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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Biography of William Spring 1st Baronet 1613-1654

Paternal Family Tree: Spring

In 1610 [his father] William Spring [age 21] and Elizabeth Smith were married.

In 1613 William Spring 1st Baronet was born to [his father] William Spring [age 24].

Around 1623 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 10] educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University.

On 2nd March 1638 [his father] William Spring [age 49] died at Ridenhall, Norfolk.

In 1641 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 28] was appointed High Sheriff of Suffolk.

In 1641 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 28] was knighted by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland [age 40].

Before 1642 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 28] and Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring were married.

In 1642 [his son] William Spring 2nd Baronet was born to William Spring 1st Baronet [age 29] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.

On 11th August 1642 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 29] was created 1st Baronet Spring of Pakenham in Suffolk. [his wife] Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring by marriage Lady Spring of Pakenham in Suffolk.

In 1648 [his daughter] Dorothy Spring was born to William Spring 1st Baronet [age 35] and [his wife] Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.

On 17th December 1654 William Spring 1st Baronet [age 41] died. His son William [age 12] succeeded 2nd Baronet Spring of Pakenham in Suffolk.

[his son] John Spring was born to William Spring 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.

[his daughter] Elizabeth Spring was born to William Spring 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.

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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[his daughter] Catherine Spring was born to William Spring 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.

[his son] Thomas Spring was born to William Spring 1st Baronet and Elizabeth Strange Lady Spring.