Text this colour is a link for Members only. Support us by becoming a Member for only £3 a month by joining our 'Buy Me A Coffee page'; Membership gives you access to all content and removes ads.

Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page. Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.



All About History Books

The 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. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Biography of Bishop Thomas Watson 1515-1584

In 1515 Bishop Thomas Watson was born.

On 18th November 1553 Bishop Thomas Watson (age 38) was elected Dean of Durham.

On 15th April 1556 Bishop Thomas Watson (age 41) was elected Bishop of Lincoln.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 15th April 1556. The xv day of Aprell was electyd at Grenwyche bysshope of Wynchastur master doctur Whyt (age 46), byshope of Lynckolne; and doctur Westun (age 41), dene of Westmynster, to be bysshope of Lynckolne; and the dene of Durram to be bysshope of Karlelle.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 26th January 1557. [The xxvj day of January went to Cambridge, Watson (age 42) bishop elect of Lincoln, Scot bishop of Chester, and Christopherson bishop elect of Chichester,] comyssyoners to the [lord cardinal, to the] chyrche of sant Mares [Map], and thay toke up on Martin [Bucer] that was bered ther, and Paulus Phagius [was] taken up at Sant Myghelle cherche that was [buried there,] and after brentt [burned] boyth.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th March 1557. The xvij day of Marche cam rydyng from kyng Phelype (age 29) from be-yond the see unto the court at Grenwyche [Map], to owre quen (age 41), with letters in post, my lord Robart Dudley (age 24), and after master Kemp of the preve chambur, that the kyng wold com to Cales [Map] the xvij day of Marche; and the sam day dyd pryche a-for the quen the nuwe bysshope of Lynckolne doctur Watsun (age 42).

Henry Machyn's Diary. 3rd April 1557. The iij day of Aprell dyd pryche doctur Wattsun (age 42) bysshope of Lynckolne at Allallows the Mor in ... at after-non, wher was grett audyens of pepull.

All About History Books

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.

Available at Amazon as eBook or Paperback.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 22nd April 1557. The xxij of Aprell dyd pryche at sant Mare speytyll [doctor] Watsun (age 42) nuw-choyssen bysshope of Lynckolne a godly sermon.

On 15th August 1557 Bishop Thomas Watson (age 42) was consecrated Bishop of Lincoln by Archbishop Nicholas Heath (age 56).

Henry Machyn's Diary. 20th February 1558. The xx day of Feybruary dyd pryche [at Paul's] crosse [Map] docthur Watsun (age 43) bysshope of Lyncoln, and mad a godly sermon, for ther wer [present ten] bysshopes, be-syd my lord mare and the althermen and juges, and men of the law, and gret [audience] ther was.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 3rd April 1559. The iij day of Aprell the bysshopes and the nuw prychers mett at the abbay a-for my lord keper of the brod seylle, and dyvers of the consell, and ther to gyff a answer of the matter; the sam nyght, my lord bysshope of Wynchester (age 49) and my lord of Lynkolne (age 44) was send to the towre of London [Map] by the gard by water, to the Old Swane, and to Belynsgatt after.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 26th June 1559. The sam day was deprevyd of ther bysshoprykes the bysshope of Wynchestur (age 49) and the bysshope of Lynckolne (age 44) at master Hawse the kyng('s) shreyff in Mynsyon lane, and the bysshope of Wynchester to the Towre [Map] agayne, and the bysshope of Lynckolne delevered a-way.

Note. P. 201. Bishops deprived. Mr. Bruce has given a list of the deprived bishops, founded upon documents in Rymer's Fœdera, in Hayward's Annals of Q. Eliz. p. 27.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 20th May 1560. The xx day of May was send to the Towre [Map] master Fecknam (age 45), docthur Wattsun (age 45) latt byshope of Lynkolne, and docthur Colle (age 60) latt dene of Powlles, and docthur Chadsay; and at nyght abowtt viij of the cloke was send to the Flett [Map] docthur Score (age 50), and master Fecknam the last abbot of Westmynster, to Towre [Map].

Henry Machyn's Diary. 29th May 1560. The xxix day of May toke ther gorney [journey] into Skotteland master Syssell (age 39) secretore and master docthur Wattun (age 45) my (unfinished).

On 27th September 1584 or 15th October 1584 Bishop Thomas Watson (age 69) died at Wisbech Castle [Map] having been confined for the previous twenty-five years.