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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Cowdray House is in Cowdray Midhurst.
Before 1493 David Owen (age 33) and Mary Bohun (age 24) were married. by which Owen came into possession of Cowdray House [Map] when Mary inherited it from her father John Bohun of Midhurst (age 45).
Around 1493 Ann Owen was born to David Owen (age 34) and Mary Bohun (age 25) in Cowdray House [Map]. She married before 1515 Arthur Hopton and had issue.
Before 26th April 1494 John Bohun of Midhurst (age 47) died. His daughter and her husband David Owen (age 35) inherited Cowdray House [Map].
Around 1500 Henry Owen was born to David Owen (age 41) and Mary Bohun (age 32) in Cowdray House [Map].
Around 1520 David Owen (age 61) began construction of Cowdray House [Map] on the site of the former manor house that he had inherited from his wife Mary Bohun.
In 1529 Henry Owen (age 29) sold Cowdray House [Map] to William Fitzwilliam 1st Earl of Southampton (age 39).
In 1533 Henry VIII (age 41) granted William Fitzwilliam 1st Earl of Southampton (age 43) to inpark 600 acres of meadow, pasture and wood and build fortifications at Cowdray House [Map].
In November 1538 Margaret York aka Pole Countess of Salisbury (age 65) was imprisoned in Cowdray House [Map] until Sep 1539.
In July 1539 Henry VIII (age 48) visited Cowdray House [Map].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
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In July 1539 Henry VIII (age 48) visited Cowdray House [Map].
On 15th October 1542 William Fitzwilliam 1st Earl of Southampton (age 52) died at Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland [Map]. Earl of Southampton extinct. Anthony Browne (age 42) inherited Cowdray House [Map].
In August 1545 Henry VIII (age 54) visited Cowdray House [Map].
On 6th May 1548 Anthony Browne (age 48) died at Byfleet, Surrey. He was buried at Senlac Hill Hastings. Anthony Browne 1st Viscount Montagu (age 19) inherited Cowdray House [Map].
In October 1551 Mary of Guise Queen Consort Scotland (age 35) stayed the night in Cowdray House [Map].
In July 1552 King Edward VI of England and Ireland (age 14) visited Cowdray House [Map].
On 22nd July 1552 twins Anthony Browne and Mary Browne Countess Southampton were born to Anthony Browne 1st Viscount Montagu (age 23) and Jane Radclyffe at Cowdray House [Map]. Their mother died in childbirth although Henry Machen's diary reports her death in 1553.
On 6th October 1573 Henry Wriothesley 3rd Earl of Southampton was born to Henry Wriothesley 2nd Earl of Southampton (age 28) and Mary Browne Countess Southampton (age 21) at Cowdray House [Map]. He married 30th August 1598 his third cousin once removed Elizabeth Vernon Countess Southampton and had issue.
On 15th August 1591 Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (age 57) arrived at Cowdray House [Map] the home of Anthony Browne 1st Viscount Montagu (age 62) and Magdalen Dacre Viscountess Montague (age 53). She was welcomed by a breakfast for some 300 guests. George Browne (age 36) was knighted. Henry Browne organised the hunting. Elizabeth stayed until the 21 Aug 1591.
On 19th October 1592 Anthony Maria Browne 2nd Viscount Montagu (age 18) inherited Cowdray House [Map]. During his tenure Guy Fawkes was briefly employed as a footman and, as a consequence, Anthony Maria Browne 2nd Viscount Montagu was briefly imprisoned for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot.
In 1770 Anthony Joseph Browne 7th Viscount Montagu (age 40) commissioned Capability Brown (age 53) to landscape Cowdray House [Map].
On 24th September 1793, during restoration work, a fire started in the carpenter's workshop in the North Gallery of Cowdray House [Map] resulting in the destruction of the house and its contents bar three paintings.
In 1843 Cowdray House [Map] was sold to George Perceval 6th Earl Egmont (age 48) at Shelley, Kirkburton.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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In 1908 Augustus Perceval 8th Earl Egmont (age 52) sold Cowdray House [Map] to Weetman Dickinson Pearson 1st Viscount Cowdray (age 51).
John Bohun constructed a fortified manor house at Cowdray House [Map] naming it Coudreye which means Hazel Woods in Norman French.
The River Rother rises at Empshott, Hampshire [Map] from where it flows through Liss, Hampshire [Map], Sheet, Hampshire [Map], past Rogate [Map], Trotton [Map], Chithurst [Map], Iping [Map], Stedham [Map], Easebourne Midhurst [Map] and Cowdray House [Map], South Ambersham [Map], Selham [Map], Coultershaw Bridge [Map], Lower Fittleworth [Map] after which it joins the River Arun one km before Pulborough [Map].