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: Fitzherbert of Tissington
In or before 1539 [his father] Robert Francis Fitzherbert [aged 28] and [his mother] Elizabeth Cotes [aged 18] were married.
In 1539 Francis Fitzherbert was born to [his father] Robert Francis Fitzherbert [aged 29] and [his mother] Elizabeth Cotes [aged 18].
Before 1595 Francis Fitzherbert [aged 55] and Jane Armstrong [aged 54] were married.
In 1595 Francis Fitzherbert [aged 56] and Elizabeth Bullock [aged 20] were married at the now demolished St. Alkmund's Church, Derby. The difference in their ages was 35 years.
On 7th July 1595 [his father] Robert Francis Fitzherbert [aged 85] died.
In 1599 [his son] John Fitzherbert was born to Francis Fitzherbert [aged 60] and [his wife] Elizabeth Bullock [aged 24]. He married 1615 Elizabeth Fitzherbert of Norbury and had issue.
On 7th December 1602 Francis Fitzherbert [aged 63] was appointed High Sheriff of Derbyshire.
The current Tissington Hall, Derbyshire [Map] was commissioned by Francis Fitzherbert [aged 70] around 1609.
In 1615 [his son] John Fitzherbert [aged 16] and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Fitzherbert of Norbury were married.
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.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 4th January 1619 Francis Fitzherbert [aged 80] died.
St Mary's Church, Tissington [Map]. After 2nd August 1642. Monument to, below, Francis Fitzherbert and his two wives Jane Armstrong and Elizabeth Bullock [aged 67], and, above, his son John Fitzherbert [aged 43] and his wife Elizabeth Fitzherbert of Norbury. The arms above show two of the arms of the Fitzherbert family. Below may be seen the Fitzherbert crest of a clenched fist - see also Church of St Barlok, Norbury [Map] for earlier monuments to the Fitzherberts of Norbury..
On the side of the monument a memorial to Elizabeth Fitzherbert [aged 11], daughter of John and Elizabeth, who died aged eighteen and siz months.
Kings Wessex: Great x 23 Grand Son of King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 20 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 18 Grand Son of Maredudd ab Owain King Deheubarth King Powys King Gwynedd
Kings England: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Kings Franks: Great x 23 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 16 Grand Son of Hugh I King of the Franks
Kings Duke Aquitaine: Great x 20 Grand Son of Ranulf I Duke Aquitaine
Great x 1 Grandfather: Robert Fitzherbert 
GrandFather: George Fitzherbert
Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Eyre 
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Eyre of Padley
Great x 2 Grandfather: Roger Eyre of Padley
Great x 1 Grandmother: Grace Eyre
Father: Robert Francis Fitzherbert
Francis Fitzherbert 15 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Humphrey Cotes
GrandFather: John Cotes 13 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Blount of Sodington 
Great x 3 Grandfather: John Blount
Great x 4 Grandmother: Juliana Foulhurst
Great x 2 Grandfather: Humphrey Blount
Great x 4 Grandfather: Kynard de la Bere
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Bere
Great x 1 Grandmother: Eleanora Blount 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Winnington
Great x 3 Grandfather: Robert Winnington 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Emma Mainwaring 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Elizabeth Winnington 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Mother: Elizabeth Cotes 14 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England