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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Rector is in Lords Spritual England.
In 1466 Bishop Oliver King [aged 34] was appointed Rector of Broughton, Hampshire.
On 30th January 1505 Thomas Larke [aged 15] was appointed Rector of St Ethelburga's Church Bishopgate [Map]. Hr resigned in 1542.
On 12th February 1530 Bishop Henry Morgan was appointed Rector of Walwyn's Castle [Map].
In 1533 Archbishop Hugh Curwen [aged 33] was appointed Rector of Ferriby.
On 8th January 1538 Dean Hugh Weston [aged 33] was elected Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford University.
On 15th September 1541 Dean Hugh Weston [aged 36] was collated Rector of St Nicholas Olave [Map].
On 19th September 1544 Dean Hugh Weston [aged 39] was collated Rector of St Botolph's without Bishopgate.
On 9th May 1550 Bishop John Harley was appointed Rector of Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire [Map]
In 1551 Bishop William Overton [aged 26] was appointed Rector of St Mary's Church Balcombe.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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On 30th September 1551 Bishop John Harley was appointed Rector of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire.
On 18th November 1641 John Palmer [aged 29] was appointed Rector of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Ecton [Map] which position he held for life.
On 17th April 1657 Daniel Milles was appointed Rector of St Olave's Church [Map].
In 1670 Bishop Thomas Sprat [aged 35] was appointed Rector of Uffington Church, Stamford.
On 10th January 1674 Dr Henry Dove was appointed Rector of St Bride's Church, Fleet Street which post he held for the rest of his life.
In 1680 John Palmer [aged 25] was appointed Rector of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Ecton [Map] which position he held for life.
In 1693 Archbishop William Wake [aged 35] was appointed Rector of St James' Church, Piccadilly.
In 1720 Thomas Palmer was appointed Rector of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Ecton [Map] which position he held for life.
In 1745 Dean Edward Townshend [aged 25] became Rector of St Mary's Church, Pulham St Mary.
In 1748 Dean Edward Townshend [aged 28] became Rector of Church of St Nicholas, Oakley.
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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In 1774 Bishop Reginald Courtenay [aged 32] was appointed Rector at St George's Church, Hanover Square.
In 1776 Archdeacon Anthony Hamilton [aged 37] became Rector of Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.
Before 1799 Stebbing Shaw was appointed Rector of St Peter's Church, Hartshorne [Map].
On 27th April 1799 Stebbing Shaw [aged 37] succeeded his father as Rector of St Peter's Church, Hartshorne [Map].
In 1803 Reverend Robert Hodgson [aged 29] was appointed Rector of St George's Church, Hanover Square which position he remained until his death.
In 1837 Bishop James Bowstead [aged 36] was appointed Rector of All Saints Church, Rettendon.
In 1842 Reginald Courtenay Bishop [aged 29] was appointed Rector at Thornton Watlass, Hambleton.
Before 1853 Thomas Noel [aged 78] was appointed Rector of Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire.
In 1898 Archdeacon Henry Armstrong Hall [aged 44] was appointed Rector of Church of St Oswald, Methley [Map].
Hugh Willoughby was appointed Rector at St Leonard's Church, Wollaton [Map].
In 1486 Richard Bulkeley was appointed Rector Cheadle.
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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In 1525 John Bulkeley was appointed Rector Cheadle.
In 1859 Francis Edmund Cecil Byng 5th Earl Strafford [aged 23] was appointed Rector Little Casterton Rutland.
In 1534 Bishop Richard Sampson was appointed Rector of Hackney.