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All About History Books

The 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.

Biography of John Christmas 1599-1654

John Christmas 1599-1654 is in Sculptors.

In 1599 John Christmas was born to Gerard Christmas.

On 17th May 1633 Penelope Noel (age 22) died of blood poisoning after having pricked herself with a needle whilst sewing with silk thread. Monument in St James' Church, Chipping Campden [Map]. Sculpted by John Christmas (age 34) or possibly his brother Mathias. The material held in her left hand may represent the material she was sewing

"The most exquisite model of natures best workmanship, ye richest magazine of all divine and moral vertues, Penelope Noel having added to the nobilitie of her birth, a brighter shyne of true noblesnesse, ye exemplary sweetness of her conversation, he contempt of earthly vanities and her zealous affection towards heaven, after 22 yeares devotions, commended her virgin sowle into ye hands of its true brydegroome Jesus Christ, May 17th AD 1633 over whose pretious dust here reserved, her sad parents Edward Lord Noel, Viscount Campden and the Lady Julian his wife, dropt theyr teares and erected this marble to the deare memorie of theyre unvaluable losse - Superata tellus Sidera donat i.e. The earth, once conquered, grants the stars."

Penelope Noel: On 22nd August 1610 she was born to Edward Noel 2nd Viscount Campden and Juliana Hicks Viscountess Campden.

On 13th October 1637 Sovereign was launched. Brothers John Christmas (age 38) and [his brother] Mathias Christmas (age 32) had worked together on her decoration.

In 1654 John Christmas (age 55) died.