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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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23 Aug is in August.
30BC Death of Antony and Cleopatra
1305 Capture and Execution of William Wallace
1346 Crossing of the Somme at Blanchetaque
1554 Creation of Garter Knights
1628 Murder of the Duke of Buckingham
On 23rd August 30BC Marcus Antonius aka Antyllus 47BC 30BC (age 17) was beheaded following the suicide of his father Mark Antony 83BC 30BC (deceased) and stepmother Cleopatra VII Philopator 69BC 30BC (deceased).
On 23rd August 963 Richard "Good" Normandy II Duke Normandy was born to Richard "Fearless" Normandy I Duke Normandy (age 30) and Gunnora Countess Ponthieu. He married (1) 1000 Judith Penthièvre Duchess Normandy, daughter of Conan "Crooked" Penthièvre III Duke Brittany and Ermengarde Gerberga Ingelger Duchess Brittany, and had issue (2) before 1019 Poppa Envermeu Unknown Duchess Normandy and had issue.
On 23rd August 1106 Magnus Billung Duke Saxony (age 61) died.
On 23rd August 1305 William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered at the Elms in Smithfield [Map]. His head being displayed on London Bridge [Map].
On 8th April 1956 a plaque was unveiled on the wall of St Bartholomew's Hospital near to the site of his execution the text of which reads...
To the immortal memory of Sir William Wallace Scottish patriot born at Elderslie Renfrewshire circa 1270 A.D. Who from the year 1296 fought dauntlessly in defence of his country's liberty and independence in the face of fearful odds and great hardship being eventually betrayed and captured brought to London and put to death near this spot on the 23rd August 1305.
His example heroism and devotion inspired those who came after him to win victory from defeat and his memory remains for all time a source of pride, honour and inspiration to his Countrymen.
"Dico tibi verum libertas optima rerum nunquam servili sub nexu vivito fili"
Translation: I tell you the truth, son, freedom is the best condition, never live like a slave
"Bas Agus Buaidh" aka Death and Victory, a traditional Scottish battle cry.
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Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In this year [23rd August 1305], William Wallace of Wales was drawn, hanged, and beheaded1 at London, having previously committed many crimes against the English in Scotland and the surrounding regions.
Hoc anno fuit subtractus, suspensus, et decapitatus Willelmus of William Wallace. Waleys apud Londonias, qui prius contra Anglicos in Scocia et partibus finitimis multa facinora perpetravit.
Note 1. In the Annales Londonienses (printed in Chronicles of the Reigns of Edward I and Edward II, Stubbs, Rolls Series, 1882, p. 139) It is also printed in Documents illustrative of Sir William Wallace, ed. Stevenson for the Maitland Club, 1841; and Stow incorporated a translation of it in his Annals. Wallace was executed on the 23rd August 1305.
John of Fordun's Chronicle. 116. Death of William Wallace
In the year 1305, William Wallace was craftily and treacherously taken by John of Menteith (age 30), who handed him over to the king of England (age 66); and he was, in London, torn limb from limb, and, as a reproach to the Scots, his limbs were hung on towers in sundry places throughout England and Scotland.
Langtoft's Chronicle. [23rd August 1305] We have heard news, among companions,
Of William Wallace, the master of thieves;
Sir John de Meneteith followed him at his heels,
Took him in hiding by the side of his concubine;
Carried him to London in shackles and bonds,
Where he was judged on the following conditions:
In the first place to the gallows he was drawn for treasons,
Hanged for robberies and slaughters;
And because he had annihilated by burnings,
Towns and churches and monasteries,
He is taken down from the gallows, his belly opened,
His heart and his bowels burnt to cinders,
And his head cut off for such treasons as follow:
Because he had by his assumptions of authority
Maintained the war, given protections,
Seized into his subjection the lordship
Of another's kingdom by his usurpations.
His body was cut into four parts;
Each one hangs by itself, in memory of his name,
In place of his banner these are his gonfanons.1
Note 1. 'gonfanons' i.e. 'pennants'. The poem is suggesting his body parts are his banners.
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Annals Londonienses. On the following day, Monday [23rd August 1305], the eve of Saint Bartholomew, he was led on horseback to Westminster. Sir John de Segrave and Sir Geoffrey de Segrave, along with the mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen of London, escorted and accompanied him, riding in procession with many others. In the Great Hall at Westminster, he was placed on the southern bench and was crowned with laurel leaves, because he had once claimed, as was commonly reported, that he ought to have worn a crown in that very hall. Immediately, he was called to judgment and was charged by Lord Peter Malory, justice of the King of England, as a traitor to the same king. Wallace replied that he had never been a traitor to the King of England, though he did admit to other charges brought against him. At length, the said Peter, together with the other justices, pronounced sentence, in the following terms:
In crastino vero, qui dicitur dies Lune in vigilia Sancti Bartholomæi, ductus fuit equitando apud Westmonasterium; Johannes de Segrave et Galfridus de Segrave milites, major, vicecomites et aldermanni Londoniarum eum sequentes ac ducentes, cum pluribus aliis eundo et equitando, et in aula magna Westmonasterii super scamnum australe positus, ac cum foliis lauri coronatus; pro eo quod ipse asseruit, tempore prewterito, coronam in eadem aula portare deberet, sicut vulgariter dicebatur. Statim ipso vocato ad judicium, et per dominum Petrum Maluree, justitiarium domini regis Angliæ, pro traditore ejusdem regis aggressus; qui respondit se nunquam traditorem regis Anglisiæ fuisse, sed alia crimina sibi imposita concessit. Tandem dictus Petrus cum aliis justitiariis decrevit judicium, serie qua sequitur:
Lanercost Chronicle. [23rd August 1305] William Wallace was captured by a certain Scot, to wit, Sir John de Menteith, and was taken to London to the King, and it was adjudged that he should be drawn and hanged, beheaded, disembowelled, and dismembered, and that his entrails should be burnt; which was done. And his head was exposed upon London Bridge, his right arm on the bridge of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, his left arm at Berwick, his right foot at Perth, and his left foot at Aberdeen.
The vilest doom is fittest for thy crimes,
Justice demands that thou shouldst die three times.
Thou pillager of many a sacred shrine,
Butcher of thousands, threefold death be thine!
So shall the English from thee gain relief,
Scotland! be wise, and choose a nobler chief.
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Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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Documents Illustrative of the Life of William Wallace Chapter 28. 23rd August 1305. It is adjudged that the aforesaid William [William Wallace], for the manifest sedition which he committed against his lord the king by feloniously plotting to kill him, by carrying the banner against his liege lord in mortal battle, and by attempting the annulment and overthrow of his crown and royal dignity, shall be drawn from the palace at Westminster to the Tower of London, and from the Tower to Aldgate, and thus through the middle of the city to Smithfield (Elmes), and for the robberies, murders, and felonies which he committed in the kingdom of England and the land of Scotland, he shall be hanged there, and afterwards cut down. And because he was outlawed, and was never restored to the king's peace, he shall be beheaded and decapitated. And afterwards, for the immense vileness he committed against God and Holy Church by burning churches, vessels, and reliquaries in which the body of Christ and the bodies and relics of the saints were placed, his heart, liver, lungs, and all his internal organs, from which such perverse thoughts proceeded, shall be cast into the fire and burned. And also, because he committed the aforesaid sedition, depredations, arsons, murders, and felonies not only against his lord the king but against all the people of England and Scotland, the body of the said William shall be cut and divided into four quarters, and his head thus severed shall be set upon London Bridge in view of those passing by both by land and by water, and one quarter shall be hung on the gibbet at Newcastle upon Tyne, another quarter at Berwick, a third quarter at Stirling, and the fourth quarter at St. John's Town (Perth), as a warning and punishment to all who pass by and see them, etc.
Consideratum est quod prædictus Willelmus pro manifesta seditione quam ipsi domino regi secerat felonice machinando, in mortem ejus perpetrando, annulationem et enervationem coronæ et regiæ dignitatis suæ vexillum contra dominum suum ligium in bello mortali deferendo, detrahatur a palatio Westmonasterii ussque Turrim London, et a Turri usque Allegate, et sic per medium civitatis usque Elmes, et pro roberiis et homicidiis et feloniis, quas in regno Angliæ et terra Scotia fecit, ibidem sufsendatur et poftea devaletur. Et quia utlagatus fuit, nec postea ad pacem domini regis restitutus, decolletur et decapitetur. Et postea pro immensa vilitate, quam Deo et sacrosanctæ ecclesiæ fecit comburendo ecclesias, vasa et feretra, in quibus corpus Christi et corpora sanctorum et reliquiæ eorundem collocabantur, cor, epar, et pulmo et omnia interiora ipsius Willelmi, a quibus tam perversæ cogitationes processerunt, in ignem mittantur et comburentur. Et etiam, quia non solum ipsi domino regi, sed toti plebi Angliæ et Scotiæ, prædicta seditionem, deprædationes, incendia, et homicidia et felonias fecerat, corpus illius Willelmi in quatuor quarteria scindatur et dividatur, et caput sic abscissum assedatur super pontem London, in conspectu tam per terram quam per aquam transeuntium, et unum quarterium suspendatur in gibetto apud Novum Castrum super Tynam, aliud quarterium apud Berewyk, tertium quarterium apud Stryvelyn, et quartum quarterium apud Villam Sancti Johannis, in metum et castigationem omnium prætereuntium et ea conspicientium, & c.
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Annals of Six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet [1258-1328]. [23rd August 1305] The King of England, having settled affairs in Scotland, returned to England, leaving behind the noble knight John de Segrave as guardian of the land. William Wallace, who had stirred up Scotland, was captured and brought to London; and there, having been judicially condemned, he was drawn, hanged, and finally beheaded. His head was placed on a high pole in London, in a prominent place; his body was sent to Scotland, divided into four parts, which were hung in various locations to serve as a warning to others.
Rex Angliæ, ordinatis rebus Scotiæ, revertitur in Angliam, Joanne de Segrave, milite nobili, custode terre relicto. Willelmus Waleis, qui Scotiam commoverat, captus Londonias ducitur; et ibidem judicialiter condemnatus, trahitur, sus- penditur, et ultimo decollatur: cujus caput Londoniis in loco eminenti figitur super palum; corpus vero in Scotiam transmissum, divisum est in quartas, que ad aliorum terrorem in diversis partibus suspenduntur.
Froissart Book 3: 1342-1346. [23rd August 1346] [268] Then there was a servant, called Gobin Agace, who stepped forward to speak, for he knew the passage of the Blanchetaque better than any other, for he was born and raised nearby, and had crossed and recrossed it several times that year. So he said to the king: 'Yes, in the name of God. I promise you, upon the forfeit of my head, that I shall lead you well to such a ford, where you and your host may pass the river Somme without peril. And there are certain limits of the passage where twelve men may well cross abreast, twice between night and day, and the water will come no higher than the knees. For when the tide of the sea is rising, it flows back into the river so strongly that no one could pass it. But when that tide, which comes twice between night and day, has fully ebbed, the river remains there so shallow that one may cross easily, on foot and on horseback. This cannot be done anywhere else save at the bridge at Abbeville, which is a strong and great town, well furnished with men-at-arms. And at this passage, my lord, which I name to you, there is gravel of white marl, hard and firm, on which carts may safely travel; and for this reason the ford is called the Blanchetaque.'
When the king of England heard the words of the servant, he was not so glad as if someone had given him twenty thousand écus. And he said to him: 'Companion, if I find true that which you tell us, I will release you from your prison, and all your companions as well, for love of you, and I will have a hundred nobles given to you.' And Gobin Agace replied: 'Sire, yes, upon peril of my head. But arrange this, that you be there upon the riverbank before the sun rises.' Said the king: 'Willingly.' Then he caused it to be proclaimed throughout his host that each man should be armed and made ready at the sound of the trumpet, to march forth and depart thence, to go elsewhere.
Là eut un varlet, que on clamoit Gobin Agace,qui s'avança de parler, car il cognissoit le passage de le Blanke Take mieulz que nulz aultres, car il estoit nés et nouris de là priés, et l'avoit passet et rapasset en ceste anée par pluiseurs fois. Si dist au roy: "Oil, en nom Dieu. Je vous prommeth, sus l'abandon dema tieste, que je vous menrai bien à tel pas, où vous passerés le rivière de Somme, et vostre host, sans peril. Et y a certainnes mètes de passage, où douze hommes le passeroient bien de front, deux fois entre nuit et jour, et n'aroient de l'aigue plus avant quejusques as genoulz. Car quant li fluns de le mer est en venant, il regorge le rivière si contremont que nuls ne le poroit passer. Mais quant cilz fluns, qui vient deux fois entre nuit et jour, s'en est tous ralés, la rivière demeure là endroit si petite que on y passe bien aise, à piet et à cheval. Ce ne poet on faire aultre part que là, fors au pont à Abbeville, qui estforte ville et grande, et bien garnie de gens d'armes. Et au dit passage, monsigneur, que je vous nomme, a gravier de blanke marle, forte et dure, sur quoi on poet seurement chariier, et pour ce appelle on ce pas le Blanke Take."
Quant li rois d'Engleterre oy les parolles dou varlet, il n'euist mies estet si liés qui li euist donné vingt mil escus, et li dist: "Compains, si je trueve en vrai ce que tu nous dis, je te quitterai ta prison et tous tes compagnons, pour l'amour de ti, et te feraidelivrer cent nobles." Et Gobins Agace respondi: "Sire, oil, en peril de ma tieste. Mais ordenés vous sur ce, pour estre là sur la rive devant soleil levant." Dist li rois: "Volentiers." Puis fist savoir par tout son host que cescuns fust armés etappareilliés au son de le trompète, pour mouvoir et partir de là pour aler ailleurs.
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Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In this year, Master John Stratford (age 73), Archbishop of Canterbury, died on the 23rd day of August [1348] and on the 19th day of September he was buried at Canterbury. Afterwards, Master Thomas Bradwardine (age 48), a doctor of theology, was elected Archbishop; but by papal provision, Master John Ufford, the king's chancellor, was appointed to that dignity, though he died before being consecrated. Then, in the following year, the aforesaid Master Thomas Bradwardine was elected again, consecrated at the Roman Curia, and died in the same year.
Isto anno magister Iohannes Stretford, archiepiscopus Cantuariensis, XXIII die Augusti obiit, et XIX die Septembris fuit Cantuarie traditus sepulture. Postea fuit electus in archiepiscopum magister Thomas Bradewardin, doctor in theologia; set provisione pape fuit ad istam dignitatem ordinatus magister lohannes Ufford, regis cancellarius, qui non consecratus moriebatur. Deinde, anno sequent!, prefatus magister Thomas Bradewardin l iterum electus fuit, in curia Romana consecratus, et eodem anno mortuus.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. While these things were happening by land and sea,1 after the Duke of Lancaster had returned from Prussia, Otto, son of the Duke of Brunswick, a German and stipendiary of the King of France, sent him a letter in which he accused the Duke. He claimed that the Duke, while returning through Cologne from Prussia, had maliciously informed the citizens of Cologne that Otto had attempted to secretly abduct him in order to deliver him as a captive to the King of France. Otto added that, because he had never conceived such a plot, he was prepared to defend his honour by single combat, but only in the court of the King of France, and to prove the Duke a liar in that matter. However, the letter containing this accusation was not sealed, and so, to avoid being seen as taking a foolish note seriously, especially one delivered by a servant of low rank, the Duke sent two knights to Otto, to inquire about the accusation and to request that Otto issue a proper letter bearing an authentic seal. After the knights completed their mission and returned quickly from Germany, the Duke of Lancaster requested safe conduct from the King of France for himself and his followers. At length, with great difficulty, the necessary permission was granted, and the Duke travelled to Paris, where, in the presence of: the King of France, the King of Navarre, the Duke of Burgundy, and many other peers and nobles of France, the Duke mounted his warhorse with proper decorum, bearing no sign of hesitation, and fully ready for the desired duel. He awaited his opponent's appearance, the herald's summons, and the formal pledge of mutual oath to accept the verdict and abide by the law. But on the other side, the said Otto, struggling to mount his horse, which resisted him and reared up, could barely be helped into the saddle. Once mounted, he could not properly fit his helmet or shield, nor raise his lance, and feigned madness or incapacity. Thus, with Otto's incapacity revealed before the king and all present, the King of France immediately declared that the matter of the duel would henceforth be reserved for his own judgment. Otto was then ordered to leave the field, while the Duke remained in the lists. Afterward, at the king's command, Otto swore an oath that he would never again accuse the Duke of Lancaster on that matter. And so the Duke of Lancaster returned to England via Zeeland.
Dum hec in mari et terris gerebantur, duci Lancastrie a Sprucia reverso misit literas Otto, filius ducis Brunnuswici Teutonici et stipendiarius coronati Francorum, quibus ipsum ducem calumpniabatur, asserens quod dux, per Coloniam de Sprucia revertens, informavit maliciose Colonienses de eo quod prefatus Otto nitebatur ipsum ducem furtive rapuisse coronato Francorum ut captivum presentandum, subdens quod, quia talem raptum numquam excogitavit, paratus fuerat in declaracionem sue fame per monomachiam, in curia dumtaxat regis Francie, ducem Lancastrie de prestito articulo mendacem comprobare. Litere, quibus ista continebantur, non fuerunt sigillate; et ideo, ne stultam visus fuisset cedule fidem adibuisse, presertim per famulum status abiecti presentate, misit Ottoni duos milites inquisituros causam calumnie et petituros eius super illa literas patentes per sigillum autenticum muniendas. Quibus, itineris impleto negocio, ab Alemannia festinanter reversis, misit dux coronato Francorum pro securo conductu sui atque suorum optinendo. Cum magna tandem difficultate petita et optenta licencia regis, Parisium adivit; ubi in ligaticiis, presentibus coronato Francorum, rege eciam Navarre et duce Burgundie atque plurimis paribus et aliis de regno Francie, dux dextrarium decenter conscendit, omni signo sine defectu duello desiderato. Omnino paratus expectavit adversarii preparacionem et vocem preconis atque caucionem communis iuramenti de fide dictorum et parendo iuri. E contra predictum Ottonem vix auxilio sublevancium equus recalcitrans recepit invitus, a quo evectus non potuit cassidem set neque scutum decenter aptare, aut lanceam erigere, aut se non posse vecorditer finxit Itaque statim coronato atque regi aliisque presentibus comperta Ottonis impotencia, coronatus Francorum causam monomachie pertractandam sibi continuo reservavit. Unde Otto primitus iussus a loco abscessit et in area dux expectavit. Post hec, precepto coronati Francorum, Otto iuravit quod numquam ex tunc de predicto articulo ducem Lancastrie calumpniaret; et abinde dux per Selandiam repatriavit.
Note 1. Stow Annales 397.
Knighton has a very full account of the quarrel, and gives the text of Otho's challenge. Lancaster had licence to leave England, to meet his adversary, on the 23rd August (Rymer's Fœdera 3.248), and crossed over to Calais with a retinue of fifty knights. He was met on French territory early in December ('in quindena ante Natale Domini' i.e. 'in the fortnight before the Nativity of the Lord') by the marshal Jean de Clermont and conducted in great state to Paris. Otho of Brunswick was the son of Henry II duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, and afterwards married queen Jane of Naples. He cut a very sorry figure in the lists:
After the submission of Otho, Knighton 2604.
It is remarkable that Froissart does not mention the quarrel, which would have provided ample material for a picturesque description.
On 23rd August 1415 Wartislaw Griffins 8th Duke Pomerania died. His nephew Wartislaw succeeded 9th Duke Pomerania.
On 23rd August 1498 Miguel Aviz was born to Manuel "Fortunate" I King Portugal (age 29) and Isabella Trastámara Queen Consort Portugal. Coefficient of inbreeding 8.38%. He died aged one in 1500.
On 23rd August 1499 Bishop John Blythe (age 39) died. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. Monument bottom middle.
On 23rd August 1517 Francis Lorraine I Duke Lorraine was born to Antoine Lorraine II Duke Lorraine (age 28) and Renée Bourbon Duchess Lorraine (age 23) at Nancy. He married before 1543 his third cousin Christina Oldenburg Duchess Lorraine, daughter of Christian II King of Denmark II King Norway and Isabella of Austria Queen Consort Denmark and Norway, 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.
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On 23rd August 1524 Bishop Edmund Tuchet (age 81) died. He was buried in Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. Finely carved monument. Similar in style to Prince Arthur's Chantry [Map] in Worcester Cathedral [Map].
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd August 1551. The xxiij day [of] August the Kynges (age 13) grace went from Amton courte [Map] unto Wyndsore [Map], and ther was stallyd the Frenche Kyng (age 32) of the nobull order of the garter, with a grett baner of armes inbrodered with flowrs delusys of gold bosted, the mantylls of tysshuw, and the elmett clene gylt and ys sword; and the goodly gere was.
Note. The French king installed at Windsor. This was of course by deputy. He had been elected of the Garter on the St. George's day preceding, and the marquess of Northampton (age 39) had conveyed the insignia to France. See various documents relating to his election described by Strype, Memorials, 1721, ii. 512.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd August 1551. The xxiij day of August ded the bysshope of Lynckolne (deceased), - the v yer of Kyng Edward the vjt.
On 23rd August 1554 Queen Mary I of England and Ireland (age 38) created her new husband (age 27) and the Earl of Sussex Garter Knights:
331st Philip "The Prudent" II King Spain.
332nd Henry Radclyffe 2nd Earl of Sussex (age 47).
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd August 1557. The xxiij day of August was the hers of the kyng [of Denmark] at Powlles taken downe by master Garter, and serten of the lord tressorer('s) servandes, and the waxchandlers and carpynters.
On 23rd August 1628 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 35) was murdered at Greyhound Pub, Portsmouth by a disgruntled soldier John Felton (age 33). He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son George succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, 2nd Earl Buckingham.
Felton was considered a hero by many who blamed Buckingham for the failures of the 1625 Cádiz Expedition and 1627 Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Felton was subsequently hanged.
Universal Review. Long as we could linger upon other parts of this volume, and much as we should like to quote a passage from the letter of the "head and fellows of Trinity college, Cambria, to Lord Burghley, to borrow the robes in the Tower of London, to wear in a tragedy to be acted by them," — we find it must not be: but as this volume contains many curious particulars relating to James I., the two Charleses, and James II., we are quite sure that it cannot fail to be as acceptable as its companions. There is a letter of "Dudley Lord Carleton to the queen, announcing the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham," which we give a brief extract: premising (in the language of the editor of the truth of which it has been our good fortune to have had ocular demonstration) that "the paper, which was found in Felton's hat," and by which he was identified as the assassin of the Duke of Buckingham, is STILL PRESERVED. It was recently found among the Evelyn papery at Wotton in Surrey; and is now in the possession of Mr. Upcott, of the London Institution. The pedigree of this singular sip of paper is satisfactorily given by Mr. Ellis. The passage from Carleton's letter to the queen, relating to the assassination of Buckingham, is as follows:
23rd August 1628.
"This day, betwixt nine and ten of the clock in the morning, the Duke of Buckingham, then coming out of a parlour, into a hall, to go to his coach, and so to the king, (who was four miles off) having about him divers lords, colonels, and Captains, and many of his own servants, was, by one Felton, (once a lieutenant of this our army) slain at one blow with a dagger knife. In his staggering, he turned about, uttering only this word 'villaine!' and never spake more: but presently, plucking out the knife from himself, before he fell to the ground, he made towards the traitor two or three paces, and then fell ainst a table, although he were upheld by divers that were near him, that (through the villain's close carriage in the act) could not perceive him hurt at all, but guessed him to be suddenly mare with some apoplexy, 'till they saw the blood come gushing from his mouth and the wound so fast, that life and breath at once left his begored body."
We have taken the liberty to modernise the spelling of this very curious description, in order to meet the tastes of the greater number of readers.
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On 23rd August 1641 John Leslie 6th Earl Rothes (age 41) died. His son John (age 11) succeeded 7th Earl Rothes.
On 15th August 1642 Henry Bourchier 5th Earl Bath (age 55) rejected a summons from the House of Lords which required his attendance at Parliament. On 23rd August 1642 his arrest was ordered. On 28th September 1642 he was arrested at Tawstock Court, Devon and imprisoned at the Tower of London [Map].
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd August 1660. Came Duke Hamilton (age 25), Lord Lothian (age 55), and several Scottish Lords, to see my garden.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd August 1662. So we parted, and Mr. Creed by appointment being come, he and I went out together, and at an ordinary in Lombard Street [Map] dined together, and so walked down to the Styllyard [Map], and so all along Thames-street, but could not get a boat: I offered eight shillings for a boat to attend me this afternoon, and they would not, it being the day of the Queen's (age 23) coming to town from Hampton Court [Map].
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd August 1662. Anon come the King (age 32) and Queen (age 23) in a barge under a canopy with 10,000 barges and boats, I think, for we could see no water for them, nor discern the King nor Queen. And so they landed at White Hall Bridge, and the great guns on the other side went off: But that which pleased me best was, that my Baroness Castlemaine's (age 21) stood over against us upon a piece of White Hall, where I glutted myself with looking on her. But methought it was strange to see her Lord (age 28) and her upon the same place walking up and down without taking notice one of another, only at first entry he put off his hat, and she made him a very civil salute, but afterwards took no notice one of another; but both of them now and then would take their child, which the nurse held in her armes, and dandle it.
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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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd August 1665. After he was gone comes by a pretence of mine yesterday old Delks the waterman, with his daughter Robins, and several times to and again, he leaving her with me, about the getting of his son Robins off, who was pressed yesterday again.... All the afternoon at my office mighty busy writing letters, and received a very kind and good one from my Lord Sandwich (age 40) of his arrival with the fleete at Solebay [Map], and the joy he has at my last newes he met with, of the marriage of my Lady Jemimah; and he tells me more, the good newes that all our ships, which were in such danger that nobody would insure upon them, from the Eastland1, were all safe arrived, which I am sure is a great piece of good luck, being in much more danger than those of Hambrough which were lost, and their value much greater at this time to us.
Note 1. Eastland was a name given to the eastern countries of Europe. The Eastland Company, or Company of Merchants trading to the East Country, was incorporated in Queen (age 26) Elizabeth's reign (anno 21), and the charter was confirmed 13 Car. II They were also called "The Merchants of Elbing"..
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd August 1667. So being all dusty, we put into the Castle tavern, by the Savoy, and there brushed ourselves, and then to White Hall with our fellows to attend the Council, by order upon some proposition of my Lord Anglesey (age 53), we were called in.
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd August 1669. I went to visit my most excellent and worthy neighbour, the Lord Bishop of Rochester (age 44), at Bromley, which he was now repairing, after the delapidations of the late Rebellion.
On 23rd August 1676 Catherine Russell Duchess Rutland was born to William Russell (age 36) and Rachel Wriothesley (age 40). She married before 21st October 1696 her sixth cousin John Manners 2nd Duke Rutland, son of John Manners 1st Duke Rutland and Catherine Noel Duchess Rutland, and had issue.
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd August 1678. Upon Sir Robert Reading's (age 38) importunity, I went to visit the Duke of Norfolk (age 50), at his new palace at Weybridge, where he has laid out in building near £10,000, on a copyhold, and in a miserable, barren, sandy place by the street side; never in my life had I seen such expense to so small purpose. The rooms are wainscotted, and some of them richly pargeted with cedar, yew, cypress, etc. There are some good pictures, especially that incomparable painting of Holbein's, where the Duke of Norfolk, Charles Brandon and Henry VIII., are dancing with the three ladies, with most amorous countenances, and sprightly motion exquisitely expressed. It is a thousand pities (as I told my Lord of Arundel (age 23), his son), that that jewel should be given away.
John Evelyn's Diary. 23rd August 1688. Dr. Sprat (age 53), Bishop of Rochester, wrote a very honest and handsome letter to the Commissioners Ecclesiastical, excusing himself from sitting any longer among them, he by no means approving of their prosecuting the Clergy who refused to read the Declaration for liberty of conscience, in prejudice of the Church of England.
On 23rd August 1693 George Murray was born to John Murray 1st Duke Atholl (age 33) and Catherine Hamilton Duchess Atholl (age 31). He died aged less than one years old.
On 23rd August 1712 Sophie Saxe Coburg Altenburg was born to Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg (age 36) and Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg at Altenburg. She died aged less than one years old.
On 23rd August 1746, Saturday, Robert Rochfort 1st Earl of Belvedere (age 38) and Richard Herbert (age 42) engaged in a duel over a long-standing debt of honour at the fields between Tottenham Court Road and Marylebone. Robert Rochfort 1st Earl of Belvedere was badly wounded. Richard Herbert received a ball in the eye which came out at the back of the skull. He survived albeit with mentaal impairment.
Jean de Waurin's Chronicle of England Volume 6 Books 3-6: The Wars of the Roses
Jean de Waurin was a French Chronicler, from the Artois region, who was born around 1400, and died around 1474. Waurin’s Chronicle of England, Volume 6, covering the period 1450 to 1471, from which we have selected and translated Chapters relating to the Wars of the Roses, provides a vivid, original, contemporary description of key events some of which he witnessed first-hand, some of which he was told by the key people involved with whom Waurin had a personal relationship.
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On 23rd August 1748 Elizabeth Andrews died. Memorial at St Germans Priory [Map]. Inscription:
To the Mem: of Elizabeth Glanvill The faithful and affectionate wife The sincere and Bosom friend The kind and equal partner In all the cares of her afflicted Husband John Glanville Esq. She lived (as much as in her lay) with a Conscience void of offence towards God And towards man and died praising God August 23 1748.
While faithful Earth does thy cold Relics keep
And soft as was thy nature is thy sleep,
Let here this pious marble fix'd above
Witness the Husband's grief, the Husband's love
Grief that no rolling years can ere efface
And love that only with himself must cease
And let it bear for thee this heartfelt boast
T'was He who knew thee best that lov'd thee most.
John Glanville their only child died Jan. 7th 1750-1 in the 21 year of his age.
Elizabeth Andrews: Before 1727 John Glanville of Catchfrench and she were married.
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On 23rd August 1754 Louis XVI King France was born to Dauphin Louis Bourbon (age 24) and Dauphine Maria Josepha of France (age 22). He married 16th May 1770 his second cousin once removed Queen Marie Antoinette of France, daughter of Francis I Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa Habsburg Spain Holy Roman Empress, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1792 Joshua Reynolds (age 69) died at his home in Leicester Fields. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral [Map]. He bequesthed his niece Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond (age 42) £100,000 in his will.
On 23rd August 1799 Major George Seymour Crole was born to King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland (age 37) and Elizabeth Ilive Countess Egremont (age 30)
On 23rd August 1800 Frederick Emil Oldenburg was born to Frederick Christian Oldenburg II Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg (age 34) and Louise Auguste Oldenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg (age 29) . At Kiel. He a great x 2 grandson of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 1829 Henriette Danneskjold Samsøe Danneskiold Samsøe and had issue.
On 25th July 1829 Elizabeth Siddal was born to Charles Crooke Siddall (age 28) and Elizabeth Eleanor Evans at 7 Charles Street, Hatton Garden. She was baptised 23rd August 1830 at St Andrew's Church, Holborn [Map]. She married 23rd May 1860 Dante Gabriel Rossetti and had issue.
Charles Crooke Siddall: Around 1801 he was born.
Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire. August 23d, 1843, the large and well-known barrow upon the summit of Wolfscote Hill [Map], near Biggin [Map], was opened by cutting a wide trench from the south side towards the central depression. Shortly before arriving at this point, a cist, built of large limestones, was discovered immediately across the cutting and on the level of the natural ground. This vault, having no cover, was filled with earth and stones, which had settled down into it. On these being cleared out, the contents of the cist were found to be the remains of two young children, accompanied by an urn of sun-dried clay, rather neatly ornamented. This, owing to the settling of the mound, was crushed to pieces, and lay on one side on the floor of the cist, which was covered with rats' bones. On reaching the centre of the tumulus, it became very apparent that that part had been opened previously and the contents destroyed, the only remains now found being fragments of two urns, the bones of a similar number of human skeletons, and a variety of animal remains, all which had been taken out and thrown in again with the soil at the time of the prior opening of this barrow.
Thomas Bateman 1846. Upon a more complete investigation of this barrow (on the 23d of August, 1847) another interment was discovered in a similar cist on the opposite side of the mound, as was anticipated on the previous occasion. The mode of burial was in each case similar both bodies having been laid at a depth of nine feet from the summit, and covered with numerous large stones. In this instance the skeleton lay on the left side, in a contracted position, with one aim beneath the head, and near the thigh-bones were found a neatly-chipped spear-head of gray flint, and a small bronze pin, which had been inserted into a wooden handle.
Nothing else worthy of notice occurred in the progress of the excavation.
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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Diary of a Dean by Merewether. 23rd August 1849. 21st, — Whilst the men were commencing their work at the large barrows on the preceding day, a shepherd stated that one of the boys had told him that he had "hooked" up out of a little barrow on Bye Down Hill a crock, but he knocked it to bits with the stick. On visiting the spot, about a mile north-east, it appeared to be a very small barrow, without any trench round it, and very little elevated; the turf on this part of the down is much broken. At the top of the barrow were evidently the remains of an urn, of a pottery apparently more compact than those recently discovered; and from the holes in the turf, in different directions, various fragments might be collected (H). Almost at the verge of the barrow was a trackway, having a trench on either side; but it was not easy to trace it for more than two miles, in consequence of the cultivation of the hills; it runs nearly east and west; traversing in the easterly direction from this spot the down called "Temple" Down, on which, near its course, is a hut designated by the grandiloquent title of "Glorian."1
Note 1. "Gloria Tanaris." as suggested by the site, as connected with the worship of Mr Bowes, from the possilble sanctity of that deity.
On 23rd August 1861 Philip Hamond (age 22) died from sun stroke in India. Memorial in All Saints Church, West Acre [Map].
Philip Hamond: Around 1839 he was born to Anthony Hamond and Mary Anne Musters.
On 23rd August 1891 Wilhelm Friedrich Christian Glücksburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg was born to Friedrich Ferdinand Glücksburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg (age 35) and Victoria Friederike Oldenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg (age 31). He married 5th February 1916 his fifth cousin Marie Melita Hohenlohe Langenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg and had issue.
On 23rd August 1914 Prince Friedrich of Saxe Meiningen (age 52) was killed in action.
On 23rd August 1930 Alan Ian Percy 8th Duke Northumberland (age 50) died. His son Henry (age 18) succeeded 9th Duke Northumberland, 6th Earl Beverley, 12th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.
On 23rd August 1933 Lieutenant-Colonel William Dale Chaytor Trotter (age 33) died. He has a memorial at St Mary's Church, Staindrop [Map].
Lieutenant-Colonel William Dale Chaytor Trotter: On 29th July 1900 he was born.
On 23rd August 1944 a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Consolidated B-24 Liberator crashed during a test flight into the centre of the village of Freckleton, Lancashire, England, killing all three crewmen aboard the aircraft and 58 individuals on the ground, including 38 children aged four to six.
On approach from, the pilot First Lieutenant John Bloemendal reported to the control tower that he was aborting landing at the last moment and would perform a go-around. Shortly afterwards, and out of sight of the second aircraft, the aircraft hit the village of Freckleton, just east of the airfield.
Already flying very low to the ground and with wings near vertical, the B-24's right wing tip hit a tree-top and was ripped away as it impacted with the corner of a building. The rest of the wing continued, ploughing along the ground and through a hedge. The fuselage partly demolished three houses and the Sad Sack Snack Bar that catered specifically for American servicemen from the airbase, before crossing Lytham Road and bursting into flames.
After part of the aircraft hit the infants' wing of Freckleton Holy Trinity School, fuel from the ruptured tanks ignited and produced another sea of flames.
52 people (the three crew members on the B-24, 34 children, one teacher, six American servicemen, one RAF airman and seven Snack Bar staff) died instantly, with nine others (four children, one teacher, an American serviceman and three RAF airmen) later dying in hospital from their injuries.
On 23rd August 963 Richard "Good" Normandy II Duke Normandy was born to Richard "Fearless" Normandy I Duke Normandy (age 30) and Gunnora Countess Ponthieu. He married (1) 1000 Judith Penthièvre Duchess Normandy, daughter of Conan "Crooked" Penthièvre III Duke Brittany and Ermengarde Gerberga Ingelger Duchess Brittany, and had issue (2) before 1019 Poppa Envermeu Unknown Duchess Normandy and had issue.
On 23rd August 1276 Hugh Neville 1st Baron Neville Essex was born to John Neville (age 36). He married (1) 1290 Eleanor Weyland and had issue (2) before 21st October 1309 his fifth cousin once removed Ida Fitzwalter Baroness Neville Essex, daughter of Robert Fitzwalter 1st Baron Fitzwalter and Eleanor Ferrers Baroness Fitzwalter.
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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On 23rd August 1326 William Furnival 4th Baron Furnivall was born to Thomas Furnival 2nd Baron Furnivall and Joan Verdun Baroness Furnivall (age 23).
On 23rd August 1334 John Welles 4th Baron Welles was born to Adam Welles 3rd Baron Welles (age 30) and Margaret Bardolf Baroness Welles (age 22). He married 1345 Maud Ros Baroness Welles, daughter of William Ros 2nd Baron Ros Helmsley and Margery Badlesmere Baroness Ros of Helmsley, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1498 Miguel Aviz was born to Manuel "Fortunate" I King Portugal (age 29) and Isabella Trastámara Queen Consort Portugal. Coefficient of inbreeding 8.38%. He died aged one in 1500.
On 23rd August 1517 Francis Lorraine I Duke Lorraine was born to Antoine Lorraine II Duke Lorraine (age 28) and Renée Bourbon Duchess Lorraine (age 23) at Nancy. He married before 1543 his third cousin Christina Oldenburg Duchess Lorraine, daughter of Christian II King of Denmark II King Norway and Isabella of Austria Queen Consort Denmark and Norway, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1602 John Marsham 1st Baronet was born. He married before 16th December 1650 Elizabeth Hammond Lady Marsham and had issue.
On 23rd August 1637 Bishop Francis Turner was born to Dean Thomas Turner (age 46) and Margaret Windebank.
On 23rd August 1676 Catherine Russell Duchess Rutland was born to William Russell (age 36) and Rachel Wriothesley (age 40). She married before 21st October 1696 her sixth cousin John Manners 2nd Duke Rutland, son of John Manners 1st Duke Rutland and Catherine Noel Duchess Rutland, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1693 George Murray was born to John Murray 1st Duke Atholl (age 33) and Catherine Hamilton Duchess Atholl (age 31). He died aged less than one years old.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 23rd August 1712 Sophie Saxe Coburg Altenburg was born to Frederick Saxe Coburg Altenburg II Duke Saxe Gotha Altenburg (age 36) and Magdalena Augusta Anhalt-Zerbst Duchess Saxe Gotha Altenburg at Altenburg. She died aged less than one years old.
On 23rd August 1725 James Radclyffe 4th Earl of Newburgh was born to Charles Radclyffe Earl Newburgh (age 31) and Charlotte Livingstone 3rd Countess Newburgh (age 31). He a great grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. He married 11th November 1749 his third cousin Barbara Kemp Countess Newburgh and had issue.
On 23rd August 1730 James Hamilton 2nd Earl Clanbrassil was born to James Hamilton 1st Earl Clanbrassil (age 36) and Harriet Bentinck Countess Clanbrassil (age 24). He married 21st May 1744 Grace Foley Countess Clanbrassil, daughter of Thomas Foley 1st Baron Foley and Grace Granville.
On 23rd August 1737 Anne Thomas was born to Bishop John Thomas (age 41). She married 19th April 1762 Bishop William Buller and had issue.
On 23rd August 1741 James Hope Johnstone 3rd Earl Hopetoun was born to John Hope 2nd Earl Hopetoun (age 36) and Anne Ogilvy Countess Hopetoun (age 31).
On 23rd August 1744 John Dawson 1st Earl Portarlington was born to William Henry Dawson 1st Viscount Carlow (age 31). He married before 1781 Caroline Stuart Countess Portarlington, daughter of John Stuart 3rd Earl Bute and Mary Wortley-Montagu Countess Bute, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1751 George Shuckburgh-Evelyn 6th Baronet was born to Richard Schuckburgh (age 28). He married (1) 1782 Sarah Johanna Darker (2) 6th October 1785 Julia Annabella Evelyn and had issue.
On 23rd August 1754 Louis XVI King France was born to Dauphin Louis Bourbon (age 24) and Dauphine Maria Josepha of France (age 22). He married 16th May 1770 his second cousin once removed Queen Marie Antoinette of France, daughter of Francis I Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa Habsburg Spain Holy Roman Empress, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1760 Henrietta Cholmley Lady Strickland was born to Nathaniel Cholmley (age 38) and Henrietta-Katharina Croft. She married 15th April 1778 her sixth cousin William Strickland 6th Baronet, son of George Strickland 5th Baronet, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1767 Richard Bedingfeld 5th Baronet was born to Richard Henry Bedingfield 4th Baronet (age 46) and Mary Browne (age 45) at Bath, Somerset [Map]. He married 16th June 1795 his third cousin twice removed Charlotte Georgiana Jerningam, daughter of William Jerningham of Cossey Park 6th Baronet and Frances Dillon, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1768 Astley Paston Cooper 1st Baronet was born to Reverend Samuel Cooper (age 28) and Maria Susanna Bransby (age 31) at Brooke Hall, Norfolk. He was baptised on 9th September 1768 at St Peter's Church, Brooke [Map].
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 23rd August 1770 Edward Moore 2nd Marquess Drogheda was born to Charles Moore 1st Marquess Drogheda (age 40) and Anne Seymour-Conway Countess Drogheda (age 26). He a great x 3 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland.
On 23rd August 1783 Henrietta Hay-Drummond was born to Robert Hay-Drummond 10th Earl Kinnoul (age 32) and Sarah Harley Countess Kinnoul. She married before 20th February 1860 Henry Drummond and had issue.
On 23rd August 1787 Charles Yorke was born to Philip Yorke 3rd Earl of Hardwicke (age 30) and Elizabeth Lindsay Countess Hardwicke (age 23). He died aged four in 1791.
On 23rd August 1794 Rebecca Alton Lady Alleyne was born to John Alton. She married 20th September 1810 Reynold Abel Alleyne 2nd Baronet, son of John Gay Alleyn 1st Baronet, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1799 Major George Seymour Crole was born to King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland (age 37) and Elizabeth Ilive Countess Egremont (age 30)
On 23rd August 1800 Frederick Emil Oldenburg was born to Frederick Christian Oldenburg II Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg (age 34) and Louise Auguste Oldenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg (age 29) . At Kiel. He a great x 2 grandson of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland. He married 1829 Henriette Danneskjold Samsøe Danneskiold Samsøe and had issue.
On 23rd August 1805 Admiral Frederick William Grey was born to Charles Grey 2nd Earl Grey (age 41) and Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby Countess Grey (age 29). He married 20th July 1846 Barbara Sullivan.
On 23rd August 1806 Henry Howard 2nd Earl of Effingham was born to Kenneth Alexander Howard 1st Earl of Effingham (age 38) and Charlotte Primrose Countess Effingham (age 30). Coefficient of inbreeding 3.12%. He married 1832 Eliza Drummond Baroness Howard 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.
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On 23rd August 1810 John Thomas Dutton was born to John Dutton 2nd Baron Sherborne (age 31). He married 19th July 1836 Lavinia Parker, daughter of Thomas Parker 5th Earl Macclesfield and Eliza Wolstenholme Countess Macclesfield, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1815 Henry Wentworth Acland 1st Baronet was born to Thomas Dyke Acland 10th Baronet (age 28) and Elizabeth Hoare (age 28). He married 14th July 1846 Sarah Cotton and had issue.
On 23rd August 1827 Admiral John Hay was born to George Hay 8th Marquess Tweedale (age 40) and Susan Montagu Marchioness Teviotdale (age 26).
On 23rd August 1828 George Russell 4th Baronet was born to Henry Russell 2nd Baronet (age 45). He married 1871 Constance Charlotte Lennox and had issue.
On 23rd August 1876 Richard William Alan Onslow 5th Earl Onslow was born to William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow (age 23) and Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow (age 23). He married 22nd February 1906 Violet Marcia Bampfylde Countess Onslow, daughter of Coplestone Richard Bampfylde 3rd Baron Poltimore and Margaret Harriet Beaumont Baroness Poltimore, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1886 Charles Daniel Finch-Knightley 10th Earl of Aylesford was born to Charles Wightwick Finch 8th Earl of Aylesford (age 35).
On 23rd August 1891 Wilhelm Friedrich Christian Glücksburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg was born to Friedrich Ferdinand Glücksburg Duke Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg (age 35) and Victoria Friederike Oldenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg (age 31). He married 5th February 1916 his fifth cousin Marie Melita Hohenlohe Langenburg Duchess Schleswig Holstein Sonderburg Glücksburg and had issue.
On 23rd August 1898 Cynthia Blanche Curzon Lady Ancoats was born to George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Kedleston (age 39) and Mary Victoria Leiter Baroness Curzon Kedleston (age 28). She married 11th May 1920 Oswald Mosley 6th Baronet, son of Oswald Mosley 5th Baronet and Katharine Maud Edwards-Heathcote, and had issue.
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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On 23rd August 1900 Marion Feodorovna Louise Glyn was born to Frederic Glyn 4th Baron Wolverton (age 35) and Edith Amelia Ward Baroness Wolverton (age 27). She married 18th April 1932 George Herbert Arthur Edward Hyde Villiers, son of George Herbert Hyde Villiers 6th Earl Clarendon, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1904 Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness was born to Harry Hays Morgan Senior. She was an identical twin with her sister Gloria aka Maria Mercedes Morgan. She married (1) 27th June 1926 Marmaduke Furness 1st Viscount Furness, son of Christopher Furness 1st Baron Furness and Jane Annette Suggitt Baroness Furness, and had issue.
On 23rd August 1904 Gloria aka Maria Mercedes Morgan was born to Harry Hays Morgan Senior. She was an identical twin with her sister Thelma Morgan Viscountess Furness. She married 6th March 1923 Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt.
On 23rd August 1909 Barbara Susan Montgomerie was born to Archibald Montgomerie 16th Earl of Eglinton (age 29) and Beatrice Susan Dalrymple Countess Eglinton. She married 4th February 1930 Christopher Gerald Gore and had issue.
On 23rd August 1918 Andrew St John 21st Baron St John of Bletso was born to Rowland Tudor St John.
On 23rd August 1944 Anthony Meyer 4th Baronet was born to Anthony Meyer 3rd Baronet (age 23).
On 23rd August 1945 Julian Hardinge 4th Baron Hardinge was born to George Hardinge 3rd Baron Hardinge (age 23) and Janet Balfour Baroness Hardinge (age 22).
On 23rd August 1605 Thomas Fitzwilliam 1st Viscount Fitzwilliam (age 24) and Margaret Plunkett were married.
On 23rd August 1662 Patrick Lyon 3rd Earl Strathmore and Kinghorne (age 19) and Helen Middleton Countess Strathmore and Kinghorne (age 17) were married. She by marriage Countess Strathmore and Kinghorne. She the daughter of John Middleton 1st Earl Middleton (age 54) and Grizel Durham Countess Middleton. He the son of John Lyon 2nd Earl Kinghorne and Elizabeth Maule Countess Kinghorne and Linlithgow.
On 23rd August 1798 Alexander Baring 1st Baron Ashburton (age 23) and Ann Louisa Bingham Baroness Ashburton (age 16) were married.
On 23rd August 1837 Arthur Hill 4th Marquess Downshire (age 25) and Caroline Stapleton-Cotton Marchioness Downshire (age 22) were married. He the son of Arthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill 3rd Marquess Downshire (age 48) and Maria Windsor Marchioness Downshire (age 47). They were fifth cousin once removed.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 23rd August 1106 Magnus Billung Duke Saxony (age 61) died.
On 23rd August 1348 Archbishop John de Stratford (age 73) died.
On 23rd August 1383 Elizabeth Strange Countess Nottingham (age 21) died. Her sister Ankaret (age 22) succeeded 7th Baroness Strange Blackmere. Richard Talbot 7th Baron Strange Blackmere 4th Baron Talbot (age 22) by marriage Baron Strange Blackmere.
On 23rd August 1415 Wartislaw Griffins 8th Duke Pomerania died. His nephew Wartislaw succeeded 9th Duke Pomerania.
On 23rd August 1452 James "White Earl" Butler 4th Earl Ormonde (age 59) died at Dublin [Map]. He was buried at St Mary's Abbey, Dublin. His son James (age 31) succeeded 5th Earl Ormonde.
On 23rd August 1499 Bishop John Blythe (age 39) died. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. Monument bottom middle.
On 23rd August 1502 Robert Willoughby 1st Baron Willoughby 9th Baron Latimer (age 50) died. His son Robert (age 30) succeeded 2nd Baron Willoughby Broke, 10th Baron Latimer of Corby. Elizabeth Beauchamp Baroness Willoughby of Broke (age 34) by marriage Baroness Willoughby Broke, Baroness Latimer of Corby.
On 23rd August 1524 Bishop Edmund Tuchet (age 81) died. He was buried in Salisbury Cathedral [Map]. Finely carved monument. Similar in style to Prince Arthur's Chantry [Map] in Worcester Cathedral [Map].
On 23rd August 1568 Thomas Wharton 1st Baron Wharton (age 73) died. His son Thomas (age 48) succeeded 2nd Baron Wharton.
On 23rd August 1613 John Harington 1st Baron Harington (age 73) died. His son John (age 21) succeeded 2nd Baron Harington of Exton.
On 23rd August 1628 George Villiers 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 35) was murdered at Greyhound Pub, Portsmouth by a disgruntled soldier John Felton (age 33). He was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map]. His son George succeeded 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, 2nd Earl Buckingham.
Felton was considered a hero by many who blamed Buckingham for the failures of the 1625 Cádiz Expedition and 1627 Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Felton was subsequently hanged.
On 23rd August 1632 Frances Howard Countess Essex and Somerset (age 42) died.
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 23rd August 1638 Robert Mordaunt 2nd Baronet died. His son Charles succeeded 3rd Baronet Mordaunt of Massingham Parva.
On 23rd August 1641 John Leslie 6th Earl Rothes (age 41) died. His son John (age 11) succeeded 7th Earl Rothes.
On 23rd August 1652 John Byron 1st Baron Byron (age 53) died at Paris [Map]. His brother Richard (age 46) succeeded 2nd Baron Byron of Rochdale in Lancashire.
On 23rd August 1668 Bishop George Hall (age 55) died from a wound inflicted by a knife in his pocket when he chanced to fall in his garden at Wigan.
On 23rd August 1683 William Verney 18th Baron Latimer 10th Baron Willoughby (age 15) died. He was buried at Compton Verney Chapel [Map]. His great uncle Richard (age 62) succeeded 19th Baron Latimer of Corby, 11th Baron Willoughby Broke.
On 23rd August 1685 William Feilding 2nd Earl Desmond 3rd Earl Denbigh (age 44) died. His son Basil (age 17) succeeded 3rd Earl Desmond, 4th Earl Denbigh, 4th Viscount Feilding, 4th Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddocks in Warwickshire, 3rd Viscount Callan of Callan in Kilkenny, 3rd Baron Feilding of Lecagh in Tipperary, 3rd Baron St Liz.
On 23rd August 1690 Margaret Peake Lady Shaw died. She was buried 29th August 1690 at Church of Holy Trinity, Eltham.
On 23rd August 1749 Gilfrid Lawson 6th Baronet (age 74) died unmarried. His brother Alfred (age 73) succeeded 7th Baronet Lawson of Isel Hall in Cumbria.
On 23rd August 1751 Mary Edwards Lady Wrey died.
On 23rd August 1765 Rowland Winn 4th Baronet (age 59) died. His son Rowland (age 26) succeeded 5th Baronet Winn of Nostel in Yorkshire.
On 23rd August 1778 Charles Sedley 2nd Baronet (age 57) died unmarried. Baronet Sedley of Southfleet in Kent extinct.
On 23rd August 1792 Joshua Reynolds (age 69) died at his home in Leicester Fields. He was buried in St Paul's Cathedral [Map]. He bequesthed his niece Mary Palmer Marchioness Thomond (age 42) £100,000 in his will.
On 23rd August 1803 Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden (age 73) died. His son Thomas (age 36) succeeded 2nd Viscount Hawarden, 2nd Baron Montalt of Hawarden in Tipperary, 4th Baronet of Dundrum in Tipperary. Frances Anne Agar Viscountess Hawarden by marriage Viscountess Hawarden.
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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On 23rd August 1812 John Eden 4th Baronet (age 71) died. His son Robert (age 37) succeeded 5th Baronet Eden of West Auckland.
On 23rd August 1828 John Foster 1st Baron Oriel (age 88) died. His son Thomas (age 56) succeeded 2nd Baron Oriel of Ferrand in Louth.
On 23rd August 1829 Thomas Whichcote 6th Baronet (age 42) died. His son Thomas (age 16) succeeded 7th Baronet Whichcote of the Inner Temple in the City of London.
On 23rd August 1850 Charles Evelyn Pierrepont (age 44) died at Torquay, Devon. He was buried at the Church of St Edmund, Holme Pierrepoint [Map]. His brother Sydney (age 25) succeeded 3rd Earl Manvers, 3rd Viscount Newark, 3rd Baron Pierrepont of Holme Pierrepoint.
On 23rd August 1875 Glynne Earl Welby 3rd Baronet (age 69) died. His son William (age 46) succeeded 4th Baronet Welby of Denton Manor in Lincolnshire.
On 23rd August 1885 Edward Marmaduke Joseph Vavavsour 2nd Baronet (age 70) died. His nephew William (age 38) succeeded 3rd Baronet Vavasour of Hazlewood in Yorkshire.
On 23rd August 1921 Bishop Francis Jayne (age 76) died at his home The Quarry, Oswestry.
On 23rd August 1930 Alan Ian Percy 8th Duke Northumberland (age 50) died. His son Henry (age 18) succeeded 9th Duke Northumberland, 6th Earl Beverley, 12th Baronet Smithson of Stanwick in Yorkshire.
On 23rd August 1932 Constance Mary Lascelles Baroness Wenlock (age 80) died.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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On 23rd August 1940 Ellen Palmer Morewood Countess Shrewsbury Waterford Talbot (age 84) died.
On 23rd August 1949 Edward Paulet Stracey 7th Baronet (age 78) died. His son Michael (age 38) succeeded 8th Baronet Stracey of Rackheath in Norfolk.