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The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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James Collinson is in Painters.
In or before 1817 [his father] Robert Collinson (age 30) and [his mother] Mary Harvey were married.
On 9th May 1825 James Collinson was born to [his father] Robert Collinson (age 39) and [his mother] Mary Harvey at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. His father was a bookseller and sub-postmaster. Early in life James received art instruction from a Mrs. Ann Paulson, a local Mansfield artist.
Around 1840 James Collinson (age 14) entered the Royal Academy Schools where he was a fellow student with Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 11) and William Holman Hunt (age 12).
In June 1845 [his father] Robert Collinson (age 59) died.
1847. James Collinson (age 21). 'The Charity Boy's Debut'. Exhibited at the Royal Academy.
In September 1847 the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was formed at 7 Gower Street, Camden [Map], the home of John Everett Millais 1st Baronet (age 18). The seven founder members were Millais, brothers Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 19) and William Michael Rossetti (age 17), William Holman Hunt (age 20), James Collinson (age 22), Frederick George Stephens (age 19) and Thomas Woolner (age 21).
Between 1848 and 1850. James Collinson (age 22). "An Incident in the Life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary".
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Around 1848 James Collinson (age 22) and Christina Rossetti (age 17) were engaged; he had converted to Anglicanism. The engagement ended in 1850 when he reverted to Catholicism.
1850. James Collinson (age 24). "Answering the Emigrant's Letter". In the collection of Manchester Art Gallery.
1850. James Collinson (age 24). "The Child Jesus".
On 20th May 1850 James Collinson (age 25) resigned from Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood being opposed to the Brotherhood bringing the Christian religion into disrepute when Millais' Christ in the House of his Parents was accused of being blasphemous.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1851. 4th June 1851. Called on Wells (age 22). Miss Guyson, the model, was with him, a good looking girl. She gave him a ticket for the Portland Gallery, National Institution, which I made use of. A fine picture [See Painting] there by Collinson (age 26), P.R.B., from the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary (price £240).
On 15th January 1853 James Collinson (age 27) entered Hodder Place near Stonyhurst, the Jesuit College in Lancashire, as a novitiate to train for the priesthood. Collinson discontiued his studies some time between September 1854 and January 1855 without completing his religious training and resumed his painting career.
1856. James Collinson (age 30). "Home Again".
1856. James Collinson (age 30). "A Son of the Soil". Exhibited this painting at the British institution in 1856, no. 375, the first work that he exhibited there. William Michael Rossetti (age 26) wrote in the Spectator: "Mr. Collinson's Son of the Soil – a lusty labourer seated in a public-house with his pewter pot of beer before him, and behind him an advertisement for men to serve in the Army Works Corps – is an exact study from nature". In the collection of Manchester Art Gallery.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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1857. James Collinson (age 31). "The Empty Purse". This painting is also known as "For Sale".
On 9th February 1858 James Collinson (age 32) and Eliza Alvenia Wheeler (age 40) were married at Brompton Oratory, Kensington.
In or before July 1859 James Collinson (age 34) and his wife [his wife] Eliza Alvenia Wheeler (age 41) were living at Woodcote, New Road, Epsom where their only child Robert Vincent was born.
From 1861 to 1870 James Collinson (age 35) was secretary of the Society of British Artists.
In 1863 [his mother] Mary Harvey died.
In or before 1864 James Collinson (age 38) and his family were living at 15 St John's Park, Upper Holloway.
In or before 1875 James Collinson (age 49) and his family were living at 370 Cold-Harbour-lane, Brixton.
1878. James Collinson (age 52). "The Holy Family".
On 24th January 1881 James Collinson (age 55) died at 16 Paulet Road, Camberwell. He was buried at Camberwell Old Cemetery.
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 January 1894 [his former wife] Eliza Alvenia Wheeler (age 76) died at Camberwell, Surrey [Map].