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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Canaletto is in Painters.
On 18th October 1697 Canaletto was born. His given name was Giovanni Antonio Canal. He came to be known as Canaletto meaning Little Canal or Canal Junior.
Around 1735. Canaletto (age 37). The Interior of the King Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey [Map].
Around 1745. Canaletto (age 47). Old Somerset House [Map].
Around 1746. Canaletto (age 48). The Grand Walk at Vauxhall Gardens.
Around 1746. Canaletto (age 48). The City of Westminster from River Thames near the York Water Gate, York House [Map] with Westminster Bridge [Map] under construction.
Around 1747. Canaletto (age 49). View across the River Thames to Westminster Abbey [Map] and Westminster Hall [Map].
Around 1747. Canaletto (age 49). Westminster Bridge [Map], with the Lord Mayor's Procession on the Thames.
Around 1748. Canaletto (age 50). Warwick Castle [Map].
Around 1749. Canaletto (age 51). View of Whitehall, Old Horse Guards and Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map].
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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Around 1749. Canaletto (age 51). View of St James' Park [Map].
1749. Canaletto (age 51). Westminster Abbey [Map] with a procession of Knights of the Bath. St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map] adjacent with the flag.
Around 1749. Canaletto (age 51). View of Whitehall, New Horse Guards.
Around 1750. Canaletto (age 52). Alnwick Castle, Northumberland [Map].
Around 1750. Canaletto (age 52). Westminster from near the Terrace of Somerset House [Map] In the distance the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace [Map], Westminster Abbey [Map] and Westminster Bridge [Map].
Around 1750. Canaletto (age 52). The City from near the Terrace of Somerset House [Map] with St Paul's Cathedral [Map].
Around 1751. Canaletto (age 53). Royal Hospital Chelsea, Rotunda Ranelagh Gardens Chelsea and Ranelagh House.
Around 1752. Canaletto (age 54). Greenwich Hospital [Map] from the North Bank of the Thames.
Around 1752. Canaletto (age 54). Warwick Castle [Map] East Front from the Courtyard.
1754. Canaletto (age 56). Walton on Thames Bridge [Map]. Commissioned by Thomas Hollis (age 33).
Thomas Hollis: On 14th April 1720 he was born. In 1757 Thomas Hollis was elected Fellow of the Royal Society. On 1st January 1774 he died.
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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1754. Canaletto (age 56). Walton on Thames Bridge [Map].
Around 1754. Canaletto (age 56). View across the River Thames to Eton College [Map] with the new Eton College Chapel [Map] visible in white stone and the original Tudor buildings in red brick.
Around 1754. Canaletto (age 56). View of the interior of the Rotunda Ranelagh Gardens Chelsea.
Around 1754. Canaletto (age 56). St Paul's Cathedral [Map].
Around 1763. Canaletto (age 65). Northumberland House looking towards Strand [Map]. Note the Percy Lion; crest of the Duke Northumberland. And the statue of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland which remains in situ on the corner of what is now the south-east corner of .
On 19th April 1768 Canaletto (age 70) died.
