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.
Before 1570 [his father] John Clifton (age 31) and [his mother] Anne Stanley (age 37) were married.
Around 1570 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton was born to [his father] John Clifton (age 32) and [his mother] Anne Stanley (age 38) in Barrington Court.
In 1591 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 21) and Katherine Darcy (age 20) were married. They were half fifth cousin once removed.
In 1591 [his mother] Anne Stanley (age 59) died.
Around 1592 [his daughter] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox was born to Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 22) and [his wife] Katherine Darcy (age 21). She married (1) 1609 Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox, son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox, and had issue (2) 1627 James Hamilton 2nd Earl Abercorn, son of James Hamilton 1st Earl Abercorn and Marion Boyd Countess Abercorn, and had issue.
In April 1593 [his father] John Clifton (age 55) died.
In 1608 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 38) was created 1st Baron Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire by writ of summons enabling descent by the female line.
In 1609 [his son-in-law] Esmé Stewart 3rd Duke Lennox (age 30) and [his daughter] Katherine Clifton Duchess Lennox (age 17) were married. He the son of Esme Stewart 1st Duke Lennox and Catherine Balsac Duchess Lennox.
On 17th March 1617 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 47) was prosecuted by the Star Chamber and moved to Fleet Prison [Map].
Annals of the six Kings of England by Nicholas Trivet
Translation of the Annals of the Six Kings of England by that traces the rise and rule of the Angevin aka Plantagenet dynasty from the mid-12th to early 14th century. Written by the Dominican scholar Nicholas Trivet, the work offers a vivid account of English history from the reign of King Stephen through to the death of King Edward I, blending political narrative with moral reflection. Covering the reigns of six monarchs—from Stephen to Edward I—the chronicle explores royal authority, rebellion, war, and the shifting balance between crown, church, and nobility. Trivet provides detailed insight into defining moments such as baronial conflicts, Anglo-French rivalry, and the consolidation of royal power under Edward I, whose reign he describes with particular immediacy. The Annals combines careful year-by-year reporting with thoughtful interpretation, presenting history not merely as a sequence of events but as a moral and political lesson. Ideal for readers interested in medieval history, kingship, and the origins of the English state, this chronicle remains a valuable and accessible window into the turbulent world of the Plantagenet kings.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 30th December 1617 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 47) was imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map] for having threatened Francis Bacon 1st Viscount St Alban (age 56) when Francis ordered a survey of Gervase's lands.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 5th October 1618. London. Reverend Thomas Lorkin to Thomas Puckering 1st Baronet (age 26).
This day, news arrived of my Lord de la War's death, in his voyage to Virginia. This day was fatal to my Lord Clifton (age 48), who, at his lodgings in Holborn, stabbed and murdered himself. The last week, the French agent [Le Clerc] was interdicted the court, for being appeached by a companion of his, already in prison for the same crime, to have projected and offered means of Sir Walter Raleigh's (age 64) escape; and, though he protested against it, and sought to justify himself by writing, yet served it not his turn; for in the same terms he remains still, and hath (as I hear) written the news thereof to the king his master, petitioning either for a revocation or a reintegration, by his means, into his former condition.
On 14th October 1618 Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton (age 48) stabbed himself to death in the Fleet Prison [Map]. His daughter [his daughter] Katherine (age 26) succeeded 2nd Baroness Clifton of Leighton Bromswold in Huntingdonshire. According to a letter from Reverend Thomas Lorkin the date was the 5th of October and the location "at his lodgings in Holborn" - see Letter.
In August 1637 [his former wife] Katherine Darcy (age 66) died.
Kings Wessex: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England
Kings Gwynedd: Great x 13 Grand Son of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd
Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 19 Grand Son of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth
Kings Powys: Great x 14 Grand Son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys
Kings Godwinson: Great x 16 Grand Son of King Harold II of England
Kings England: Great x 6 Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Kings Scotland: Great x 15 Grand Son of King Duncan I of Scotland
Kings Franks: Great x 22 Grand Son of Charles "Charlemagne aka Great" King of the Franks King Lombardy Holy Roman Emperor
Kings France: Great x 17 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: John Clifton of Walsingham Parva 
GrandFather: William Clifton of Barrington
Father: John Clifton
Gervase Clifton 1st Baron Clifton 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: John Stanley 
9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Stanley 1st Baron Stanley 10 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Harrington 
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Goushill
Great x 3 Grandmother: Jane Goushill Baroness Stanley 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Fitzalan Duchess Norfolk 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 1 Grandfather: Edward Stanley 1st Baron Monteagle 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 
5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Richard Neville Earl Salisbury Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland 
Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 2 Grandmother: Eleanor Neville Baroness Stanley 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Montagu 1st Count Perche 4th Earl Salisbury 
3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England
Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Montagu 5th Countess of Salisbury 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor Holland 
2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England
GrandFather: Thomas Stanley 2nd Baron Monteagle 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Roger Vaughan of Bredwardine 
7 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Vaughan 8 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandmother: Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam "Star of Abergavenny" Brecon
Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Vaughan 9 x Great Grand Son of King John of England
Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas ab Philip Vychan Unknown
Great x 3 Grandmother: Denise or Cecily Vaughan
Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Vaughan Baroness Grey Wilton 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England
Mother: Anne Stanley 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England