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.
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Around 1540 John Brocket was born to [his father] John Brocket [aged 27].
Before 18th April 1552 John Brocket [aged 12] and Helen Lytton [aged 17] were married. His younger brother Thomas Brocket [aged 11] had married, or would marry, her sister Anne Lytton; marriage of two sets of siblings.
In 1558 [his father] John Brocket [aged 45] died.
On 3rd May 1562 Gabriel Fowler and [his future wife] Elizabeth Moore [aged 18] were married at St Peter le Poer Church, Broad Street.
In 1566 John Brocket [aged 26] was appointed High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.
1568. Unknown Painter. Portrait of John Brocket [aged 28] possibly by George Barret, after Anthonis Mor.
In 1572 John Brocket [aged 32] was elected MP Hertfordshire.
Around 1574 [his daughter] Elinora Brocket was born to John Brocket [aged 34] and [his wife] Helen Lytton [aged 39]. She married in or before 1590 Richard Spencer and had issue.
In 1577 John Brocket [aged 37] was knighted.
In or before 1583 John Brocket [aged 42] and Elizabeth Moore [aged 38] were married.
Around 28th November 1583 [his daughter] Frances Brocket was born to John Brocket [aged 43] and [his wife] Elizabeth Moore [aged 39]. She married before 1602 Dudley North 3rd Baron North and had issue.
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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In or before 1590 [his son-in-law] Richard Spencer [aged 40] and [his daughter] Elinora Brocket [aged 15] were married. The difference in their ages was 25 years.
In 1598 [his wife] Helen Lytton [aged 63] died.
In March 1598 [his son-in-law] Thomas Reade [aged 23] and [his daughter] Mary Brocket were married.
On 2nd October 1598 John Brocket [aged 58] died. He was buried at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield [Map]. His daughter Mary Brocket and her husband Thomas Reade [aged 23] inherited Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire [Map].
Mary Brocket: she was born to John Brocket and Helen Lytton. In March 1598 Thomas Reade and she were married.
On 24th June 1612 [his former wife] Elizabeth Moore [aged 68] died.
Thomas Brocket and Anne Lytton were married. His older brother John Brocket had married, or would marry, her sister Helen Lytton; marriage of two sets of siblings.
Gabriel Fowler and Helen Lytton were married.
[his daughter] Mary Brocket was born to John Brocket and Helen Lytton. She married March 1598 Thomas Reade and had issue.