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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.
Around 1500 William Laxton was born to John Laxton of Oundle, Northamptonshire at Oundle, Northamptonshire [Map].
In or before 1504 Henry Luddington and [his future wife] Joan Kirkeby were married.
Before 1531 Henry Loddington and [his future wife] Joan Kirkeby were married.
In 1531 Henry Loddington died. He had made William Laxton (age 31) overseer of his will. His widow [his future wife] Joan Kirkeby subsequently married William Laxton.
Before 1539 William Laxton (age 38) and Joan Kirkeby were married.
In 1544 William Laxton (age 44) was elected Lord Mayor of London.
After April 1552 Thomas Lodge (age 43) and [his step-daughter] Anne Luddington (age 29) were married.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27th July 1556. The same day at nyght be-tweyn viij and ix ded ser W[illiam Laxton] (age 56) knyght and late mayre of London, and grocer, in Althermary.
Note. P. 111. Death of alderman sir William Laxton. Sir William Laxton, grocer, was son of [his father] John Laxton of Oundle in Northamptonshire; sheriff in 1540, lord mayor 1544. He founded a school at Oundle; see Bridges's Northamptonshire, ii. 410. He had a fair monument in Aldermary church, with a poetical inscription, which will be found in Stowe. He married Joan daughter of William Kyrby and widow of Harry Lodington, but had no issue by her. (MS. Harl. 897, f. 24.)
On 27th July 1556 William Laxton (age 56) died. He was buried at Church of St Mary Aldermary. Thomas Lodge (age 47) and his brother-in-law John Machel (age 54) were principal mourners at his funeral. Both were overseer's of Laxton's will.
All About History Books
The 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." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 9th August 1556. [The ixth day of August was buried sir William Laxton (deceased), late lord mayor, in the church of saint Mary Aldermary; with] a goodly hers with v prynsepalles, [and the majesty] and the valans gyltyd, and viij dosen of penselles [and] xiij dosen of skochyons and a half of bokeram; and a standard and iiij penons, and ij baners of [images]; and the howsse, chyrche, and the stret hangyd with blake [and] armes; and a cott armur and helmett, target, and sward, mantylles and crest a teyger-hed with a colynbyn and the slype. [There were two] grett and goodly whyt branchys, and xxxiiij stayffes torchys, and xxxiiij mantyll frysse gownes to powre men, and a c blacke gownes; morners master Loges altherman cheyff mornar and master Machyl secund morner and master Wanton iij morner, and dyver odur, the lord mare and master Whytt and dyvers odur, and alle the thodur althermen in vyolett; and then cam the women morners, lades and mony althermens wyffes and gentyll-women; and after durge to the plasse to drynke and the compene of the Grocers, and after prestes and clarkes, to the place to drynke, and the harolds, and the Waxchandlers and the Penters, to drynke, with mony odur. And the morow iij masses song, ij pryke songe and (the) iij(d) requiem; at masse dyd pryche doctur Harpsfelle archeydekyn; and after to dener, for ther was a grett dener as I have sene at any berehyng, for ther dynyd mony worshepfull men and women.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 30th August 1556. The xxx day of August was the monyth myn of ser Wylliam Laxtun (deceased) knyght and grocer, and the hersse bornyng with wax; and the morowe masse and a sarmon, and after a grett dener; and after dener the hersse taken downe.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 25th May 1559. The thursday the xxv day of May master John Whyt altherman and grocer ys chyld was cristened in lytyll sant Barthelmuw be-syd sant Antonys; thes wher the god-fathers' names, my lord marques of Wynchester (age 76) now lord tresorer of England, and my lord byshope of Wynchester docthur Whytt (age 49), and the god-moder my lade Laxtun, lat the [his former wife] wyffe of ser Wylliam Laxtun latt mare of London and grocer; and after ther was waferers [wafers] and epocras grett plente; and after they whent home to the plasse, with the chyld nam(ed) John Whytt; the wyche wyff was master Raff Grenway altherman and grocer of London wyff.
Before 10th September 1576 [his former wife] Joan Kirkeby died. She was buried at Church of St Mary Aldermary.