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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Paternal Family Tree: Collier
On 21st June 1817 Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell was born to [his father] John Collier [aged 48].
In 1843 Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 25] was called to the bar at the Inner Temple. He joined the Western Circuit and Devonshire, Plymouth, and Devonport sessions. His first important success was a brilliant defence of some Brazilian pirates at Exeter in July 1845; the prisoners were, however, condemned to death, and the judge (Baron Platt) refused to reserve a point of law on which Collier insisted. Collier hurried to London and laid the matter before the home secretary (Sir James Graham) and Sir Robert Peel. Both ministers appear to have been convinced by Collier's argument, and on 5 Aug. it was announced in both houses of parliament that Baron Platt had yielded (Hansard, lxxxii. 1349-50, 1367-8). The subsequent argument before all the judges in London of the point taken at the trial resulted in the grant of a free pardon to Collier's clients.
In 1844 Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 26] and Isabella Rose Baroness Monkswell [aged 29] were married.
On 26th March 1845 [his son] Robert Collier 2nd Baron Monkswell was born to Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 27] and [his wife] Isabella Rose Baroness Monkswell [aged 30]. He married July 1873 Mary Josephine Hardcastle Baroness Monkswell and had issue.
On 28th February 1849 [his father] John Collier [aged 79] died.
On 27th January 1850 [his son] John Collier was born to Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 32] and [his wife] Isabella Rose Baroness Monkswell [aged 35]. He married (1) 30th June 1879 Marian "Mady" Huxley and had issue (2) 1889 Emma aka Ethel Huxley.
In 1852 Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 34] was elected MP Plymouth. He retained the seat till he became a member of the judicial committee of the privy council. Lord Cranworth made him a queen's counsel in 1854.
The London Gazette 23799. Whitehall, November 23, 1871. The Queen [aged 52] has been pleased to appoint the Right Honourable Sir Robert Porrett Collier [aged 54], Knt., to be a Member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for the purposes and under the provisions of an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament, intituled "An Act to make further provision for the despatch of business by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council."
In July 1873 [his son] Robert Collier 2nd Baron Monkswell [aged 28] and [his daughter-in-law] Mary Josephine Hardcastle Baroness Monkswell [aged 23] were married.
On 30th June 1879 [his son] John Collier [aged 29] and [his daughter-in-law] Marian "Mady" Huxley [aged 20] were married. They had one child. He would marry her sister Emma aka Ethel Huxley [aged 13] ten years later; Married to Two Siblings.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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The London Gazette 25486. Whitehall, July 2, 1885. The Queen [aged 66] has been please'd to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Baron of the United Kingdom of 'Great Britain and Ireland unto the undermentioned persons and the heirs male of their respective bodies lawfully begotten, namely:
Mervyn Edward [aged 48], Viscount Powerscourt, in that part of the United Kingdom called Ireland, K.P., by the name, style, and title of Baron Powerscourt, of Powerscourt, in the county of Wicklow.
Sir Nathaniel Mayer Rothschild [aged 44], Bart., by the name, style, and title of Baron Rothschild, of Tring, in the county of Hertford. [Emma Louise von Rothschild Baroness Rothschild [aged 41] by marriage Baroness Rothschild of Tring in Hertfordshire]
Edward Charles Baring [aged 57], Esq., by the name, style, and titie of Baron Revelstoke, of Membland, in the county of Devon. [Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel Baroness Revelstoke [aged 46] by marriage Baroness Revelstoke of Membland in Devon]
The Right Honourable Sir Robert Porrett Collier [aged 68], Knt., a Member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, by the name, style, and title of Baron Monkswell, of Monkswell, in the county of Devon. [[his wife] Isabella Rose Baroness Monkswell [aged 70] by marriage Baroness Monkswell of Monkswell in Devon]
The Right Honourable Sir Arthur Hobhouse, K.C.S.I., C.I.E., a Member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, by the name, style, and title of Baron Hobhouse, of Hadspen, in the county of Somerset.
Sir Ralph Robert Wheeler Lingen, KC.B., by the name, style, and title of Baron Lingen, of Lingen, in the county of Hereford.
The Right Honourable Edward Gibson, Chancellor of that part of the United Kingdom called Ireland, by the name, style, and title of Baron Ashbourne, of Ashbourne, in the county of Meath.
Rowland Winn [aged 65], Esq., by the name, style, and title of Baron Saint Oswald, of Nostell, in the West Riding of the county of York [Harriet Dumaresq Baroness St Owsald by marriage Baroness St Oswald of Nostell in the West Riding of Yorkshire.]
In 1886 [his wife] Isabella Rose Baroness Monkswell [aged 71] died.
On 27th October 1886 Robert Collier 1st Baron Monkswell [aged 69] died. His son Robert [aged 41] succeeded 2nd Baron Monkswell of Monkswell in Devon. Mary Josephine Hardcastle Baroness Monkswell [aged 36] by marriage Baroness Monkswell of Monkswell in Devon.