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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MP Cumberland is in Member Parliament.
In March 1646 William Armine 2nd Baronet (age 23) was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1658 George Fletcher 2nd Baronet (age 25) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until 1679.
In 1659 Wilfrid Lawson 1st Baronet (age 49) was elected MP Cumberland. He was re-elected in 1660.
In 1679 Richard Lamplugh (age 47) was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1679 Edward Howard 2nd Earl Carlisle (age 32) was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1681 George Fletcher 2nd Baronet (age 48) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until 1685.
In 1689 George Fletcher 2nd Baronet (age 56) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until his death in 1700.
In 1701 George Fletcher (age 35) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until 1702.
In February 1701 Gilfrid Lawson 6th Baronet (age 26) was elected MP Cumberland in the year's first election. He didn't stand in the Nov 1701 election.
In 1702 Gilfrid Lawson 6th Baronet (age 27) was elected MP Cumberland.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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In 1705 George Fletcher (age 39) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until his death in 1708.
In 1708 Gilfrid Lawson 6th Baronet (age 33) was elected MP Cumberland unopposed. He was re-elected unopposed in 1710, 1713 and 1715.
In 1722 and 1727 Gilfrid Lawson 6th Baronet (age 47) was elected MP Cumberland
In 1761 Wilfrid Lawson 8th Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Cumberland.
In 1768 Henry Fletcher 1st Baronet (age 41) was elected MP Cumberland which seat he held until 1802.
In 1784 William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale (age 26) was elected MP Cumberland.