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 1551 Edmond Atkinson was appointed Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary which position he held until 1571.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 9th September 1559. The ix day (of September) a-fore none thay cam to the chyrche from the byshope palles, the haroldes a-for them, master Garter [aged 49], master Clarenshux [aged 49], master Norrey [aged 49], master Somersett, master Chaster [aged 61], master Rechmond, master Yorke, master Wyndsor, master Lanckostur, and Ruge-crosse, Ruge-dragon, Bluw-mantyll, Perkullys, and ther thay had serves; my lord of Canturbere the meny[ster?], the bysshope Harford, Skore [aged 49], dyd pryche, and the bysshope Barlow [aged 61], thes iij had blake gownes and grett hodes lynyd with sylke, and drestes' capes [caps]; and after all done to (the bishop's) plasse to dener, for ther was offesers of the quen('s) howsse, of evere offes [office] sum, for ther was grett chere.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 29th December 1559. The xxix day of December was bered at sant Martens at Ludgatt Luste Strange [Le Strange] sqwyre, with the clarkes syngyng, and he had a harod of armes, master Somerset, with a pennon and a cott armur, and a vj skochyons, and a sermon.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 8th January 1560. The viij day of January was bered at sant Botulf with-owt Algatt [Map] my lade Darce, the wyff of ser Arthur Darce [aged 65] knyght; and so the chyrche and the quer wher hangyd with blake and armes, and so browth to the chyrche with xxx [priests] and clarkes syngyng, and ther was ij haroldes of armes, master Clarenshux [aged 50] and master Somersett in ther ryche cottes; [then] cam the mornars, in gownes and cottes; then came ... that bare a pennon of armes, and the corse, with a ryche palle; there was a C [100] in blake, and xxiiij [24] men and women pore had gownes; and master Juell [aged 37] byshope of Salysbere dyd pryche; and the(re) was a communyon; and all the morners offered; and after a grett dolle of money; and, all done, to the plasse to dener, for ther was a grett dener, and there were vij [7] dosen of skochyons of armes.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 12th January 1560. The xij day of January was cared from the Whyt frers master Recherd Chetwod sqwyre, with prest and clarkes, and with a penon of armes and a cott armur, and master Somersett, harold of armes, bare ys cot-armur; and a xx morners in gownes and cottes; and a ij dosen skochyons of armes. Master Benton mad the sermon; and after to ys plasse to dener; ther was a grett dener; and vj pore men had good blake [gowns]; and a dolle.
Note. P. 223. Funeral of Richard Chetwode esquire. His pennon and surcoat were remaining at St. Dunstan's, temp. Nich. Charles, and their bearings are described in the Collectanea Topogr. et Geneal. 1837, vol. iv. p. 101.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27th January 1560. The xxvij day of January was cared from [Black] frers unto sant Martens at Ludgatt to be bered my lade Harper, by her furst hosband ser Gorge Harper knyght, and the wyff of master Carlton [aged 31], with a pennon of armes, and ij dosen and a d' of skochyons of armes, and re .. mad in the chyrche and hangyd with blake and armes; and haroldes of armes, master Clarenshux [aged 50] and master Somersett, [and] mony morners in blake; the cheyff morner was ...
Henry Machyn's Diary. 21st April 1560. The sam day at after-non was grett justes at the curtt, and at the tylt, and ther rod the trumpeters blohyng (in) skraff(s) [scarfs] of whyt and blake sarsanett, and master Clarenshus [aged 50], Norrey [aged 50], Somersett, and Lankaster, and Rychemond, and Yorke, and Ruge dragon, and evere of them havyng a skarff a-bowt ther ne[cks, of] whyt and blake sarsenett, and ther rane of the (unfinished)
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27th May 1560. The xxvij day of May was the obseque and fen[eral] of master docthur Wende [deceased], fessyssyon [physician] at Cambryge, a penon of armes and a cott armur, and vj dosen and d' of skochyons of armes, and a harold of armes master Somersett, and .. morners in blake, and he gayff mony gownes to pore men, and ther was a grett dolle, and thether resortyd xx m[iles] off vC. pepull and had grett plente of mett and drynke, boyth hosses [houses] and barnes and feldes, grett store as has bene [seen] for a men [mean ie middle rank] gentyllman, and gret mone mad [moan made].
Note. P. 235. Funeral of Dr. Wendy. Thomas Wendy, M.D. was one of the witnesses to the will of king Henry VIII. together with doctor George Owen and doctor Thomas Huicke, and they each received a legacy of 100l. (Rymer, xv. 117.) He was re-appointed physician to king Edward VI. March 3, 1546–7, with an annuity of 100l. (ibid. 143); and on the 22d Nov. 1548, was appointed one of the commissioners to visit the university of Cambridge (ibid. 178).
Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th June 1560. The v day of June was bered master Husse [deceased] sqwyre, and a grett marchand-ventorer and of Muskovea and haburdassher, and with a C. mornars of men and vomen; hand he had v pennons of armes, and a cotte armur, and ij haroldes of armes master Clarenshux [aged 50] and master Somersett; and ther was Powlles qwyre and the clarkes of London, and bered at sant Martens at Ludgatt by ys sun; and all the cherche hangyd and ys plasse with blake and armes, and a vj dosen and d' of skochyons of armes; and master Alley the redere of Powlles prychyd boyth days; ser Wylliam Garrett [aged 53], ser Wylliam Chester [aged 51], master Loge the shreyf, master Argalle, master Bulle, and master Husse (his) sune, and dyver odur mornars, and after to the plasse to dener, a godly plasse.... Barwyke by captayn .... mantyll frys jerkens all gunners.
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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Henry Machyn's Diary. 22nd August 1560. The xxij day of August was bered in Cambregshyre my lade North, the wyff of my lord North [aged 64], with ij haroldes of armes, master Clarenshus [aged 50] and master Somersett, and mony mornars in blake gownes; then cam a grett baner of armes borne; and then cam the corse kevered [covered] with a pall of blake welvett and armes, and banars borne abowtt the corse; and then cam mony women mornars in blake; and the plase and the chyrche hangyd with blake and armes, and after to the plase to dener, for ther was myche a-doo; and thys was at Cateleg my lord('s) place; and (blank) dyd pryche at the bereall, and was mony pore men and women that had gownes and met [meat] and drynke.
Note. P. 242. Funeral of lady North. Alice, daughter of Oliver Squyer, of Southby, near Portsmouth, widow of Edward Mirfyn of London (son of sir John Mirfyn, lord mayor in 1519,) and also widow of John Brigadine, of Northampton. After this, lord North married another lady who had had three husbands, and died himself before the end of 1565. The present lady was the mother of his children.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd September 1560. The xxiij day of September was bered in Sussex ser John Pellam [deceased] knyght, with a standard and a pennon of armes and a cott armur, elmett, crest, targett, mantylls, and sword, a iiij dosen of skochyons and d', and master Somersett was the harold.
Note. P. 243. Funeral of sir (Nicholas) Pelham. Sir Nicholas Pelham (to whom our diarist erroneously gave the Christian name John, which was that of his son and heir), was of Laughton in Sussex, and lineal ancestor of the earls of Chichester. He was M.P. for Arundel 1547, sheriff of Surrey and Sussex 1549, and knighted Nov. 17 in that year, and afterwards twice knight of the shire for Sussex. He died Dec. 15, 1560, æt. 44, and was buried in St. Michael's church, Lewes, where is his monument, with a kneeling effigy: of which see an engraving in Horsfield's History of Lewes, 4to. 1824, or the Gentleman's Magazine for Sept. 1825, p. 215.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 23rd November 1560. The xxiij day of November was bered in s[aint Stephen's] in Colmanstrett ser John Jermy knyght of Suff[olke be]yonde Epwyche [Map] iiij mylles, the wyche was a goo[d man] of the age of iiijxx and ode [odd], the wyche he left iiij sunes [sons] and iij dowthers [daughters], and he had a standard and a pennon of armes, and cott armur, elmett, targett, and sword, and mantyll, and a iij dosen of skochyons and alff a dosen of bokeram; and the chyrche was hangyd with blake, and with armes; and ther was mony morners; and gohyng to the chyrche a mornar beyryng the standard in blake, and anodur a pennon of armes, and then serten mornars; then cam master Somersett the harold bere the elme [helmet] and crest, and after cam master Clarenshux [aged 50] beyryng ys cote armur and the clarke(s) syngyng; and (then) cam the corse with a palle of blake velvett with skochyons on yt, and (then) cam the cheyff morners, and after ys servandes in blake; and master Mollens the archdeacon dyd pryche; and after all done hom to a fleccher('s) howse to dener.
Note. P. 244. Funeral of sir John Jermy. Sir John Jermy was of Metfield and Brightwell in Suffolk, the latter of which is about five miles from Ipswich, and was therefore the residence to which our diarist alludes. He had been one of the knights of the Bath made at the coronation of quene Anne Boleyne.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 17th December 1560. The xvij day of Desember after mydnyth wher sene in the element open, and as red and flames of fyre over London, and odur plases in reme [realm], and sene of M [1000] men.... Elesabeth in the mydes .... and armes, and the over hend [end] was ...., and he had a standard and a pennon of armes, elmett, targett, and sword, mantylles and crest, and a vj [dozen scocheons] and alffe a dosen of bokeram; and ther was iij haroldes in ther cottes armurs, master Clarenshus [aged 50], master Somersett .... and mony mornars in blake, a iiijxx, and master Skambler [aged 40] the byshope electyd of Peterborow mad the serm[on, and so] in-to the abbey ys plase to dener.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 14th June 1561. The xiiij day of June was bered in Essex my lade Wartun, the wyff of ser Thomas Wartun [aged 66], behyng presoner in the towre of London [Map] at here deth and berehyng, and master Somersett the harold of armes, a gret baner of armes, and iiij dosen of skochyons of armes, the wyche the good lade ded of a thowgh [cough], and she was as fayre a lade as be, and mony mornars in blake, and grett mone mad for her in the contrey.
Note. P. 259. Funeral of lady Wharton. "Lady Anne Ratclyff, daughter to Robert erl of Sussex and lady Margaret his wyff daughter of Thomas erl of Darby, late wyff to sir Thomas Wharton knight, son and heyr to Thomas lord Wharton, dyed the 7. of June, 1561, at the honner of Bewlew, otherwysse called Newhall, in Essex, and was beryed in the parishe churche of Boreham the xiiijth of the mounthe aforesaid: leaving issue Phelyp Wharton son and heyre, Thomas Wharton 2 son, Mary Wharton, Anne." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 18.)
Henry Machyn's Diary. 5th November 1561. The v day of November was bered in sant Stephen's in Walbroke ser Rowland Hylle, latt mare and altherman and mercer and knyght, with a standard and v pennons of armes, and a cott armur and a helmet, a crest, sword, and mantyll, and xj dosen of skochyons of armes; and he gayff a c. gownes and cottes to men and women; and ther wher ij haroldes of armes, master Clarenshux [aged 51] and master Somersett, and my lord mayre [aged 65] morner, the cheyff morner; ser Recherd Lee, master Corbett, with dyvers odur morners, ser Wylliam Cordell, ser Thomas Offeley [aged 61], ser Martens Bowes [aged 64] and master Chamburlan althermen, and the ij shreyffes, and master Chambur .. and master Blakewell, with mony mo morners, and a 1. pore men in good blake gownes, besyd women; and the dene of Powlles [aged 44] mad the sermon; and after all done my lord mayre and mony and althermen whent to the Mercers' hall and the craft to dener, and the resedu to ys plase to dener, and grett mon mad [moan made] for ys deth, and he gayff myche to the pore.
Note. P. 271. Death and funeral of the good sir Rowland Hill. This reverend senator has the highest character given him in his epitaph, which was placed "on a faire stone in the south aile of St. Stephen's Walbrook:"
A friend to vertue, a lover of learning,
A foe to vice, and vehement corrector,
A prudent person, all truth supporting;
A citizen sage, and worthy counsellor;
A lover of wisdome, of justice a furtherer,
Loe, here his corps lyeth, sir Rowland Hill by name,
Of London late lord maier, and alderman of fame.
He was the son of Thomas Hill, of Hodnet in Shropshire; was sheriff 1541–2; lord mayor 1549–50. He founded a grammar school at Drayton in Shropshire, and performed other admirable acts of beneficence recorded by Stowe in his Survay, in his chapter "Honour of Citizens." "He dwelled in Walbrook, over against the said church of St. Stephen; and was buried at St. Stephen's in Walbrook 1561." Arms, Azure, two bars argent, on a canton sable a chevron between three pheons of the second, an eagle's head erased of the third, between two mullets gules. (List by Wm. Smith, Rouge-dragon.)
Henry Machyn's Diary. 27th January 1562. The xxvij day of January was bered master Charlys Wrys[seley] [aged 52] alyas Wyndsore, with all the haroldes of armes, master Garter [aged 52], master Clarenshux, master Chaster alleas Norrey, master Somersett, [master York,] master Rychmond, master Lankester, Rugecrosse, Ruge-dragon, [Portcullis,] and Blumantylle, with vj skochyons of armes, in sant P[ulcher's] parryche, bered in the body of the chyrche; and they [ie the heralds] payd the ch[arges].
Note. P. 275. Funeral of Charles Wryothesley, Windsor herald. He died "at Camden's howsse, in the parish of St. Pulcres in London." (MS. Harl. 897, f. 27b.) "Item. On Sounday the 25th of January, An°. 1561, departed out of this world about sixe of the cloacke, Charles Wryotheley al's Windsour herauld, who was buryed at Saint Sepulcres churche w'hout Newgate, on Tuesday in the morning, at the which buriall the sayd corsse was covered with a pall of blacke velvett, and on the same was laid a rich coate of armes, and of each corner of the sayd corpes went a pursivant of armes in a mourning gowne and hood, and in their coates of armes. And after the corsse went Somersett herauld in his gowne and hood, and after him Mr. Garter and Mr. Clarencieux, and after them the rest of the office of armes not in blacke." From the Papers of Sir Edward Walker, Garter, "Heralds, vol. I. p. 120, Coll. Arm." See also the MS. I. 13, f. 34.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 8th October 1562. The viij day of October my lord the duke of Northfoke [aged 26] and the duches my good lade ys wyff [aged 22] cam rydyng thrughe London and thrughe Byshope-gatt [Map] to Leydyn-hall [Map], and so to Chrychyre to ys own plase, with a C [100] horse in ys leverey was ys men gentyll-men a-fore cottes gardyd with velvett, and with iiij haroldes a-for hym, master Clarenshux kyng at armes [aged 52], master Somersett and master Ruge-crosse and master Blumantylle ryd a-fore.... to be bered at sant [Note. Possibly St Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street [Map]] mastores Chamley the wyff of master Ch[amley recorder? of Lo]ndon, with a palle of blake velvett and with .... ther dyd pryche at her berehyng master (blank) ... mornars, and she had a harold of arm .... dosen of skochyons of armes; and after home t[o dinner.]
Note. P. 294. Funeral of mistress Chamley. This paragraph is so imperfect that it is not certain that it relates to the wife of the Recorder. He, however, was buried at St. Dunstan's in the West in the following April (see p. 395), and his epitaph commenced—"Ranulphus Cholmeley chara hic cum conjuge dormit."
Henry Machyn's Diary. 15th December 1562. The xv day of Desember was cared by the Clarkes of London from Seypulkurs unto sant Martens orgaynes [Map] in Kanwykstrett to be bered be on of ys wyffes the lord justes Browne [deceased] and knyght, with ij haroldes of armes, master Clarenshux [aged 52] and master Somersett; furst whent a-for xxiiij pore men in mantyll fryse gownes, and after a xx clarkes carehyng ther surples on ther armes, and next the standard borne by a mornar, and then cam the ij chaplens and dyvers mornars, and then cam a harold bayryng the helme and crest, and next cam master Clarenshux beyryng the cott of armes, and then cam the pennone of armes, and then cam the corse with a palle of blake velvett with armes on yt, and then the cheyff mornars and my lord Mordantt [aged 54] with odur, and then came the juges and sergant(s) of the coyffe, and next all the ynes of the cowrt in a-ray, a gret nombur, and thruge Chepesyd; and master Renakur mad the sermon, and after home to a grett dener.... and armes and after ys helmet .... targett and after ys sword, and after ys cott [armour] .... offered, and ys pennon offered, and after alle .... serjantes of the law and servandes offered.
Note. P. 297. Funeral of sir Humphrey Browne. This venerable judge of the common pleas had been first appointed in the 34 Hen. VIII. 1543, and had continued to sit on the bench through the reigns of Edward and Mary. Stowe records that he bequeathed "divers houses" to the parish of St. Martin Orgar's, but describes no other memorial of him.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 29th January 1563. The xxix day of January was bered in sant [Olave's?] in the Jury my lade Dormer, late the wyff of ser Myghell Dormer [knyght], latt mare of London and merser and stapuller, .... and master doctur Dalle and ser Thomas her chaplen her sekturs [executors], and ther [were four] haroldes of armes, master Somersett, master Clarenshux [aged 53], Marshalle and Ry[chmond,] and the qwyre hangyd with blake and armes, and ther was .... the corse and hangyd with blake and armes, and then cam the corse [covered with a] palle of blake velvett with armes a-pon bokeram skochyons; [and there were] iij pennons of armes borne a-boutt the corse; and xxvj roset gownes for so many pore women, and a lx blake gownes and cottes; [and there] dyd pryche the vekar, callyd Busken, of the parryche; and a v dosen of skochyons of armes, and after to here plase to dener.
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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Henry Machyn's Diary. 26th March 1563. The xxvj day Marche was bered the good lade Chastur [at] Rayston, the wyff of ser Robartt Chastur knyght, with a pennon of armes and a iiij dosen of skochyons and a vj of bokeram, and the chyrche hangyd with blake and armes, and master Somersett was the harold; and ther was mony mornars in blake, and grett mon [moan] mad for her, and a sarmon, and a grett dolle of money, and mett and drynke, and after a grett dener.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 22nd April 1563. The xxij day of Aprell, was sant Gorge's evyn, at v of the cloke the knyghtes of the Garter cam downe from the quen('s) chambur thrugh the halle to here chapell, and yt was strod with gren ryssys, [and all] the haroldes in ther cott armurs, master Perkullys, master Ruges-dragon, master Lanckaster, master Rychmond, and master Somersett, and master Norray [aged 65] and master Clarenshux [aged 53], master Garter [aged 53], and master dene, my lord of Hunsdon [aged 37], my lord Montyguw [aged 34], my lord Robartt [aged 30], my lord of Lughborow [aged 42], the yerle of Shrowsbere [aged 35], my lord admeralle [aged 51], my lord chamburlayn, the yerle of Ruttland [aged 36], the yerle of Darbe [aged 53], the marques of Northamtun [aged 51], the duke of Northfoke [aged 27], (the) yerle of Arundell [aged 50], and the yerle of Penbroke [aged 62], and so evere man to ys own plase in the chapell of ther owne sett.... cam a prosessyon up thrugh the halle to .... furst the serjant of the vestre with a sylver rod, [then the] chylderyn in ther surples, and then the qwyre sy[nging the English] prosessyon in copes of cloth of gold to the nombur of .... haroldes of armes and sergantes of armes, furst Ruges[croix and] Ruge-dragon, and then cam master Lonkastur and master Rychmond and master [Somerset;] furst my lord of Hunsdon, my lord Montyguw, my lord Robartt, my lord of Lowthborow, my lord admeralle, my lord chamburlayn, the yerle of Rutland, the yerle of [Shrewsbury,] the yerle of Darbe, the yerle of Penbroke, the marques of [Northampton,] the yerle of Arundell, the duke of Northfoke; and then [master Garter,] master Norres, the dene of the chapell, they iij in cremesun saten v[elvet;] and next the byshope of Wynchestur and ser Wylliam Peter in [robes of] cremesun velvett with red crosses on ther robes, and ser .... and the yerle of Northumberland bare the sword, and the(n) the [Queen] in her robe, and master Knolles bare the quen('s) trayn, and after ....
Henry Machyn's Diary. 10th May 1563. The x day of May was cared to be bered from Chanell row unto sant Margattes at Westmynster [Map] ser James Stumpe knyght, with ij haroldes of armes, one beyryng ys helmet and crest, and master Somersett beyryng ys cote armur; furst pore men whent a-for a mornars, and then a clarke syngyng, and next a mornar beyryng ys standard and anodur ys pennon of armes, and then the haroldes, and then cam the corse with a pall of blake velvett a-pon hym, and with armes, and a herse for the body hangyd with blake and armes, and the chyrche hangyd.