sharp (age 68) died in Bath, Somerset [Map].
Before 29th April 1719 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 25) was appointed Prebendary of Wistow in York Minster.
In 1720 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 26) was appointed Rector of Rothbury, Northumberland [Map].
On 19th June 1722 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 28) and Judith Wheler (age 22) were married. They had fourteen children. He the son of Archbishop John Sharp.
In 1723 [his son] Archdeacon John Sharp was born to Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 29) and [his wife] Judith Wheler (age 23).
On 27th February 1723 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 29) was collated Archdeacon of Northumberland.
In 1729 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 35) was awarded Doctor of Divinity by Cambridge University.
On 1st December 1732 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 38) was installed in the tenth prebend of Durham Cathedral [Map].
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 1757 [his wife] Judith Wheler (age 57) died.
After 1758. Durham Cathedral [Map]. Memorial to Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 64) and his wife [his former wife] Judith Wheler, and their son [his son] Archdeacon John Sharp (age 35), and a number of their children.
Judith Wheler: In 1700 she was born to George Wheler and Grace Higgons. On 19th June 1722 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp and she were married. They had fourteen children. He the son of Archbishop John Sharp. In 1757 she died.
Archdeacon John Sharp: In 1723 he was born to Archdeacon Thomas Sharp and Judith Wheler. Before 1792 he was appointed Archdeacon of Northumberland. In 1792 Archdeacon John Sharp deied.
On 16th March 1758 Archdeacon Thomas Sharp (age 64) died. He was buried in the Gallilee of Durham Cathedral [Map].