Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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Around 1320 Robert Assheton and Elizabeth Gorges were married.
In 1324 Robert Assheton was elected MP Westminster.
Around 1346 [his daughter] Eleanor Assheton was born to Robert Assheton and [his wife] Elizabeth Gorges. She married before 16th March 1367 John Berkeley, son of Thomas Berkeley 8th and 3rd Baron Berkeley and Katherine Clivedon Baroness Berkeley.
In 1348 [his wife] Elizabeth Gorges died.
Inb 1359 Robert Assheton was appointed Governor of Guînes Castle.
In 1362 Robert Assheton was appointed Lord High Treasurer.
Before 16th March 1367 [his son-in-law] John Berkeley (age 15) and [his daughter] Eleanor Assheton (age 21) were married.
In 1369 Robert Assheton was appointed Admiral of the Narrow Seas.
Before 27th August 1369 [his daughter] Eleanor Assheton (age 23) died.
In 1372 Robert Assheton was appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
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In 1373 Robert Assheton was appointed Lord Chamberlain of the Household which office he held until the death of King Edward III in 1377.
In 1375 Robert Assheton was appointed Lord Chancellor.
In 1376 Robert Assheton was appointed Constable of Portchester Castle which castle he re-inforced by commissioning the building of "Ashton's tower".
In 1380 Robert Assheton was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports.
On 9th January 1384 Robert Assheton died at Dover Castle [Map] and was buried in St Mary in Castro Church, Dover, to which he had previously presented a large bell. The inscription on his monument taken from John Weever's Ancient Funerall Monuments 1631: "Here lies Robert Asheton, a soldier formerly Constable of the Castle of Dover, and keeper of the five Ports, who died on the ninth day of January. In the year of the Lord, a thousand 300 and eighty-fourth, whose soul may God have mercy on him. Amen."
Hic iacet Robertus Asheton miles quondam Constabularius Castri Dovori, et custos quinque Portuum, qui obyt nono die Ianuar. Anno Domini millesimo CCC octogesimo quarto, cuius anime propitietur Deus. Amen.
Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. Syr Robert Astoni speaketh for the Duke unto the Kynge agaynst the Londoners.
The duke havynge obteined as he desyred, that which he had longe conceaved in hys mynde, that ys to say, the taxe of all the heades of the whoole commonaltye, yett he colde not be quyet in his mynde, for that he thought upon the injury the Londoners had done unto hym, therefore he studied day & nyghte by what meanes he myghte restore agayne hys fame almoste loste. Att the laste, by a devised pollycye, he compelled the kynge by hys warrants to sende for the maior, & sheryffes, & also the cheife men of the cytye whom the comon people call aldermen, to come before his presence. Who beynge called, not darynge to goe agaynst the king's commandment, presently they came unto the kynge at his manore of Shene, & beynge brought into the kynge's chamber of presence, they founde the kynge, by helpe of his servaunts, placed in a certayn cheare, & sittynge like an image, & not able well to speake for the manifold greifes that he had by his sicknes, & certein bishopps with the archbishopp, the duke & the kynges sonnes, with many lordes & honorable men syttynge about hym; when after due reverence may de & sylence commanded, Syr Robert Aston began an oration in thys wyse, All you (sayed he) perchaunce do marvell why you are sent for to come into the kynge's presence, & in presence of these noblemen, & least I shold longe with vayne wordes suspend your sorrow full myndes, I will brevely declare the cause of your citation. You know what a greate shame your felow citezens lately broughte to our Soveraigne Lorde the Kynge, & by them was moved & almost turned to sedition all thys realme, I say the injurye was done unto the kynge, for yt ys plane that that whyche ys done agaynste his vicar ys done agaynste hym, without doubt yf you have any wytt you perceave what I meane. You remember with what reproaches you folowed not only hym that representeth hys person [supplieth his place] in the realme, but also the kynge's elder soñe. The offence truly is greate & notorious, & the like haythe not bene sene in our dayes, & therfor yt ys convenient that with a grevous revengement yt be punyshed. I say that with such a punyshment that yt may be a lesson for our postery tye to refrain themselves from persecutynge of there kynge. Therfor I councell you, O cytezens, to submyt yourselves unto the kynges mercye, whom you have grevouslye exasperated. You know that I have bene amongst humble intreatours, that he that hath leadd a mercifull lyfe, will conclude with a mercifull ende, & to mollyfye his harte, whyche you have greatly above all measure disquieted, submytt yourselves unto the duke's grace, his elder soñe, whom as appeareth you have principally offended, & perchaunce you shall understand any profitable councill without any gloossynge wordes. The Londoners answeared that they had not conspyred agaynst the duke, nether had there bene any shamefull thynge spoken or done agaynste hym that they dyd know of or consent unto, whiche thynge they were ready to prove before there soverayne kynge & the duke hym selffe, yett notwythstandyng they affyrmed, that they cold not stay the foolye of the common people, by whom that which had chaunced was commytted, for the common sort ofthem wantynge money, & not havyngea proper dwellynge house in the cytye, ys easelye incited to maike sturres, & so much leasse they feare to do evill in that they have no goods to loose. Wherfor the sayed citizens requested the kynge that he wolde not punysh those that were innocent & ignorant of the fact, & to maike the synnes of the offenders to redounde upon the heades of the unguyltye, for that sayed they shulde be agaynst all justice, but this for reverence of the kynge, they promysed the duke, that they wolde with all diligence endeavour themselves to brynge in the common people, & to compell them by law to maike due satisfaction. And more (sayed they) we are not able to doo for the duke that may be to hys honour; and at this worde with the kynge's will they were dismissed, full mery when they saluted the courte on there backes. After thys the kynge sente unto them secretly, commandynge them to call all the citizens. together, & to maike one searge [wax candle] with the armes of the duke his sonne in yt, & to carye the sayme in solemn procession to St. Paule's Churche, where yt sholde continue to burne before the image of the glorious Virgin, contynuated att the charge of the cytye. The wax candle therfor beinge mayde, the cytizens by voyce of the cryer are generally called together; at which call they come, they heare the cause of there commynge, but the commonaltye & those of the poorer sorte contemned to be present att such a procession, therfor with indignation every one departed hoome to his owne house; only the woorshippfull of the cytye maike the procession, placynge the wax candle where they were commanded. But the duke not contented with this satysfaction, he endevored to feare & styrre the cytyzens wythe reproaches & what threatenyngs he colde, sayinge that that whiche they had doone was nothynge gratefull unto hym, nay yt rather redounded to hys greater shame, cheifly for that while he was well in health & alyve, they had in suche sorte offered hys armes drawne in a waxe candle. On the other syde, the Londoners affyrmed that they had expressly done that which his father commanded them, & which they beleaved to have been agreable to hys mynde; yf they had knowne more, they were ready to execute all thyngs that sholde be acceptable unto hym, to whom the duke constantly affirmed, that they knew hys mynde, & were not ignorant how to maike satisfaction. With which wordes the citizens were much scandalized, for presently thys speache was emongst them. Yf (sayed they) yt be such an heinous offence, that with those thynges which the kynge his father for hys honour commanded to be doone, he do not thynke hym selfe satisfyed, what ys yt that we ought to doo unto hym? Wolde he that we sholde proclayme hym kynge, ys thys yt that he meaneth when he sayeth we know what he desyreth? but thys (sayed they) shall never be doone, & they departed asunder worse friends with hym, then they were before.
Note i. Sir Robert Aston, or de Asheton, was at this time Chamberlain of the King's Household. Rymer, vii. p. 143. He had been Justiciary of Ireland, and was appointed by the King an executor of his will.