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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MP Sudbury is in Member Parliament.
In 1571 John Gurdon (age 35) was elected MP Sudbury.
In 1614 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 28) was elected MP Sudbury and held the seat until 1620.
In 1624 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 38) was elected MP Sudbury.
In 1625 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 39) was elected MP Sudbury.
In 1628 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 42) was elected MP Sudbury.
In November 1640 Humphrey Coningsbury (age 17) was elected MP Herefordshire in the Long Parliament.
William Heveningham (age 36) was elected MP Stockbridge during the Long Parliament.
Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Sudbury in the Long Parliament holding the seat until his death in 1643.
John Jennings was elected MP St Albans during the Long Parliament.
John Glynne (age 38) was elected MP Westminster during the Long Parliament.
In 1640 Simonds D'Ewes 1st Baronet (age 37) was elected MP Sudbury during the Long Parliament.
In April 1640 Robert Crane 1st Baronet (age 54) was elected MP Sudbury in the Short Parliament.
In 1754 Thomas Walpole (age 26) was elected MP Sudbury which seat he held until 1761.
In 1761 John Henniker 1st Baron Henniker (age 36) was elected MP Sudbury.
In 1768 Patrick Blake 1st Baronet (age 26) was elected MP Sudbury which seat he held until 1774.
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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On 22nd March 1775 Patrick Blake 1st Baronet (age 33) was elected MP Sudbury on petition which seat he held he stood down in 1784.