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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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Archbishop Randall Davidson 1848-1930

On 7th April 1848 Archbishop Randall Davidson was born at Edinburgh. He was educated at Harrow School.

On 12th November 1878 Archbishop Randall Davidson [aged 30] and Edith Murdoch Tait [aged 19] were married.

In 1883 Randall Davidson [aged 34] was elected Dean of Windsor.

In 1891 Dean Randall Davidson [aged 42] was elected Bishop of Rochester.

In 1895 Bishop Randall Davidson [aged 46] was elected Bishop of Winchester.

The London Gazette 27357. 12th March 1901. Lord Chamberlain's Office, St. James's Palace, March 12, 1901.

The King has been pleased to appoint the Right Reverend Father in God Randall, Bishop of Winchester [aged 52], to be Clerk of the Closet in Ordinary to His Majesty.

In 1903 Bishop Randall Davidson [aged 54] was elected Archbishop of Canterbury.

1910. John Singer Sargent [aged 53]. Portrait of Archbishop Randall Davidson [aged 61].

On 25th May 1930 Archbishop Randall Davidson [aged 82] died.

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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 26th June 1936 [his former wife] Edith Murdoch Tait [aged 77] died.