Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Text this colour are links that disabled for Guests.
Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page.
Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
Paternal Family Tree: Darwin
On 18th April 1796 [his father] Robert Darwin (age 29) and [his mother] Susannah Wedgwood (age 31) were married. She brought £25,000 which she had inherited from her father [his grandfather] Josiah Wedgwood who had died the previous year. They has six children.
On 12th February 1809 Charles Darwin was born to [his father] Robert Darwin (age 42) and [his mother] Susannah Wedgwood (age 44).
On 15th July 1817 [his mother] Susannah Wedgwood (age 52) died.
On 27th December 1831 Charles Darwin (age 22) set sail on the HMS Beagle for his five year voyage of discovery.
On 24th January 1839 Charles Darwin (age 29) was elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
On 29th January 1839 Charles Darwin (age 29) and Emma Wedgwood (age 30) were married. They were first cousins.
On 13th November 1848 [his father] Robert Darwin (age 82) died.
In 1859 Charles Darwin (age 49) published "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".
1868. Julia Margaret Cameron nee Pattle (age 52). Photograph of Charles Darwin (age 58).
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.
1875. Walter William Ouless (age 26). Portrait of Charles Darwin (age 65).
1881. John Collier (age 30). (Copy of) Portrait of Charles Darwin (age 71).
On 19th April 1882 Charles Darwin (age 73) died.
On 2nd October 1896 [his former wife] Emma Wedgwood (age 88) died.
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Darwin of Elston
GrandFather: Erasmus Darwin
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hill
Father: Robert Darwin
Great x 1 Grandfather: Charles Howard of Lichfield
GrandMother: Mary aka Polly Howard
GrandFather: Josiah Wedgwood
Mother: Susannah Wedgwood