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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Robert "The Elder" Peake is in Painters.
Around 1551 Robert "The Elder" Peake was born.
On 30th April 1565 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 14) commenced his training under Laurence Woodham at the Sign of "The Key" Goldsmith's Row Cheapside.
On 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 25) became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
After 20th May 1576 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 25) was in the pay of the Master of the Revels.
In 1582 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 31). Portrait of Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr (age 26).
Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr: On 19th June 1555 she was born to Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey. On 19th November 1571 Thomas West 2nd Baron De La Warr and she were married. On 30th December 1595 William West 1st Baron De La Warr died. His son Thomas succeeded 2nd Baron De La Warr. She by marriage Baroness De La Warr. On 30th August 1608 Anne Knollys Baroness De La Warr died.
1586 to 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 35). Portrait of Frances Walsingham Countess Essex (age 19). Frances was only firmly identified as the sitter in 2023 by Elise Effmann Clifford, a conservator at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. The original inscription had at some point been replaced with a false one identifying the sitter as Mary Queen of Scots. Once old overpaint and modern varnish had been removed, Elise Effmann Clifford was able to analyse traces of the original lettering and under close examination discovered that the original text read, 'The Ladie Sidney daughter/to Secretarye Walsingham.'
Around 1590. Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 39). Portrait of Elizabeth Oldenburg (age 16).
Elizabeth Oldenburg: On 25th August 1573 she was born to Frederick II King of Denmark and Sophie Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark. On 19th April 1590 Henry Julius Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and she were married. She the daughter of Frederick II King of Denmark and Sophie Mecklenburg-Schwerin Queen Consort Denmark. On 19th June 1625 Elizabeth Oldenburg died.
In 1590 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 39). Portrait of Katherine Carey Countess Nottingham (age 40).
Around 1597 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 46). Portrait of Peregrine Bertie 13th Baron Willoughby (age 41).
In 1605 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 54). Portrait of Arabella Stewart (age 30).
In 1607 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 56) was appointed Sarjeant Painter to King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland (age 40) sharing the office with John Critz (age 56).
In 1608 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 57). Portrait of Elizabeth D'Oyly née Knightley.
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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On 14th October 1608 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 57) was paid £7 for "pictures made by His Highness' (age 14) command".
On 14th July 1609 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 58) was paid £3 "for a picture of His Highness (age 15) which was given in exchange for the King's picture".
In 1610 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 59). Portrait of Princess Elizabeth Stewart Queen Bohemia (age 13).
In 1611 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 60) and Paul Isackson painted the cabins, carvings, and armorials on the ship the Prince Royal.
In 1611 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 60). Portrait of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 10) in his Garter Robes and Leg Garter.
On 10th July 1613 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 62) was paid £13.6s.8d. by the vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge, "in full satisfaction for Prince Charles (age 12) his picture", for a full-length portrait which is still in the Cambridge University Library.
In 1615 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 64). Portrait of Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston (age 15). She is wearing a draped mantle-embroidered with seed pearls in a pattern of ostrich plumes-and a matching turban. The mantle knotted on one shoulder was worn in Jacobean court masques.
Elizabeth Watson Lady Penyston: In 1600 she was born to Thomas Watson. In 1615 William Pope and she were married. He the son of William Pope 1st Earl Downe and Anne Hopton Baroness Wentworth. After 1622 Thomas Penyston 1st Baronet and she were married. She by marriage Lady Penyston of Leigh in Iden in Sussex. In 1624 she died.
In 1616 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 65). Portrait of (possibly) Frances Cotton (age 38).
Frances Cotton: In 1578 she was born to Thomas Cotton and Elizabeth Shirley. On 24th February 1612 Edward Montagu 1st Baron Montagu and she were married at Weekley, Northamptonshire. In May 1620 Frances Cotton died.
Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 67). Portrait of Henry Frederick Stewart Prince of Wales in his Garter Robes and Leg Garter.
Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 67). Portrait of Anne Vavasour (age 58).
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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Before 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 67). Portrait of William Pope 1st Earl Downe (age 45).
In 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 68). Portrait of Vere Egerton (age 23).
Vere Egerton: Around 1596 she was born to Thomas Egerton and Isabella Venables. In 1619 William Booth and she were married. On 5th April 1629 Vere Egerton died. She was buried at Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon [Map] on 4th May 1629.
On 10th October 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (age 68) made his will.
After 10th October 1619 Robert "The Elder" Peake (deceased) died.
On 16th October 1619 the will of Robert "The Elder" Peake (deceased) was proved.