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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Worcester, Worcestershire is in Worcestershire.
See: Friars Manor, Worcester, Powick Bridge, Worcester, Red Hill, Worcester, St Oswald's Hospital, Worcester, Worcester Cathedral [Map].
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. [4th May 1041]. This year Hardicanute [aged 23], king of England, sent his house-carls62 through all the provinces of his kingdom to collect the tribute which he had imposed. Two of them, Feader and Thurstan, were slain on the 4th of the ides [the 4th] of May, by the citizens of Worcester [Map] and the people of that neighbourhood, in an upper chamber of the abbey-tower, where they had concealed themselves during a tumult. This so incensed the king, that to avenge their deaths he sent Thorold, earl of Middlesex, Leofric, earl of Mercia, Godwin [aged 40], earl of Wessex, Siward [aged 31], earl of Northumbria, Boni, earl of Hereford, and all the other English earls, with almost all his house-carls, and a large body of troops, to Worcester [Map], where Ælfric was still bishop, with orders to put to death all the inhabitants they could find, to plunder and burn the city, and lay waste the whole province.
Note 62. The Danish body-guards.
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 12th November 1041. They arrived there [Worcester [Map]] on the second of the ides [the 12th] of November, and beginning their work of destruction through the city and province continued it for four days; but very few of the citizens or provincials were taken or slain, because, having notice of their coming, the people fled in all directions. A great number of the citizens took refuge in a small island, called Beverege, situated in the middle of the river Severn, and having fortified it, defended themselves so stoutly against their enemies that they obtained terms of peace, and were allowed free liberty to return home. On the fifth day, the city having been burnt, every one marched off loaded with plunder, and the king's wrath was satisfied. Soon afterwards, Edward [aged 38], son of Ethelred the late king of England, came over from Normandy, where he had been an exile many years, and being honourably received by his brother1, king Hardicanute [aged 23], remained at his court.
Note 1. Half-brother. Both sons of Emma aka Ælfgyfu of Normandy Queen Consort England [aged 56].
Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1st May 1048. There was a great earthquake on Sunday the first of May, at Worcester [Map], Wick, Derby [Map], and many other places. Many districts of England were visited with a mortality among men and cattle; and a fire in the air, commonly called wild-fire, burnt many vills and cornfields in Derbyshire and some other districts. Edmund, bishop of Lindisfarne, died at Gloucester, but was carried by his people to Durham, and buried there. Edred succeeded him, but being struck by the divine vengeance, Ethelric, a monk of Peterborough, was appointed in his stead.
On 30th March 1290 Joyce Zouche Baroness Mortimer [aged 50] died at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map]. She was buried at Worcester Cathedral [Map].
In 1486 Roger Townshend [aged 61] was knighted at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map].
Around 1520 Bishop Nicholas Bullingham was born in Worcester, Worcestershire [Map].
In 1609 Colonel James Turner was born at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map].
On 3rd September 1651 at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map] the Battle of Worcester Oliver Cromwell [aged 52] commanded the Parliamentary army with Charles Howard 1st Earl Carlisle [aged 22]. In the Royalist army Francis Talbot 11th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 28], Thomas Blagge [aged 38] and Archibald Campbell 9th Earl Argyll [aged 22] fought. Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl Cleveland [aged 60] was captured. Giles Strangeways [aged 36] provided 300 gold pieces to King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland [aged 21] following his defeat to aid his escape.
Henry Lyttelton 2nd Baronet [aged 27] fought for the Royalists, was captured and spent 17 months imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map].
Philip Musgrave 2nd Baronet [aged 44] fought for th Royalists.
John Evelyn's Diary. 1st August 1654. We set out toward Worcester [Map], by a way thickly planted with cider fruit. We deviated to the Holy Wells, trickling out of a valley through a steep declivity toward the foot of the great Malvern Hills; they are said to heal many infirmities, as king's evil, leprosy, sore eyes, etc. Ascending a great height above them to the trench dividing England from South Wales, we had the prospect of all Herefordshire, Radnor, Brecknoch, Monmouth, Worcester, Gloucester, Shropshire, Warwick, Derbyshires, and many more. We could discern Tewkesbury, King's road, toward Bristol, etc.; so as I esteem it one of the goodliest vistas in England.
John Evelyn's Diary. 2nd August 1654. This evening we arrived at Worcester [Map], the Judges of Assize and Sheriff of just entering as we did. Viewing the town the next day, we found the Cathedral [Map] much ruined by the late wars, otherwise a noble structure. The town is neatly paved and very clean, the goodly river Severn running by it, and standing in a most fertile country.
On 16th May 1710 William Talbot 1st Earl Talbot was born to Charles Talbot 1st Baron Talbot [aged 25] and Cecil Mathew Baroness Talbot at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map]. He married 21st February 1733 Mary Cardonnel Countess Talbot and had issue.
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 format.
On 23rd March 1795 St Andrew St John [aged 63] died at Worcester, Worcestershire [Map].
The Times. 25th January 1865. MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE. The marriage of the Earl of Coventry [aged 26] and Lady Blanche Craven [aged 22], third daughter of Earl Craven [aged 55], was solemnized yesterday morning at St. George's Church, Hanover-square. The bridegroom and the friends of both families assembled at the church at 11 o'clock, and shortly afterwards were joined by the bride, accompanied by her mother, the Countess Craven [aged 48]. The bride was received by her father at the church door, and, attended by eight bridesmaids, proceeded at once to the communion table, in front ot which a numerous company had assembled, including the Earl [aged 65] and Countess of Clarendon [aged 54] and Lady Emily Villiers [aged 22], the Countess of Verulam [aged 40] and Lady Harriet Grimston [aged 20], Viscount [aged 49] and Viscountess Folkestone [aged 43] and Hon. Miss Bouverie, the Countess of Sefton [aged 27] and Lady Cecilia Molyneux, Viscount Chelsea [aged 24], and Lady Caroline Townley [aged 27] and Miss Townley, Viscount Uffington [aged 23], Sir Henry [aged 58] and Lady Sophia Des Voeux, Hon. Mr. and Mrs Coventry, Hon. Gerald [aged 35] and Lady Maria Ponsonby [aged 28], Mr. Oswald andl Miss Oswald, Dr. Quin, Mr. Cecil Boothby [aged 51], Mr. James Oswald, Miss Talbot, Viscount [aged 32] and Viscountess Grey de Wilton [aged 28], Lady Evelyn Bruce [aged 25], Hon. Mrs. Grimston and Miss Grimston, &c.
The Hon. and Rev. Edward Grimston [aged 52], uncle of the bride, performed the religious rite. After the registration of the marriage the wedding party left the church, and procceded to the Earl and Countess Craven's mansion in Charles-street, Mayfair. At 2 o'clock the newly-wedded couple took their departure for Croome Court, the Earl of Coventry's seat, near Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire [Map], there to pass the honeymoon. At Croome Pirton and Severn Stoke, Worcestershire, the marriage was celebrated yesterday by the tenantry and neighbours of the Earl of Coventry. The tenantry of the Crome Pirton and Severn Stoke estates, to ths number of about 100, dined together in two parties yesterday at Severn Stoke and High-green. At Pirton and Severn Stoke garlands of evergreens and flags were hung out over the roads, and at night a bonfire was lighted at High-green. The rejoicings have extended over all his Lordship's large estates in the southern portion of Worcestershire. The inhabitants of Worcester [Map] celebrated the marriage by hoisting flags from tile windows and streamers across the streets. The bells from the various churches rang merry peals all day.
On 24th January 1865 George Coventry 9th Earl Coventry and Blanche Craven Countess Coventry were married. She by marriage Countess Coventry. She the daughter of William Craven 2nd Earl Craven and Emily Mary Grimston Countess Craven.
The River Severn rises on Plynlimon [Map] after which it passes Llanidloes [Map], Caersws [Map], Welshpool [Map], Crew Green [Map], Shrawardine, Shropshire [Map], Shrewsbury, Shropshire [Map], Wroxeter, Shropshire [Map], Coalport, Shropshire [Map], Bridgnorth, Shropshire [Map], Bewdley, Worcestershire [Map], Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire [Map] to Worcester, Worcestershire [Map]
From Worcester the rivers flows through Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire [Map] to Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire [Map] where it is joined by the Warwickshire River Avon, Gloucester [Map] becoming the Severn Estuary around Thornwell, Monmouthshire [Map].
The River Teme rises around three miles south of Dolfor [Map] in Powys. For much of its upper course it forms the border between England and Wales. It passes through, or near, Felindre, Radnoshire [Map], Knighton, Radnorshire [Map], Leintwardine, Herefordshire [Map], Bromfield, Shropshire [Map], Ludlow, Shropshire [Map], Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire [Map], Stanford Bridge, Worcestershire [Map], Shelsey Beauchamp, Worcestershire [Map], Leigh, Worcestershire [Map] and Bransford, Worcestershire [Map] after which it joins the River Severn around 3 km south of Worcester, Worcestershire [Map].
Around 17th April 1301 Maud Fitzjohn Countess Warwick [aged 63] died. She was buried at Friars Manor, Worcester.
On 23rd September 1642 Maurice Palatinate Simmern [aged 21] was wounded at during the Battle of Powick Bridge.
Lawrence Carey [aged 32] was killed.
Charles Lucas [aged 29] was wounded.
On 7th April 1606 Humphrey Lyttelton [aged 44], Edward Oldcorne [aged 45] Ralph Ashley and John Wintour [aged 26] were hanged, drawn and quartered at Red Hill, Worcester for their involvement in the Gunpowder Plot.
On 8th January 1818 Bishop John Jenkinson [aged 36] was appointed Master of St Oswald's Hospital, Worcester.