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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Worshipful Companies is in Societies.
In 1654 John Frederick [aged 52] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons.
In 1658 John Frederick [aged 56] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Barber Surgeons.
In 1654 Richard Hill of Lime Street was appointed Alderman of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
In 1655 Richard Hill of Lime Street was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers.
On 10th July 1621 Edward Barkham [aged 51] was translated to the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
From 1622 to 1623 Edward Barkham [aged 52] was Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
After 1623 Thomas Lawley 1st Baronet [aged 42] joined as Worshipful Company of Drapers.
In 1642 Thomas Lawley 1st Baronet [aged 61] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
John Evelyn's Diary. 7th August 1679. Dined at the Sheriff's, when, the Company of Drapers and their wives being invited, there was a sumptuous entertainment, according to the forms of the city, with music, etc., comparable to any prince's service in Europe.
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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In 1668 William Warren was elected Master of the Drapers Company.
Before 1617 John Gayer [aged 32] became a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.
In 1442 Matthew Philip was appointed Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
On 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake [aged 25] became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
After 15th December 1588 Thomas Vyner 1st Baronet became a member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
In 1555 John White was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In 1560 John White was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
In 1679 Alderman William Hooker [aged 67] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
Before 1693 John Cutler 1st Baronet [aged 89] was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers four times.
In 1710 Samuel Garrard 4th Baronet [aged 60] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers.
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 1580 Thomas Smythe [aged 22] was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1661 Thomas Vernon [aged 29] was elected Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
In 1665 Arthur Ingram [aged 48] was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
In 1685 Thomas Vernon [aged 53] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
On 19th June 1716 John Eyles 2nd Baronet [aged 33] was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and Alderman of Vintry.
In 1717 Joseph Eyles [aged 27] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers which position he held until 1721.
In 1604 Thomas Cambell [aged 68] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
In 1613 Thomas Cambell [aged 77] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 6th August 1663. At noon I to the 'Change [Map], and meeting with Sir W. Warren, to a coffee-house, and there finished a contract with him for the office, and so parted, and I to my cozen Mary Joyce's at a gossiping, where much company and good cheer. There was the King's Falconer, that lives by Paul's, and his wife, an ugly pusse, but brought him money. He speaking of the strength of hawkes, which will strike a fowle to the ground with that force that shall make the fowle rebound a great way from ground, which no force of man or art can do, but it was very pleasant to hear what reasons he and another, one Ballard, a rich man of the same Company of Leathersellers of which the Joyces are, did give for this. Ballard's wife, a pretty and a very well-bred woman, I took occasion to kiss several times, and she to carve, drink, and show me great respect.
In 1702 Edward Stanton [aged 21] was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Masons.
In 1709 Thomas Stayner [aged 44] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
In 1719 Edward Stanton [aged 38] was appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
On 17th September 1499 William Holles [aged 28] admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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In 1507 Richard Gresham [aged 22] admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1507 John Gresham [aged 12] admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1547 John Thynne [aged 32] was appointed Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Before 1656 John Dethick was appointed a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1656 Alderman William Barker was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
John Evelyn's Diary. 14th August 1662. I sat on the commission for Charitable Uses, the Lord Mayor and others of the Mercers' Company being summoned, to answer some complaints of the Professors, grounded on a clause in the will of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder.
In 1672 Alderman William Barker was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Thomas Edwards was appointed Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Before 1637 Jacob Garrard 1st Baronet [aged 50] joined the Worshipful Company of Salters.
On 27th February 1599 John Milton [aged 37] registered with the Worshipful Company of Scriveners.
The History of William Marshal was commissioned by his son shortly after William’s death in 1219 to celebrate the Marshal’s remarkable life; it is an authentic, contemporary voice. The manuscript was discovered in 1861 by French historian Paul Meyer. Meyer published the manuscript in its original Anglo-French in 1891 in two books. This book is a line by line translation of the first of Meyer’s books; lines 1-10152. Book 1 of the History begins in 1139 and ends in 1194. It describes the events of the Anarchy, the role of William’s father John, John’s marriages, William’s childhood, his role as a hostage at the siege of Newbury, his injury and imprisonment in Poitou where he met Eleanor of Aquitaine and his life as a knight errant. It continues with the accusation against him of an improper relationship with Margaret, wife of Henry the Young King, his exile, and return, the death of Henry the Young King, the rebellion of Richard, the future King Richard I, war with France, the death of King Henry II, and the capture of King Richard, and the rebellion of John, the future King John. It ends with the release of King Richard and the death of John Marshal.
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In 1635 Robert Abbott Scrivener [aged 25] became a member of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners. He established his own shop, the Flying Horse, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill.
In 1580 Thomas Smythe [aged 22] was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1582 Robert Myddelton [aged 19] was apprenticed to Eramus Harby 2nd Baronet of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
Around 1590 Robert Bateman [aged 28] was elected Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1620 Robert Bateman [aged 58] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1658 Anthony Bateman [aged 42] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1662 Alderman William Crow Upholster [aged 45] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1877 Richard Knight Causton 1st Baron Southwark [aged 33] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
In 1921 Richard Knight Causton 1st Baron Southwark [aged 77] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners.
Stephen Slaney joined as Worshipful Company of Skinners.
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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On 7th July 1606 William Larkin [aged 24] became a Freeman of Worshipful Company of Stainers under the patronage of Arabella Stewart [aged 31] and Edward Seymour 1st Earl Hertford [aged 67].
On 7th July 1606 William Larkin [aged 24] became a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Stainers.
On 12th October 1670 Thomas Rawlinson [aged 23] was admitted a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.
In 1687 Thomas Rawlinson [aged 39] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.
In 1696 Thomas Rawlinson [aged 48] was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.