Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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St Andrew's Church, Bolam is in Bolam, Northumberland, Churches in Northumberland.
St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map]. Mediaeval church with Saxon tower and other features dating from 12-14th centuries. The church is open every day.
Interior of St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Churchyard St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Medieval graves and effigies of St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
In 1658 Charles Middleton of Belsay died. He was buried at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Volume 33 Pagess 134-141. In 1767 the manor of Shortflatt [Map] was divided, John Dent taking the mansion house and the western moiety, and William Hepple, and his associate. Lancelot Robson of Belsay, sharing the eastern moiety. The deed also provided that John Dent and his heirs should "use, possess and enjoy" the eastern moiety of the "Shortflatt Isle" in Bolam Church [Map], and that Hepple and Robson and their heirs should have the western moiety (pi. XVI). In the same year the three proprietors of Shortflatt were summoned to a Court Leet of the manor of Bywell—an interesting survival of the feudal connection with the barony of Bolbec.
On 23rd December 1809 Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland [aged 60] died. Monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map] to Robert Horsley, his wife Catherine, who died in 1818, and five of their children. His daughter Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley [aged 35] inherited Bolam Hall, Northumberland [Map].
Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland: Around 1749 he was born to John Horlsey. Before 1809 Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland commissioned the building of Bolam Hall, Northumberland [Map].
Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley: On 20th January 1774 she was born to Robert Horsley of Bolam House in Northumberland. On 26th July 1810 John Horsley Beresford 2nd Baron Decies and she were married.
On 9th March 1852 Charlotte Philadelphia Horsley [aged 78] died. She has a monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map] commissioned by her only son William Horsley-Beresford 3rd Baron Decies [aged 40].
On 17th April 1861 Emily Maud Dent died. Wall memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Emily Maud Dent: On 7th September 1860 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 5th December 1866 Louisa Horsley-Beresford died. Memorial in St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Louisa Horsley-Beresford: In 1866 she was born to William Horsley-Beresford 3rd Baron Decies and Catherine Anne Dent Baroness Decies.
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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On 18th May 1880 Captain William Seton Dent of Shortflatt Tower [aged 39] died. Memorial window at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Captain William Seton Dent of Shortflatt Tower: On 16th April 1841 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 28th January 1883 Maria Georgiana Hedley Dent [aged 33] died. Memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Maria Georgiana Hedley Dent: On 22nd February 1849 she was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr.
On 8th May 1926 Edward Dent [aged 70] died. Wall memorial at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Edward Dent: On 8th June 1855 he was born to Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent and Ellen Mary Kerr. Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Volume 33 Pagess 134-141. Edward John Dent, who became owner in 1880, made Shortflatt [Map] famous in sporting circles, his record as a breeder and trainer of greyhounds being six winners of the Waterloo Cup in eight years. His son, Lieut.-Colonel W. E. Hedley-Dent, assumed the name of Hedley-Dent in 192632, and he and his wife have created a charming garden, and wide stretches of lawn, with beds of roses and lavender, and fine trees in the background, making a delightful setting for the old Border house, whose history I have told.
On 11th May 1939 Lieutenant John Arthur Tournay Middleton [aged 32] died. Monument at St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map].
Lieutenant John Arthur Tournay Middleton: On 1st July 1906 he was born to Lieutenant Hugh Jeffery Middleton and Mary Katherine Long.
In 1942 a German bomb dropped on St Andrew's Church, Bolam [Map]; it failed to explode.