Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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On 23rd February 1817 George Frederick Watts was born.
1841. George Frederick Watts [aged 23]. Portrait of the Ionides Family with Alexander Constantine Ionides [aged 30], his wife Euterpe Sgouta [aged 24] and their four children including, fouth from left Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides [aged 6].
Alexander Constantine Ionides: On 20th August 1810 he was born at Constantinople. On 24th July 1832 or 5th August 1832 he and Euterpe Sgouta were married. On 10th November 1890 he died.
Euterpe Sgouta: On 20th May 1816 she was born. On 11th February 1892 she died.
1843-44. George Frederick Watts [aged 25]. Portrait of Mary Augusta Coventry [aged 31]. Painted in the autumn of 1843 at the Casa Feroni, Florence, the British legation where Watts was staying with the Hollands. Watts had been given a letter of introduction to Lord Holland the British Minister at the Court of Tuscany. He was invited to lunch on 3 October 1843 and by 23 October he had moved into the Casa Feroni as a permanent guest. He stayed for three years. The portrait was mentioned in a letter written by Edward Ellice to the Dowager Lady Holland, in early December that year. He described it as being painted 'in the manner of the "Chapeau de Paillle"', making reference to the famous painting by Rubens
Mary Augusta Coventry Baroness Fox: In 1812 she was born to George Coventry 8th Earl Coventry and Mary Beauclerk Countess Coventry. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. On 9th May 1833 Henry Fox 4th Baron Holland and she were married. She the daughter of George Coventry 8th Earl Coventry and Mary Beauclerk Countess Coventry. They were fifth cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. In 1889 Mary Augusta Coventry Baroness Fox died.
1844. George Frederick Watts [aged 26]. Portrait of Mary Augusta Coventry Baroness Fox [aged 32] on a Daybed.
Around 1849. George Frederick Watts [aged 31]. "Found Drowned". The scene is set under Waterloo Bridge where the body of a young woman in a flame-coloured dress has been washed up on the foreshore of the Thames.
1850 to 1852. George Frederick Watts [aged 32]. Portrait of Julia Margaret Cameron nee Pattle [aged 34].
In 1850 John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope [aged 20] began to study with George Frederick Watts [aged 32]. He assisted Watts in his mural decoration of Justice, a Hemicycle of Law-givers for Lincoln's Inn in London. In the autumn of 1853 Stanhope travelled to Italy with Watts with visits to Venice, Florence, and Padua.
Around 1850. George Frederick Watts [aged 32]. Portrait of Mary Lowther [aged 65].
Mary Lowther: In 1785 she was born to William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. On 16th September 1820 Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck and she were married. She the daughter of William Lowther 1st Earl Lonsdale and Augusta Fane Countess Lonsdale. He the son of William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke Portland and Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland. On 21st October 1863 Mary Lowther died.
Around 1851. George Frederick Watts [aged 33]. Portrait of John Russell 1st Earl Russell [aged 58].
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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1851 to 1853. George Frederick Watts [aged 33]. Portrait of Sophia Ricketts Dalrymple nee Pattle [aged 21].
Sophia Ricketts Dalrymple nee Pattle: On 19th March 1829 she was born to James Peter Pattle at Garden Reach, Calcutta and Adeline Marie de l'Etang. Before 28th December 1888 John Warrender Dalrymple 7th Baronet and she were married. On 16th June 1911 Sophia Ricketts Dalrymple nee Pattle died.
Around 1852. George Frederick Watts [aged 34]. Portrait of Sarah Prinsep nee Pattle [aged 35].
Sarah Monckton Pattle: On 16th August 1816 she was born to James Peter Pattle and Adeline Marie de l'Etang. On 14th May 1835 Henry Thoby Prinsep and she were married at Calcutta, India. The difference in their ages was 24 years. On 15th December 1887 Sarah Monckton Pattle died.
1856 to 1857. George Frederick Watts [aged 38]. Portrait of Edmund Lyons 1st Baron Lyons [aged 65].
Edmund Lyons 1st Baron Lyons: On 21st November 1790 he was born. On 23rd November 1858 he died.
In 1856 John Roddam Spencer-Stanhope [aged 26] accompanied George Frederick Watts [aged 38] and Valentine Cameron Prinsep [aged 17] on an expedition to Asia Minor to observe the excavations of the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus at Budrum led by Charles Newton, the Keeper of Greek Antiquities at the British Museum. Newton was a friend of Stanhope's father.
1857 to 1858. George Frederick Watts [aged 39]. Portrait of Jane "Jeanie" Elizabeth Hughes [aged 28].
Jane "Jeanie" Elizabeth Hughes: On 10th December 1828 she was born to John Hughes at Uffington, Oxfordshire. On 10th August 1848 Nassau John Senior and she were married. On 24th March 1877 she died.
1857 to 1859. George Frederick Watts [aged 39]. Portrait of Prudence Penelope Leslie [aged 30].
Prudence Penelope Leslie: On 8th November 1826 she was born to Charles Powell Leslie and Christiana Fosbery. On 14th August 1850 or 16th September 1850 George Cavendish-Bentinck and she were married at St George's Church, Hanover Square. On 22nd June 1896 Prudence Penelope Leslie died at Spanish Place, Manchester Square.
1858. George Frederick Watts [aged 40]. Portrait of Helen Huth nee Ogilvy [aged 20].
Helen Huth nee Ogilvy: In September 1837 she was born to Thomas Ogilvy of Corrimony in Inverness-shire. On 11th April 1855 Louis Huth and she were married.
1859. George Frederick Watts [aged 41]. Portrait of William Ewart Gladstone [aged 49].
Around 1860. George Frederick Watts [aged 42]. Portrait of George Douglas Campbell 8th Duke Argyll [aged 36].
1862. George Frederick Watts [aged 44]. Portrait of Emily Sellwood Baroness Tennyson [aged 48].
Emily Sellwood Baroness Tennyson: On 9th July 1813 she was born to Henry Sellwood at Market Place, Horncastle. On 13th June 1850 Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson and she were married. She the elder sister of his brother Charle's wife Louisa Sellwood. An example of the marriage of two sets of siblings. The London Gazette 25308. Whitehall, January 11, 1884. The Queen has been pleased to direct Letters Patent to be passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granting the dignity of a Baron of the said United Kingdom unto Alfred Tennyson, Esq., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style, and title of Baron Tennyson, of Aldworth, in the county of Sussex, and of Freshwater, in the Isle of Wight. [she by marriage Baroness Tennyson of Aldworth in Sussex and of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight.] On 10th August 1896 she died.
1862. George Frederick Watts [aged 44]. Portrait of Edith Villiers Countess Lytton [aged 20].
Edith Villiers Countess Lytton: On 15th September 1841 she was born to Edward Ernest Villiers and Elizabeth Charlotte Liddell. On 4th October 1864 Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton 1st Earl and she were married. In 1880 Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton 1st Earl was created 1st Earl of Lytton in Derbyshire. She by marriage Countess of Lytton in Derbyshire. On 17th September 1936 Edith Villiers Countess Lytton died.
1863. George Frederick Watts [aged 45]. Portrait of Ophelia. Model [his future wife] Ellen Terry [aged 15]. Re-worked in 1877.
The painting itself presents the moment just before Ophelia meets her watery death in Hamlet, Act IV, scene vii, a moment which is reported but not enacted on stage:
There is a willow grows aslant a brook
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream,
Therewith fantastic garlands did she come,
Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples…
1864. George Frederick Watts [aged 46]. Self-Portrait.
1864. Julia Margaret Cameron nee Pattle [aged 48]. Photograph of George Frederick Watts [aged 46].
Adam Murimuth's Continuation and Robert of Avesbury’s 'The Wonderful Deeds of King Edward III'
This volume brings together two of the most important contemporary chronicles for the reign of Edward III and the opening phases of the Hundred Years’ War. Written in Latin by English clerical observers, these texts provide a vivid and authoritative window into the political, diplomatic, and military history of fourteenth-century England and its continental ambitions. Adam Murimuth Continuatio's Chronicarum continues an earlier chronicle into the mid-fourteenth century, offering concise but valuable notices on royal policy, foreign relations, and ecclesiastical affairs. Its annalistic structure makes it especially useful for establishing chronology and tracing the development of events year by year. Complementing it, Robert of Avesbury’s De gestis mirabilibus regis Edwardi tertii is a rich documentary chronicle preserving letters, treaties, and official records alongside narrative passages. It is an indispensable source for understanding Edward III’s claim to the French crown, the conduct of war, and the mechanisms of medieval diplomacy. Together, these works offer scholars, students, and enthusiasts a reliable and unembellished account of a transformative period in English and European history. Essential for anyone interested in medieval chronicles, the Hundred Years’ War, or the reign of Edward III.
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Around 1864. George Frederick Watts [aged 46]. Portrait of [his future wife] Ellen Terry [aged 16] entitled "Choosing" around the time she and Watts were married.
On 20th February 1864 George Frederick Watts [aged 46] and Ellen Terry [aged 17] were married. The difference in their ages was 29 years.
Around 1865. George Frederick Watts [aged 47]. Portrait of Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot 3rd Earl Talbot 18th Earl of Shrewsbury [aged 61].
Between 1867 and 1871. George Frederick Watts [aged 49]. Portrait of Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell.
Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell: she was born to Guy Campbell 1st Baronet and Pamela Fitzgerald Lady Campbell. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland. Before 3rd August 1862 Percy Scawen Wyndham and she were married. In 1906 Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Anne King-Noel 15th Baroness Wentworth were legally separated as a consequence of the numerous mistresses he had taken which included Jane Morris nee Burden, Catherine Walters aka "Skittles", his cousin Mary Wyndham and, possibly, her mother Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell. In March 1920 she died.
1867. George Frederick Watts [aged 49]. Portrait of May Prinsep Baroness Tennyson [aged 13].
In or after 1867 Arthur James Lewis [aged 43] and [his sister-in-law] Kate Terry [aged 22] were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years.
1870. George Frederick Watts [aged 52]. Portrait of Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet [aged 36].
In 1870 William Schomberg Kerr 8th Marquess Lothian [aged 38] died without issue. His brother Schomberg [aged 36] succeeded 9th Marquess Lothian. Victoria Alexandrina Montagu-Douglas-Scott Marchioness Lothian [aged 25] by marriage Marchioness Lothian. Monument at St Andrew's Church, Blickling [Map] sculpted by George Frederick Watts [aged 52] in 1878.
William Schomberg Kerr 8th Marquess Lothian: In 1832 he was born to John Kerr 7th Marquess Lothian and Cecil Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Lothian. On 14th November 1841 John Kerr 7th Marquess Lothian died at Blickling Hall, Norfolk [Map]. His son William succeeded 8th Marquess Lothian, 11th Earl Lothian, 9th Earl Lothian. He inherited the Blickling, Norfolk estate and made significant changes. On 12th August 1857 William Schomberg Kerr 8th Marquess Lothian and Constance Harriet Mahonesa Talbot Marchioness Lothian were married. She by marriage Marchioness Lothian. She the daughter of Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot 3rd Earl Talbot 18th Earl of Shrewsbury and Sarah Elizabeth Beresford Countess Talbot Shrewsbury Waterford. He the son of John Kerr 7th Marquess Lothian and Cecil Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Lothian. They were first cousins.
Schomberg Henry Kerr Kerr 9th Marquess Lothian: On 2nd December 1833 he was born to John Kerr 7th Marquess Lothian and Cecil Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Lothian. In 1865 Schomberg Henry Kerr Kerr 9th Marquess Lothian and Victoria Alexandrina Montagu-Douglas-Scott Marchioness Lothian were married. She the daughter of Walter Scott 5th Duke Buccleuch 7th Duke Queensberry and Charlotte Anne Thynne Duchess Buccleuch Duchess Queensbury. He the son of John Kerr 7th Marquess Lothian and Cecil Chetwynd-Talbot Marchioness Lothian. They were sixth cousins. On 17th January 1900 Schomberg Henry Kerr Kerr 9th Marquess Lothian died. His daughter Robert succeeded 10th Marchioness Lothian, 12th Countess Lothian, 10th Countess Lothian.
Victoria Alexandrina Montagu-Douglas-Scott Marchioness Lothian: On 20th November 1844 she was born to Walter Scott 5th Duke Buccleuch 7th Duke Queensberry and Charlotte Anne Thynne Duchess Buccleuch Duchess Queensbury. On 19th June 1938 Victoria Alexandrina Montagu-Douglas-Scott Marchioness Lothian died.
1870. George Frederick Watts [aged 52]. Portrait of William Morris [aged 35].
1871. George Frederick Watts [aged 53]. Portrait of John Everett Millais 1st Baronet [aged 41].
1871. George Frederick Watts [aged 53]. Portrait of Henry Thoby Prinsep [aged 78].
Henry Thoby Prinsep: On 15th July 1792 he was born to John Prinsep and Sophie Elizabeth Auriol. On 11th February 1878 Henry Thoby Prinsep died.
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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1871. George Frederick Watts [aged 53]. Portrait of Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 42].
1874. George Frederick Watts [aged 56]. Portrait of Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides [aged 39].
Before 1875. George Frederick Watts [aged 57]. Portrait of Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland [aged 18].
1876. George Frederick Watts [aged 58]. Portrait of Eevleen Tennant [aged 19].
Eevleen Tennant: On 21st November 1856 she was born to Charles Tennant. On 12th March 1937 she died.
1877. George Frederick Watts [aged 59]. Portrait of Blanche, Lady Lindsay [aged 32], playing the Violin.
Caroline Blanche Fitzroy Lady Lindsay: Around 1845 she was born to Henry Fitzroy and Hannah Meyer Rothschild. On 30th June 1864 Coutts Lindsay and she were married. The difference in their ages was 20 years. On 4th August 1912 Caroline Blanche Fitzroy Lady Lindsay died.
1878. George Frederick Watts [aged 60]. Portrait of Leslie Stephen [aged 45].
Leslie Stephen: On 28th November 1832 he was born. On 26th March 1878 he and Julia Prinsep Jackson were married. They had four children. On 22nd February 1904 he died.
1879. George Frederick Watts [aged 61]. Portrait of Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland [aged 22].
1879. George Frederick Watts [aged 61]. Portrait of Violet Lindsay Duchess Rutland [aged 22].
1880. George Frederick Watts [aged 62]. Portrait of Calliope 'Opie' Coronio [aged 23].
Calliope 'Opie' Coronio: On 27th May 1856 she was born to Theodore John Zannis Coronio and Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides. On 19th August 1906 she died. Her mother committed suicide the following day. They were buried together at the Hellenic Enclosure, West Norwood Cemetery. On 20th August 1906 Aglaïa Coronio née Ionides committed suicide the day after the death of her daughter Calliope 'Opie' Coronio.
1885. George Frederick Watts [aged 67]. Portrait of Rachel Anne Gurney Countess Dudley [aged 17].
On 20th November 1886 George Frederick Watts [aged 69] and Mary Fraser Tytler [aged 36] were married. The difference in their ages was 32 years.
1887. George Frederick Watts [aged 69]. Portrait of [his wife] Mary Fraser Tytler [aged 37].
Before 1891. George Frederick Watts [aged 73]. Portrait of Harry George Powlett 4th Duke Cleveland [aged 87].
1893. George Frederick Watts [aged 75]. Portrait of George Meredith [aged 64].
Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough
A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'
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Before 1904. George Frederick Watts [aged 86]. Portrait of Walter Crane [aged 58].
Before 1904. George Frederick Watts [aged 86]. Portrait of Julian Eleanor Adelaide Balfour.
Julian Eleanor Adelaide Balfour: she was born to Charles Balfour and Minnie Georgiana Liddell. On 20th January 1891 Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie and she were married. He the son of William Pleydell-Bouverie 5th Earl Radnor and Helen Matilda Chaplin Countess Radnor. On 5th January 1946 Julian Eleanor Adelaide Balfour died.
Before 1904. George Frederick Watts [aged 86]. Portrait of Dorothy Tennant Lady Stanley [aged 48].
Dorothy Tennant Lady Stanley: On 22nd March 1855 she was born to Charles Tennant. On 5th October 1926 she died.
Before 1904. George Frederick Watts [aged 86]. Portrait of Virginia Somers-Cocks Countess Somers [aged 76].
Virginia Somers-Cocks Countess Somers: On 14th January 1827 she was born to James Peter Pattle and Adeline Marie de l'Etang. In 1850 Charles Somers-Cocks 3rd Earl Somers and she were married. He the son of John Somers-Cocks 2nd Earl Somers and Caroline Yorke Countess Somers. On 5th October 1852 John Somers-Cocks 2nd Earl Somers died. His son Charles succeeded 3rd Earl Somers 3rd Viscount Eastnor of Eastor Castle in Herefordshire, 4th Baron Somers. She by marriage Countess Somers. On 29th September 1910 Virginia Somers-Cocks Countess Somers died.
Before 1904. Hubert Von Herkomer [aged 54]. Portrait of George Frederick Watts [aged 86].
Before 1904. George Frederick Watts [aged 86]. Portrait of Elizabeth Baring Countess Kenmare [aged 36] known as "My Lady Peacock".
Elizabeth Baring Countess Kenmare: On 16th March 1867 she was born to Edward Baring 1st Baron Revelstoke and Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel Baroness Revelstoke at Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey [Map]. On 26th April 1887 Valentine Charles Browne 5th Earl of Kenmare and she were married. He the son of Valentine Browne 4th Earl of Kenmare and Gertrude Thynne Countess Kenmare. On 21st May 1944 Elizabeth Baring Countess Kenmare died.
On 1st July 1904 George Frederick Watts [aged 87] died.
On 21st July 1928 [his former wife] Ellen Terry [aged 81] died.
On 6th September 1938 [his former wife] Mary Fraser Tytler [aged 88] died.
Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones. Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones was written by his wife Georgiana Macdonald Lady Burne-Jones and published in 1906 by The Macmillan Company.
Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet aged 37 from the portrait by George Frederick Watts.